Transcript A Policy Framework For CED

Community Economic
Development and the
Social Economy
National Social Economy Research
Program, developed by CCEDNet and
Chantier de l’economie sociale Quebec
involving representatives of
practitioner and university
organizations – national centre and 6
regional centres.
Part of broader “social economy
initiative”
Funded by Social Sciences
Research Council of Canada, over
350 university and community
based researchers, student
network for the social economy.
Led by CCEDNet and Univ. of
Victoria
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Objectives:
Create knowledge for action by actors
in SE to strengthen/scale up sector
Create evidence of outcomes and
impacts of SE
Map sector and its metrics/ Strengthen
identity
Improve public policy environment
Promote knowledge sharing for
international cooperation
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Structure:
National Board of regional centres and
national partners (CED, Women, Coops,
Non Profit Sector) community –
university alliance
Portraiture – mapping committee
Public policy committee
Knowledge mobilization program (telelearning, workshops, government
dialogues, publications, website)
Components of the Social
Economy
Non profit organizations, credit unions
and cooperatives, social enterprises,
mutuals, associations of social
movements using social and
economic tools for public and
community benefit.
Significance
Non Profits make up 6.8% of GDP in Canada
(8.5% with value of volunteer work).
Employ 12% of Canadians. Hall, 2005.
Cooperatives hold $160 billion in assets, non
financial cooperatives have annual
revenues of $29.5 billion. Coop Sect. 2004.
Research Findings
Database of all research projects and
reports available at
http://www.ccednetrcdec.ca/?q=en/our_work/socialeconomy
/research
Research Findings
Social economy organizations playing
unique role in achieving outcomes of
benefit to social, economic and
environmental conditions:
 Sustainable food and agriculture
 Renewable energy
 Poverty reduction
 Immigrant settlement
 Provision of micro-finance
 Human and labour market
development
 Delivery of community services
Research Findings
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Aboriginal self determination
Social inclusion
Community economic development
Triple bottom-line returns on
investment and procurement
Financing
Social housing
Sustainable development
Natural resource management
Community revitalization (urban,
rural, northern)
Research Findings
Growth in cooperative and social
enterprise development “social
entrepreneurship” BUT significant
policy barriers:
 Legal structures
 Procurement
 Access to capital
 Opportunities for training/education
 Funding of sector capacity
 Supportive policy frameworks
 Impacts of economic crisis (EI and
Welfare regulations)
Policy Research
 Public policy research and
engagement process building on:
Social Economy and Community
Economic Development in
Canada: Next Steps for Public
Policy; Mandell, Neamtan and
Downing, September 2005.
Policy Research
Purpose:
 Mobilize knowledge on public policy
instruments being used in Canada
and around the world
 Engage practitioners, government
researchers and other stakeholders in
improving policy environment
Policy Research
• Global analysis of key policy
developments and instruments
relevant to the social economy.
• Assessment of current public
policy environment (regulations,
legislation, policies, programs) in
Canada: Federal; provincialterritorial; local/regional, and;
indigenous forms of government.
Policy Research
• Assessment of Current and
Potential Role of Social Economy
Sector in Co-Production of Public
Policy.
• Engagement of actors in
developing recommendations for
policy, and holding of “Summit”
2010 Ottawa to agree next steps.
International Analysis
• Growth (e.g. fair trade) despite
global recession
• Convergence of civil society
movements around social
economy as response to
economic, social and
environmental crises (e.g. World
Social Forum)
• Increased explicit government
policy (e.g. South America, EU,
Asia, Africa)
International Analysis
• Community university
partnerships (e.g. Canada, Brazil,
EU) in knowledge creation and
mobilization
• Focus for economic stimulus in
some jurisdictions (Brazil,
Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico,
Thailand, USA, UK, EU)
• Enabling legislation in many
jurisdictions
International Analysis
• Political responsibility and crossgovernment structures to support
SE (e.g. UK, Brazil)
• Procurement policies
advantaging SE organizations
(e.g. Italy, France)
• Program funding to grow sector
and its outcomes (particularly in
social enterprise, territorial and
human development activities)
Canadian Analysis
• Access to capital for social
enterprises, community economic
development (Quebec, Nova
Scotia, Manitoba, Ontario)
• Explicit policy frameworks (Nova
Scotia, Manitoba, Quebec)
• Program funding to sector to
achieve strategic outcomes
(Manitoba, Quebec)
• Regional development funds (BC,
Newfoundland, Quebec)
Canadian Analysis
• Renewal of Federal Cooperative
Development Initiative
• Partnership funding by Research
Councils (SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC)
• Federal Bill C4 for social
financing
• Regional development agency
funding (not explicit to SE)
• Links to sustainable development
by some PTs
• PT (but not federal) poverty
reduction strategies
Canadian Analysis
• Municipal models: Edmonton
Trust; Montreal SE Unit;
emerging Vancouver initiative
• Foundation support: McConnell
Foundation; Vancity Credit Union,
Coast Capital Credit Union;
Winnipeg Community
Foundation; United Way of
Greater Toronto
• Aboriginal initiatives: CANDO;
Urban Aboriginal Economic
Development Network and others
Next Steps
• Complete international and
national analysis (July 2009)
• Launch engagement process with
stakeholders on opportunities
and priorities for enhancing
policy (all levels of government,
practitioners from all
components of SE)
• Produce report and
recommendations
• Hold summit in Ottawa June
2010
Next Steps
• Advise governments and sector
on steps to strengthen evidencebased co-production of public
policy
• Advise Research Councils on
steps to strengthen community
based research.
• Through the UN and Intl.
Development Agencies
strengthen international
engagement in supporting the SE
to meet Millennium Development
Goals
Contacts
• Rupert Downing, Director for
CCEDNet [email protected]
• Staff at Uvic [email protected]
• Staff at CCEDNet
[email protected]
(national and Summit)
[email protected]
(prairies and policy)
More information on our
activities:
www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
www.socialeconomyhub.ca
www.communityresearchcan
ada.ca
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/?q=en/node/5684
http://www.ccednetrcdec.ca/?q=en/our_work/socialeconomy/research