Mayor Kate Rogers: An Idea Takes Shape

The Inaugural Managing Director of the NB Social Policy Research Network shares the story behind the organization’s creation

If you have listened to our first two podcasts, you will know that the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network is closing its doors. Fortunately, the organization is doing it in an intentional way so as to offer its legacy to the policy and innovation ecosystem in the province. To capture the whole story from start to finish, we have begun by digging into the corporate memory of those who were there at or near the network’s launch. One of these is our guest in Episode Three of the GovMaker Podcast: Her Worship Kate Rogers, Mayor of Fredericton and my immediate predecessor at NBSPRN.

Kate Rogers was the inaugural Director of NBSPRN. She explains that NBSPRN was established in response to a need for evidence-based research on public policy issues in New Brunswick. Many researchers and organizations were working on social issues in the province, but there was a lack of coordination and collaboration between them and policy staff. NBSPRN aimed to provide a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing: “we try to bridge that gap between research and policy, and make sure that the research that is being done is relevant and useful for policy and community organizations.”

“We’re not just creating a database of names and email addresses. We’re creating a community of people who know each other, trust each other, and are willing to work together”

One of the key ways in which NBSPRN achieved its goals was through its annual Policy Research Forum. Rogers explains that the Forum brought together researchers, policymakers, and community members to discuss current policy issues in the province. She notes that the event was an important platform for sharing research findings and engaging in dialogue about potential solutions to public issues. The organizers of GovMaker Redux, on June 14th, 2023, hope to use the sunsetting to revive those discussions, for the need has not disappeared. If anything, the need is greater than ever, as we heard from Dr. John McLaughlin in Episode Two.

Policymakers and community stakeholders alike will want to hear Mayor Rogers share her in-depth knowledge of key practical activities in successful evidence-based policymaking:

• community engagement — working closely with community organizations and individuals to ensure that research is relevant and meaningful to those directly affected by social policy issues;
• knowledge mobilization — translating research findings into actionable recommendations;
• policy research capacity-building — supporting it through providing training and fostering collaborations across disciplines and institutions;
• making research language accessible — working with researchers to develop plain language summaries of their research and to present their findings in a way that is accessible and relevant for policymakers and community organizations; and
• structured serendipity — creating opportunities for serendipitous encounters and fostering structured collaborations that bring together people around shared interests — people who might never otherwise have met.

To give a practical example of these elements in action, Rogers points to the organization’s role in supporting the development of New Brunswick’s first poverty reduction plan (2010). She notes that NBSPRN played a key role in providing evidence and research to support the plan, as well as in connecting policymakers and community organizations to work together to develop the plan.

In addition to the practical use of legacy, one of the goals of the intentional sunsetting and the revived GovMaker is to honour the ideator, founder, and beating heart of NBSPRN, the late Hon. Andy Scott. Kate was a former colleague and a friend of Andy’s, so we value her reflections on his impact on Canadian politics and public policy both as a Member of Parliament for Fredericton, New Brunswick (1993–2008) and as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. And his impact continued in the years following his retirement from politics, not least in the inception of NBSPRN.

Reflecting the inclusive values of its founder, NBSPRN was committed to building relationships and trust among its members, with great success. Rogers emphasizes that networking is not just about exchanging business cards or sending emails, but about building meaningful relationships and trust that can lead to productive collaborations. “We’re not just creating a database of names and email addresses. We’re creating a community of people who know each other, trust each other, and are willing to work together,” Rogers says. “When you have those kinds of relationships, you can achieve things that you couldn’t achieve on your own.” This echoes Dr. John McLaughlin’s words on the need to create face-to-face venues and opportunities for bonding and trust and that “what defines humanity is not us as individuals, it’s our relationships.”

As public policy professionals continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of governance, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the success of the NB Social Policy Research Network. The importance of building relationships and fostering trust cannot be overstated, as they are the foundation upon which all successful collaborative efforts are built. By creating opportunities for both serendipitous encounters and structured interactions, the Network has been able to bridge divides, share knowledge, and effect real change in their communities.

As Kate Rogers notes, “networked governance is hard work,” but the benefits are clear. By working together, public policy professionals can create a more inclusive and equitable society, one that is better equipped to meet the needs of all its citizens.

Check out the podcast here

Register for the conference here.

Read the NBSPRN Sunsetting Report here.