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CBR 310: How to Write and Deliver a Policy Presentation

CBR 310: How to Write and Deliver a Policy Presentation. Welcome!. Introductions Icebreaker Workshop objectives Key workshop messages. Workshop Objectives. Upon completion of this workshop you will be able to: understand what drives political and public policy decisions

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CBR 310: How to Write and Deliver a Policy Presentation

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  1. CBR 310: How to Write and Deliver a Policy Presentation

  2. Welcome! • Introductions • Icebreaker • Workshop objectives • Key workshop messages

  3. Workshop Objectives • Upon completion of this workshop you will be able to: • understand what drives political and public policy decisions • understand what political and public policy decisionmakers look for in presentation materials • understand the basic format of policy presentations (slides, briefing notes) • be able to prepare a basic slide deck or briefing note • practise thinking through, drafting and critiquing policy presentations • integrate these skills and knowledge into your ability to develop practical and workable policy alternatives within a community of practice

  4. Key workshop messages:On influencing public policy(a reprise of CBR 308) • Understand the psychology and practice of politics and policymaking – “fit” • See your issue through different lenses - how you and others frame an issue shapes its solutions • Use the power of ideas – create language and stories (words, images, symbols) to influence the discourse • Leverage the power of partnership - create a continuum of engagement in your advocacy and activism work, distinguish between disagreement and attack • Sustain the power of community – mobilize capacity, design strategy, ensure succession • Translate policy options into communication strategies • Appreciate that every idea has its time – be patient, be creative

  5. Key workshop messages:On creating a policy presentation • Write the presentation in this order – slides, briefing note, executive summary, policy paper • Present your ideas in the format familiar to policymakers – issue, recommendation, options/analysis, background • Write for a policy audience – plain language, option headers & short descriptors, action verbs • Focus on what you really need to say and your audience really needs to hear to make a decision – focus on the essence, leave the detail out • Make sure you tell a story – translate policy options into communications messages

  6. Agenda • 9:30 • Welcome, Introductions • Icebreaker – What Do Good Policy Presentations Look Like? • 10:00 • Lecture – Getting Started: Around the Cabinet Table • 10:45 • Health Break • 11:00 • Case Study #1 or #2 – “Writing the Presentation Outline”, small group exercise and facilitated plenary discussion • 12:00 • Buffet Lunch • 12:45 • Case Study #1 or #2 – “Writing the Presentation,” small group exercise and facilitated plenary discussion • 2:15 • Health Break • 2:30 • Case Study #1 or #2, “Presentation Time!” role play and facilitated plenary discussion • 4:15 • Plenary Discussion - Key Learnings/Reflections • 4:30 • Adjourn

  7. Icebreaker:What do good policy presentations look like? • Real slide decks will be reviewed and discussed at the workshop, to maintain confidentiality… • What do you think of them? • Are they clear? Are they persuasive?

  8. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 1, Vision for Ontario Works • Ontario Works is a program that: • Ensures that financial assistance provides a clear and consistent back-to-work focus and a requirement for community contribution • Encourages personal responsibility/accountability, and enhances the emphasis on welfare as a program of last resort • Enhances accountability to taxpayers for effectiveness, efficiency and integrity in a publicly-funded program Confidential

  9. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 2, Introduction • June 1995 – A Social Assistance System in total Need of an Overhaul (Both Family Benefits and General Welfare) – CSR Commitment • Rates too high by any reasonable comparison to other jurisdictions • Weak incentives for people to get off the system • Client “rights” focus • Inefficient delivery (two tiered) and too many small municipalities involved • Loose definition of disabled • Limited ability to prevent welfare fraud • Outdated legislation from the 50’s and 60’s and outdated approach to “safety net” • Appeals system over-used Confidential

  10. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 3, Our Overhaul is Quickly Becoming Reality • Rates reduced • Clear definition of “spouse” • Work-for-welfare implementation on track • Clearer definition of “disability” in new ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) legislation to be tabled in June • Anti-fraud measures • Business practices and technology overhauled • Achieved some process and cost efficiencies in appeals system Confidential

