“Following this third annual Clerks and Cabinet Secretaries Conference on Policy Innovation, we, the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Clerks and Cabinet Secretaries, commit to taking the following actions to support innovation in the public sector: Seeking out and applying new insights, ideas, tools and technologies to complex problems by working within and across governments to continuously improve policies, programs and services; Experimenting and measuring results by identifying what works and what doesn’t, so that we can invest where we can have the greatest impact; Sharing knowledge and data with citizens in an open and transparent way, while learning from them and incorporating their expertise and input into our work; Putting citizens first by collaborating with all sectors of society including Indigenous peoples, the non-profit and private sectors, and civil society to co-design and implement better policies, programs and services; Exploring opportunities to work together on prizes, challenges and other outcomes-based funding mechanisms; and Continuing the dialogue on innovation and experimentation across Canada by sharing experiences and knowledge, making linkages and establishing partnerships.”

“Changing citizen expectations, coupled with fundamental demographic shifts and highly complex policy challenges demand more agile and adaptive responses from governments around the world. Applying new ideas and tools to stubborn problems and promoting continuous improvement with limited resources is the key. This requires experimenting and measuring: determining what works and redirecting resources where they can have the biggest impact. That is why the President of the Treasury Board, as part of his mandate, is pushing departments and agencies to devote a fixed percentage of program funds to experimental new approaches to existing problems. Fundamentally, this is about a culture of measurement, evaluation and innovation built into the design and delivery of programs and policy.”

“Budget 2017 also proposes to provide $8.1 million over five years, starting in 2017–18, to oversee the implementation of the Impact Canada Fund. This initiative will also help advance the President of the Treasury Board’s mandate commitment to devote a fixed percentage of government program funds to experimentation.”