Public Engagement in Health Policy Project

About the Project

Over the coming years, Canada will be faced with a range of local, provincial and pan-Canadian health policy challenges as the country responds to and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the best of times, governments and civil society organizations routinely struggle over when, how and whom to engage in their decision-making processes. The global pandemic has highlighted even further the challenges of balancing science with social values to support robust health policy decision making.

The Public Engagement in Health Policy project aims to strengthen health policymaking in Canada by providing a platform for interdisciplinary scholarship, education and leadership in public engagement. Through the research, education and leadership opportunities provided, we seek to address current challenges such as how health policymakers can respond to calls for more inclusive and transformative public engagement processes and how public engagement can be used to improve policy responsiveness, enhance democratic legitimacy, and build trust between governments and citizens.

From the blog: Reflections from the Community Fellows Fall Event

The Public Engagement in Health Policy project awarded eleven Community Fellowships to support community organizations to carry out innovative short-term engagement-related activities. In the fall of 2023, we brought together the Fellowship teams for a full-day event to share their progress, to exchange their learnings, and to support community building. Hear from our community fellows and the impact of the Community Fellowships below and read more about the Fall Event on the blog.

Launching the Supporting Equity-Centred Engagement Guide

The Public Engagement in Health Policy project, in collaboration with the Public and Patient Engagement Collaborative, is pleased to present the Supporting Equity-Centred Engagement Guide. This guide is for engagement practitioners, patient partners, partnering organizations and others in the public and patient engagement sphere committed to fostering equity-centred engagement. We have reviewed the literature and created a step-by-step guide through existing resources that cover: 1) the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, 2) planning for equity-centred engagement, 3) connecting with communities, 4) strategies for safe and respectful engagement, and 5) the importance of equity after engagement. While this guide is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of equity-centred engagement as we recognize this requires continuous learning and reflection, we hope it provides an accessible starting place for individuals and organizations committed to these efforts.

The guide is available in both online interactive and printable PDF versions. A French language version is also available.