What is a Social Policy Framework?
Policy frameworks are tools that can guide decision making, set future direction, identify important connections, and support the alignment of policies and practices both inside and outside an organization. In short, policy frameworks are blueprints for something we want to build or roadmaps for where we want to go.
We can think of Speak. Share. Thrive: Alberta's Social Policy Framework as having three main goals:
- To clarify what we, as Albertans, are trying to achieve, how we are going to get there, and what the roles and responsibilities of the different actors and participants should be.
- To coordinate activities within and between government departments, to harmonize work between government and other stakeholders, and to ensure that there is policy alignment and consistency.
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To influence and guide our work of improving the lives of Albertans, providing overall direction to our planning and decision making.
Speak. Share. Thrive: Alberta’s Social Policy Framework was developed over the course of six months in 2012, during which over 31,000 Albertans participated in a two-phase engagement process that brought together elders, business leaders, communities, not-for-profit organizations, community groups, service delivery agencies, municipalities, elected officials, and Government of Alberta staff. Their discussion of often complex issues was supported by current research and analysis.
The resulting Framework consists of six core components:
- a statement of goals that establishes the foundation and purpose for social policy in Alberta;
- a clear vision for the future of social policy in our province;
- a list of the desired outcomes (or measurable results) to be achieved through social policy;
- an expression of key principles to guide our collective efforts as we work towards these outcomes;
- a description of the roles and responsibilities of everyone who wants to make these outcomes a reality; and
- a core set of actions—priority commitments where the Government of Alberta has pledged to play a leading role—that we must all undertake in order to achieve success.
Fully achieving the Framework’s vision will require additional, complementary efforts by individuals, organizations, and communities across Alberta.