  11. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 4, Purpose of Today: Approval to Finish the Overhaul • The Ontario Works Act: “An Act to Promote Self-Sufficiency and a Return to Work” • Transfer of single parents to the rules of OW (Ontario Works) • Reinforce recipient responsibilities clearly in law • Replace problematic rules that are 30-40 years old • Reform appeal process • Tougher fraud prevention • Power to reduce umber of municipalities delivering OW • New cost-sharing with municipalities • Clarify status of people actively participating in OW vis-à-vis labour law Confidential

  12. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 5, Key Issues • Eligibility Rules • sole support parents – age of youngest child for OW exemptions • Benefit unit – joint custody of children • Liquid asset rules – life insurance cash value • Health Benefits, e.g., dental, rugs, vision • Appeals • Internal review • Appeal to an independent tribunal • Administration/Governance • Fraud control, information-sharing • Fiscal arrangements • Labour law clarification Confidential

  13. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Page 6, Issue #1, For a Sole Support Parent to be Exempt from OW Requirements, What Rules for Age of youngest Child Should Apply • When OW launched, province said SSPs with older children would eventually be subject to all OW requirements • Two options considered: Youngest child age 6 or less if in school fulltime (95,000 SSPs exempt) Youngest child age 3 (60,000 SSPs exempt) • If age 3 is chosen, leads to pressure on child care system and on availability of OW community participation spaces • If age 6 is chosen, this is a shift from CSR • Recommendation: Age 6 (or less if in school fulltime) Confidential

  14. Policy Slides #1Presentation to Policy and Priorities Board of CabinetApril 1997The Ontario Works Act(Ministry of Community and Social Services) • Slide Deck uses this format to present 20 policy issues for decision, then continues with: • Communications Plan Slide, e.g., positioning, key messages, communications activities (pre-announcement, announcement day, days after) • Next Steps Slide, e.g., internal, external • Cost Summary Slide in tabular form Confidential

  15. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Page 1, Context • A review of Ontario’s postsecondary education system was undertaken in Fall 2004 by the Hon. Bob Rae. “Ontario, A Leader in Learning: Report and Recommendations” was presented to Premier McGuinty in February 2005 • Report included 28 recommendations • The government’s response to the report, The Reaching Higher Plan: The McGuinty Government Plan for Postsecondary Education, was announced in the 2005 Budget • Provides the most significant multi-year investment in postsecondary education in 40 years – in return for more access, higher quality and better accountability • Addresses all major areas of Rae Report’s recommendations • Institutions, student governments, faculty associations have reacted positively and indicated a willingness to work with the government in moving ahead with agenda. Confidential

  16. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Page 2, Overview of the strategy • The Reaching Higher Plan will promote a strong, competitive economy based on a highly skilled work force resulting in individual prosperity and world-class outcomes • The Reaching Higher Plan announced a $6.2 billion cumulative increase (over the 2004-05 funding base) in provincial spending for postsecondary education by 2009-10: • $1.5 billion in new investments in student financial assistance • $4.3 billion in new investments to colleges and universities • $0.4 billion in new investments in other initiatives, including training and apprenticeship • The Reaching Higher Plan will result in: • higher quality of education • more access to colleges and universities • better accountability for government investment Confidential

  17. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Pages 3-7, Details of the strategy – quality, access, accountability • Quality • Significant increases in funding expected to result in expansion of faculty, more faculty/student interaction and more innovative research, and more learning resources • Funding expectations and results linked and set out in multi-year agreements • Investment in university faculty chairs • Focus on making student experience more rewarding and successful • Health Human Resources Development • Increase per-student funding for undergraduate medical education • Increase first year medical spaces by 15% • Expand the number of postgraduate medical (residency) spaces available to accommodate 30% increase flow-through • Investment to improve the clinical experience of students in health science programs • Establish new community-based nursing pilot program to help improve access to degree nursing in Northwestern Ontario Confidential

  18. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Capital • Investment in 2004 to help institutions better repair and maintain their existing facilities • Major program to be established for universities, in partnership with MPIR, to provide funding to support priority of expanding graduate and medical education capacity • Institutional Differentiation and Collaboration • Support institutions’ focus on own areas of excellence and encourage more seamless transfer or movement between PSE institutions for students • Internationalization • Establishment of an international exchange program for Ontario students, and a marketing campaign to advertise Ontario to prospective international students Confidential

