The Health Canada Policy Toolkit for Public Involvement in Decision
Making
Departmental Policy
This section provides a vision, principles and expected benefits
or outcomes that together constitute Health Canada's departmental
policy for public involvement in support of the department's mission
and mandate.
Vision
VISION STATEMENT
Canadians are informed on health issues and engaged on key federal
decisions that affect health.
Principles
- Health Canada is committed to public involvement which is integral
to decision making and providing quality service.
- Health Canada's public involvement activities improve knowledge
and understanding of health issues through dialogue.
- Health Canada is open to hearing the views of Canadians and
providing timely feedback on the outcomes of dialogue.
- Health Canada's public involvement activities reflect the
diversity of Canadians' values and needs and are transparent,
accessible and coordinated.
- Health Canada provides guidance and ensures access to learning
opportunities in support of employees' responsibility and accountability
for planning, designing, implementing and evaluating public involvement
initiatives.
Benefits of Public Involvement
Health Canada expects to achieve a number of critical and long-term
benefits as a result of its investments to enhance the involvement
of Canadians in policy and program development and delivery. Several
key expected outcomes are identified below:
- Improved health for Canadians, improved public policy and a
sustainable public health system within the terms of the Canada
Health Act
- Improved program results and strengthened support for regulatory
and policy decisions through enhanced collaboration with stakeholders
and citizens
Strong public confidence in Health Canada - an ongoing relationship
between the department, health professionals, other key stakeholders
and the public that is based on trust, honesty, transparency,
openness, accessibility and factual information and accountability
at all times, including during controversies or crises
- A more informed and engaged public - a public that understands
and participates in the full range of health issues, including
the role and responsibilities of Health Canada
- Strengthened communities, including new leaders, organizations,
knowledge and public awareness relating to health
- A department that is citizen-focussed and responsive to changing
needs - a department that is increasingly adept at using and
coordinating the full range of public involvement techniques,
ranging from communication, to consultation, to citizen engagement,
to community-driven processes, for the benefit of the health
of all Canadians
- A department that listens to the public and has the capacity
to listen to an increasingly diverse range of public needs, interests
and concerns - a department that factors public input, including
perspectives, knowledge and technical expertise that would not
otherwise have been available, into Health Canada's policy development
and program delivery
- A department that continuously addresses issues and projects
within a broad social and economic context and demonstrates improved
decision making, risk management, impact and accountability as
a result
- A department that continuously values and invests in its employees
- a department that provides employees, whether on the front
lines in the regions or at headquarters, with the best possible
tools, training and developmental opportunities to support public
involvement
Health Canada's public involvement continuum is illustrated below.
It represents the core concept of this document. Five levels of
public involvement and influence are identified on the continuum.
The levels are not "air-tight" compartments. Rather, the features
of the levels are generally cumulative as the public involvement
deepens. The line between techniques is sometimes arbitrarily drawn.
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