Working toward policy change by engaging stakeholders

How can a non-governmental organization advocating for protection of the environment convince the movers and shakers to consider policy changes to assure the long-term sustainability of Canada’s water resources?

If you are Pollution Probe, you invite the movers and shakers including representatives from federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations governments along with scientists, academics, policy experts, and professionals from the private sector and non-government organizations to workshop the issue.

Pollution Probe has organized a series of six progressive workshops titled Water Policy in Canada: What Do We want to Achieve and What Needs to Be Done?

The first workshop was in Winnipeg Feb. 6 and 7, with the second slated for Lethbridge March 15 and 16. If all goes according to plan, the final workshop will focus on policies needed to ensure long-term water sustainability in Canada, according to Ray Findlay, director of Polution Probe’s water program.

“We’ll put all the issues on the table with the objective of developing and presenting a new vision and innovative strategy for water management in Canada.”

Pollution Probe has used this process on other subjects and it has proven to be to quite effective, Findlay says. “Our approach is to dive into an issue and do a lot of homework to develop a presence on the scene.”

The organization decided to tackle the issue of water management because “people agree it was overdue for attention,” he says. “The general interest is there.” That was evident from the attendance and “general buzz” at the opening in Winnipeg, he says. “It was a very good kick-off.”

Participation in the workshop series is by invitation only. “We wanted to control that to ensure we had the right players involved,” Findlay explains. “This was not designed as a talk-fest. People were invited for their expertise, because they had something to contribute.”

Pollution Probe uses a solutions-focused, pragmatic approach, working in partnership with other stakeholders, he says. “We engage people in all areas on an issue.” The organization was founded in 1969 on the campus of the University of Toronto and has built credibility through having its work tested and reviewed by outside experts.

It is recognized as a partnership-building organization, Findlay says. “We don’t get involved in name-calling and finger-pointing. We are engaged politically but non-partisan.”

Pollution Probe can do things governments can’t do because “unlike governments, we are not hobbled by protocols,” he says.

A background workshop document was presented at the beginning of the series and will be added to at the end of each workshop with the new information reviewed by participants to ensure their views are fairly represented, Findlay explains.

A final document will present a new vision and strategy for water management with three or four particular policy points to be pursued. “That document is not being produced for a client,: he says. “Pollution Probe will own that document.”

Reports from the workshops will be available at www.pollutionprobe.org