  19. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Student Assistance • Student loan program enhanced in collaboration with federal government • Establishment of access grants for dependent students from low-income families in first 2 years of study (up to $6000 in first year when combined with federal program, $3000 in second year solely Ontario funded) • First increase in maximum assistance levels since 1993-94 • Expanded eligibility for student loans and expanded interest relief provisions • Reduced contributions expected from middle-income parents • New Ontario Trust for Student Support (redesigned OSOTF program) • These improvements will provide more assistance to over 135,000 students in 2005-06 Confidential

  20. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Multi-Year Plans • Bilateral agreements will be negotiated with colleges and universities to ensure accountability for government investment. Agreements will set out shared goals, multi-year funding commitments, and targeted results for institutions to achieve. In return for the increased investment, institutions will be expected to provide more access, higher quality and better accountability. • Multi-year agreements will be introduced to coincide with the introduction of a new funding framework for colleges and universities • Government will sign Interim Accountability Agreements for 2005-06 with each postsecondary education institution • A performance measurement framework, to be a central piece of the multi-year agreements, including system and institutional results, will be developed in consultation with the proposed Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario and the sector to ensure continuous quality improvements Confidential

  21. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) • Crown agency to be established if passed by the legislature as part of the Budget Bill • Mandate: to play a leading role in supporting quality improvements by advising the ministry on performance indicators and researching best practices in quality, as well as publicly reporting on system performance • New Funding Framework • MTCU will work with college and university partners in 2005-06 to develop a new funding framework for implementation in 2006-07 to ensure predictable and stable funding that is fairly distributed and which achieves the results Ontarians want for an accessible, high-quality postsecondary system. • A new more transparent framework will • assist government and institutions in long-term planning • help to ensure better performance and accountability across the system • more closely align the way government provides funding to meet its objectives Confidential

  22. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Pages 8-16, How the strategy affects social policy in Ontario • Implementing the Reaching Higher plan will require cooperation and collaboration across many provincial ministries • Specifically the following aspects of the plan will be of interest to social policy ministries: • Access and Opportunity Strategy • Health Human Resources Development • Student Assistance • Internationalization • Accountability (Multi-year Plans) • Northern and Rural Funding • Successful discussions with Federal government are important to implementation • National Stakeholder PSE Summit scheduled for January, 2006. Platform for call for First Minister’s meeting on PSE and Skills Training prior to 2006 federal budget. Confidential

  23. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • The concept of access to postsecondary education can include a number of different factors: • Geographic locations including alternative delivery • Financial considerations including tuition fee level and student assistance • Program choice and range of credentials • Linguistic and cultural appropriateness • Support to help ensure retention and success • The Access and Opportunity Strategy focuses on initiatives that address four traditionally under-represented groups: Aboriginal People, Francophones, persons with disabilities, and “first generation” students. Confidential

  24. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Objectives for the Strategy • Increase participation in PSE by members of the four target groups • Increase retention and success • Increase program choice; more culturally and linguistically appropriate programs • Increase outreach • Improve proximity to learning opportunities (e.g., more programs at more campus locations, increased alternative delivery) • Strategy Linkages • Links to other provincial priorities (e.g. Learning to 18, student assistance and tuition fee reforms) and to the federal government (e.g. Official Languages in Education, Aboriginal) Confidential

  25. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • Current Status • Specific initiatives will be designed to meet the needs of individual groups. Currently some target group initiatives are further along due to already existing programs and services. • For example, initiatives for Persons with Disabilities has been informed by the Disability Review of 2004 where extensive consultation took place with stakeholders. Recommendations from that review are already in the process of being implemented. • In comparison, Aboriginal Education and Training Strategy has not been reviewed for some time, Ontario has yet to sign federal-provincial protocol agreement on Francophone education, and First Generation has never before been targeted for specific intervention. • Cabinet Submissionto EPC for late Nov/Dec 2005 with high level strategy and multi-year funding breakdown; annual report backs through the RBP process. • TCU will collaborate with EDU, Ontario Secretariat for Aboriginal Affairs, Accessibility Directorate, Francophone Affairs, MCSS, MCYS, MIA, Culture, MNDM, MoHLTC and MoF Confidential

