Cooperation, strong mandates and ongoing dialogue key for effective poverty reduction

Last week the Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement began a tele-learning series called Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategies, which will include conversations and presentations of government employees involved in the various provincial poverty reduction strategies across Canada. These telephone seminars are free, and anyone can register, listen in and ask questions.

On last week’s call, Tamarack’s Eric Leviten-Reid interviewed Director Donna O’Brien and senior policy analyst Daniel Mason with Newfoundland and Labrador’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, Reducing Poverty: An Action Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador. The Podcasts can be found on Tamarack’s website.

In January, I posted a blog entry highlighting the progress of Newfoundland and Labrador’s poverty reduction strategy, focusing on the progress report released in December 2009. This report detailed the significant drops in poverty levels, from 12.2 percent of people living with low incomes to 6.5 percent in just a few years, moving Newfoundland and Labrador from the province with the highest per capita poverty rate to the third lowest.

This interview with Tamarack focused on these successes, as well as the specific strategies used by the provincial government. The most effective elements for success, according to O’Brien and Mason, included the strong mandate and support from the government, the cooperation between provincial departments, and the constant dialogue with stakeholders.

A strong government mandate is so important because it keeps poverty at the top of the provincial agenda. Keeping these priorities high on the overall provincial agenda compels all departments involved to do the same. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams has openly made the progress of the strategy a top priority of the province.

Another important element of success is the participation and cooperation of various government departments. Poverty is a very complex issue that impacts a large variety of areas of society. Departments such as Social Development should play a major role, but so should provincial Departments of Health, Finance, Labour, Education and more. Coordinating the work of all of these departments can be very challenging at times, but the province has made an effort to keep communication lines open between departments with regular joint committee meetings and clear objectives and responsibilities given to each department.

Finally, another element of success is the continual involvement of individuals and community groups across the province in the implementation process. O’Brien stated that province wide consultations were conducted before the release of the strategy, during implementation, and as the province plans to update the strategy for the next four years. The goal of ongoing dialogue and consultations is that everyone across the province be involved with implementation.

Newfoundland and Labrador is only the first tele-learning session on provincial poverty reduction plans. Stay tuned for a conversation with James Hughes, the director of New Brunswick’s plan in April and with the Government of Nova Scotia in May. You can register now for the conversation with New Brunswick.