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The Importance of Policy for Community Economic Development: A Case Study of the Manitoba Context

Last Updated on June 24th, 2010

 

Project Title: The Importance of Policy for Community Economic Development: A Case Study of the Manitoba Context

Project Number: CL5-04-MB

Term of Project: November 2006 to March 2008

Status: Completed

Academic Researcher:

• John Loxley, University of Manitoba (co-investigator)

Student Researcher:

• Dan Simpson, University of Manitoba (internship)
• Jesse Hajer, University of Manitoba (internship)

Community Researcher:

• Brendan Reimer, Canadian Community Economic Development Network (principal investigator)

Community Partners:

• CEDTAS (Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Service)
• Department of Rural Development, Brandon University
• Canadian Community Economic Development Network
• Canadian Community Investment Network Cooperative
• Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba
• Community & Economic Development Committee of Cabinet, Province of Manitoba
• SEED Winnipeg
• Community Futures Partners of Manitoba
• Community Ownership Solutions
• CEDA (Community Education Development Association)
• PATH Employment Development Centre
• Manitoba Research Alliance on CED in the New Economy
• United Way of Winnipeg
• Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation

Project Summary:

This Participatory Action Research project will engage community economic development and social economy actors in Manitoba in identifying policy priorities that will support the sector in building stronger communities and will identify various effective strategies and models of policy advancement. The project will include a scan of existing policy and programs in Manitoba as well as a comparative analysis with the policy context in Quebec, this later component completed in partnership with the National Social Economy Research Hub. The research will also consider various effective models of policy advancement in order to design more effective policy implementation strategies.

Specific Project-Level Research Objectives:

• Inventory existing policy and programs supportive to CED and the social economy
• Compare the policy context of CED in Manitoba with CED/social economy support in Quebec
• Identify priorities for enhanced policy and program support
• Transform the information into knowledge owned by both the CED/social economy actors and policy makers through participatory research
• Ensure that policy and program recommendations/priorities are implemented through effective advancement models
• Share gained knowledge nationally

Expected Deliverables:

1. Final report
2. Conference presentations (national and local)
3. National and local presentations
4. Policy position paper

Findings:

• Social democratic governments have been important promoters of CED/social economy; political pressure on governments is essential for CED
• Legislation, institutional support, and financial support do have an impact; these are stronger and more coherent in Quebec than in Manitoba
• Unlike Manitoba, Quebec uses the social economy extensively to provide important social services
• Threats to CED include bureaucratization and professionalization, increasing geographical scale and hence remoteness from the support base
• Quebec has been successful in institutionalizing long term finance, outside of government, with government, credit union and labour pension fund support; Manitoba has been less successful
• There is a great need for the promotion of social enterprise approaches in Manitoba; CCEDNet has a role to play here
• Manitoba’s CED framework and lens hold the promise of greatly stimulating CED through government initiatives
• The social economy sector in Quebec has more influence on policy formulation than it does in Manitoba
• Promoting the social economy/CED in Manitoba will require the building of broad-based political alliances, as in Quebec; the CED movement should, therefore, embrace and see itself as an integral part of broader economic, social, and political struggles

Project Poster: Poster (pdf)

Final Report: Final Report (pdf)

Policy Position Paper: Government Policies towards Community Economic Development and the Social Economy in Quebec and Manitoba (English pdf) (French pdf) - this is not the project’s final report

Projected Expenditures: $17,000 (internship and community salary replacement)

In-Kind Contributions:

Publicity:

Dissemination Activities:

• CED and Social Economy: Conditions for success in Quebec and Manitoba. A workshop presented by John Loxley at a Manitoba CD/CED Gathering at St. John’s High School in Winnipeg., MB (2008).
• Understanding Policy. A workshop presented by Jesse Hajer and Liz Morrison at a Manitoba CD/CED Gathering at St. John’s High School in Winnipeg., MB (2008).
• Presentation of the outcomes of the Manitoba Priorities to the CED Working Group of the Provincial Government (6 meetings between Jan and April, 2008), the Deputy Minister of Competitiveness Trade and Training (and staff), and the Minister of Conservation (and staff) in Winnipeg, MB on Oct 22, 2008.
• John Loxley. Social Economy Research Partnerships Telelearning Session, April 26, 2007. http://www.socialeconomyhub.ca/?q=content/telelearning-session-4-policies-qu%C3%A9bec-and-manitoba
• Brendan Reimer. Presentation at the CASC/ANSER Conference, Vancouver, BC,  June 5, 2008.

Additional Notes:

There was some previous confusion about the title of this project.  At one time central administration thought this one project was actually two projects, the other entitled, Government Policies Towards Community Economic Development and the Social Economy in Quebec and Manitoba, which is only the title of a policy position report that was produced during the course of this research.  As of spring, 2009 and the publication of the final report, the title has changed again.  It was Building a Policy Framework for CED and the Social Economy and is now as stated above.

Member of the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada / Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada

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