  26. Policy Slides #2Presentation toOntario Deputy Ministers’ Social Policy CommitteeNovember 2005The Reaching Higher Plan for Higher Education(Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) • The Slide Deck includes 5 more slides like the preceding slides, dealing with social policy implications, then ends with 1 slide titled “Conclusions”: • Opportunities exist to work collaboratively to manage this investment in Ontario’s future prosperity; specifically in the following areas: • Access and Opportunity Strategy • Health Human Resources Development • Student Assistance • Internationalization • Accountability (Multi-year Plans) • Northern and Rural Funding • PSE Summit • Successful implementation of Reaching Higher will revitalize Ontario’s higher education and training system for today’s students and future generations. Confidential

  27. So…How to Write Good Policy Presentations • Present your ideas in the format familiar to policymakers – issue, recommendation, options/analysis, background • Write for a policy audience – plain language, option headers & short descriptors, action verbs • Focus on what you really need to say and your audience really needs to hear – focus on the essence, leave the detail out • Make sure you tell a story – translate policy options into communications messages • Mix short-, mid-, and long-term options – choice of phased-in changes • Mix incremental and big change options – choice of impacts • Mix low- and high-risk options – choice of pros, cons • Include the status quo – doing nothing is always an option • Pay attention to the “Cabinet Table” – what drives political/public policy decisionmaking

  28. So…How to Deliver Good Policy Presentations • Look at your audience and smile! – make eye contact with everyone • Find a comfortable position and relax • Introduce yourself – who you are, why you’re here • Describe your presentation plan – “I’m going to start by describing the issue, then highlight our recommendation, then give you more detail by describing the options we looked at and our analysis, and finally give you some background information” • Speak slowly and clearly • Get to the most important points right away – this is the issue, this is the recommendation • Pause, invite & answer questions – watch your audience to see if they understand you, clarify your ideas if necessary

  29. So…How to Deliver Good Policy Presentations • Now move to the less important points – options/analysis, background • Pause again, invite & answer questions – watch your audience to see if they understand you, clarify your ideas if necessary • Close by repeating your recommendation – what it is, why it will work, the story it tells • Have a backup plan in case you run out of time – know ahead of time what you need to say, what you can leave out • Have a backup plan to adjust your presentation for your audience – know ahead of time your audience’s level of expertise and be able to adjust your level of detail to match it if it’s different from what you expected • If you don’t know an answer to a question, undertake to find out

  30. Around the Cabinet TableBefore the First Step:What drives political/public policy decisions? • Timeframe of government’s business/election cycle –make the tough decisions early • Difference between election/post-election periods – move from firm to more fluid ideology • Short attention span of politics, short shelf life of policy – “In two years, it’s not my problem” • Government’s policy agenda/priorities – “we want to do this” • Government’s communications agenda/priorities – “we want to say that” • Current/prospective health of government finances – “can we afford it?” Current/prospective economic cycle –view fromBay Street, global markets • Values, beliefs, ethics – find the social consensus • Media attention/perspective, opinion polls – understand the public mood • Difference between government and the people who work there – government is heterogeneous • Different points of access – deal direct or “back channel”

  31. So…How to Get Started • A good policy slide deck or briefing note follows this outline and is written in bullet points: • Issue • Recommendation • Options/Analysis • Background/Context

  32. Case Study #1 or #2First Small Group Activity:Writing the Outline • Case Study #1 or #2 • There are two Case Studies for this workshop: • #1, Dealing with Drugs (IPAC Case Study 2.01, Jennifer Davies) • #2, The Road to Bremen: Helping the Homeless (IPAC Case Study 2.06, Ralph Smith) • Your group task • For each of the Case Studies, collaborate as a group and write: • an Outline for a Slide Deck • an outline for a Briefing Note • each Outline should include these sections: Issue, Recommendation, Options/Analysis, Background • each Outline should sketch out the proposed content for the above sections

  33. Writing Recommendations and OptionsWhat makes them relevant?(reprise of CBR 308) • It has a human dimension – it’s about people • It’s a simple concept – it’s easy to understand • It’s a great story – it’s easy to explain, has great key messages • It works – it solves the problem • It reflects current or emerging values – it’s grounded in social consensus, it seems like the “right thing to do” • It reflects “good government” – it shows political or community leadership to move towards social consensus • Its benefits outweigh its costs – more people will like it or benefit than be left out • Its investment can be justified – it’s cost-neutral or cost-effective • It’s a new way of doing things – it’s innovative, hasn’t been presented and rejected before • It “fits” – it delivers on the government’s policy, communications, and/or fiscal agenda

  34. Case Study #1 or #2Second Small Group Activity:Writing the Presentation • Your individual task • Choose EITHER Case Study #1, Dealing with Drugs (IPAC Case Study 2.01, Jennifer Davies) OR Case Study#2, The Road to Bremen: Helping the Homeless (IPAC Case Study 2.06, Ralph Smith) • Write EITHER a Slide Deck OR a Briefing Note for the Case Study that you’ve chosen • Consult with your group when you have questions! • Keep in mind our earlier plenary discussions when writing: Around the Cabinet Table, How to Write Good Policy Presentations • Get ready to make a 10-minute presentation of your Slide Deck or Briefing Note! Keep in mind our earlier plenary discussions when planning your presentation: How to Deliver Good Policy Presentations

  35. Writing Recommendations and OptionsWhat turns an option into a decision?(reprise of CBR 308) • It reflects consensus or compromise – it’s the best deal • It works – it solves the problem or at least makes it go away • It manages risk well – it’s relatively “safe” • It can lead to more change – it’s incremental • It gives your community and the government an opportunity to engage - it carries the power of partnership • It “fits” – it delivers on the government’s policy, communications, and/or fiscal agenda

  36. Presentation Time! • Your individual task • give a 10-minute presentation based on the Slide Deck of Briefing Note that you’ve written • Be ready to answer questions, clarify your ideas, or shorten your presentation!

  37. Public Policy Development and Analysis:Sources • Texts • Brooks, Stephen. Canadian Democracy: An Introduction, 4th ed. (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2005) • Inwood, Gregory J. Understanding Canadian Public Administration: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. (Toronto: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004) • McCaskell, Tim. Race to Equity: Disrupting Educational Inequality (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2005). • Rice, James J. and Michael J. Prince. Changing Politics of Canadian Social Policy (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2000) • Savoie, Donald J. Thatcher, Reagan, Mulroney: In Search of a New Bureaucracy (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005); Breaking the Bargain: Public Servants, Ministers, and Parliament (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003); Governing from the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999) • Stone, Deborah. Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decisionmaking (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998) • Swanson, Jean. Poor-Bashing: The Politics of Exclusion (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2001)

  38. Public Policy Development and Analysis: Sources • Journals • Canadian Journal of Policy Research, www.isuma.net • Canadian Public Administration, www.ipac.ca • Canadian Public Policy • The Canadian Journal of Political Science • Journals for specific policy areas, e.g., Journal of Community Practice, Canadian Journal of Public Health, Canadian Journal of Urban Research, Journal of Urban Health, Ethnicity and Health, Social Problems, Canadian Journal of Sociology, Journal of Health and Social Policy,, Research on Social Work Practice (access via e-indices by topic or search engines, e.g., Silverplatter, Scholars Portal, Medline) • Advocacy journals, e.g., AIDS and Public Policy Journal • Websites • Institute of Public Administration Canada, www.ipac.com • Canadian Policy Research Networks, www.cprn.com • Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, www.policyalternatives.ca (includes federal and provincial alternative budgets) • Caledon Institute, www.caledoninst.org • Local/regional social planning councils, community service organizations, communities of research and practice • Government (federal departments; provincial/territorial ministries, ;agencies, boards, commissions)

  39. Workshop Objectives • Having completed this workshop you should now be able to: • understand what drives political and public policy decisions • understand what political and public policy decisionmakers look for in presentation materials • understand the basic format of policy presentations (slides, briefing notes) • be able to prepare a basic slide deck or briefing note • practise thinking through, drafting and critiquing policy presentations • integrate these skills and knowledge into your ability to develop practical and workable policy alternatives within a community of practice

  40. Workshop Evaluation • Your feedback is extremely important! • Please complete the workshop evaluation…. • Thank you!

  41. CBR 310: How to Write and Deliver a Policy Presentation

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