Program for Policies for Better Lives :

May 7

10:00-12:00EDT

Setting the Stage: Live Plenary Panel

Moderated plenary session with live panel presentation and discussion.

Moderator: Danny Graham, Chief Engagement Officer, Engage Nova Scotia

• John Helliwell, Professor Emeritus of Economics, UBC & CIFAR
• Nancy Hey,  Executive Director, What Works Centre for Well-Being, UK
• Carol Graham, Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria
• Chris Barrington-Leigh, Associate Professor, McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy and the Bieler School of Environment

May 14

10:00 - 14:00EDT

Evaluating Bold Policy Proposals

Panel presentations and live discussion with wellbeing research, policy and practice leaders to propose and assess the feasibility of specific bold, cost-effective, evidence-based and impactful policies for wellbeing.

Within this 4-hr session, participants will have the opportunity to join two 2-hr panel discussions in the following four domains:

10:00 - 11:50 CHILDREN AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SKILLS

Moderator: Mary Bartram, Policy Director, Mental Health Commission of Canada & Adjunct Professor, Carleton University

Researchers:

• Sarah Flèche, CNRS Research Fellow at the Sorbonne Economic Centre (University Paris 1), Research Associate at the LSE Centre for Economic Performance
• Shelley Phipps, Professor of Economics, Dalhousie University
• Lord Richard Layard, Member of the House of Lords, Professor and Founder-Director of LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance and Co-director of the Centre’s program on Community Wellbeing

Policy/Practice Respondents:

• Nora Spinks, Chief Executive Officer, Vanier Institute of the Family
• Lisa Wolff, Director, Policy and Research, UNICEF Canada
• Margo Greenwood, Academic Leader, National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health

10:00 - 11:50 LABOUR MARKET AND WORKPLACES

Moderator: Siobhan Harty, Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Priorities and Planning, Privy Council Office

Researchers:

• Ada Ferrer-i-Carbonell, Professor and Scientist at the Institute for Economic Analysis, Director of GSE Master Program in the Economics of Public Policy, University of Barcelona
• Anke Plagnol, Associate Professor and Programme Director in Behavioural Economics, City, University of London

Policy/Practice Respondents:

• Don Drummond, Canadian Economist, Matthews Fellow and Visiting Scholar, School of Policy Studies, Queens University
• Bernie Miller, Deputy Minister, Office of Strategy Management, Government of Nova Scotia
• Armine Yalnizyan, Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers

12:00 - 14:00 URBAN LIFE AND COMMUNITY

Moderator: Val Morrison , Scientific Advisor, National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy, INSPQ

Researchers:

• Stefano Bartolini, Professor of Happiness Economics and Political Economy at the University of Siena
• Paul Frijters, Professor of Wellbeing Economics, London School of Economics
• Alex Haslam, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology and Australian Laureate Fellow, University of Queensland (in absentia)

Policy/Practice Respondents:

• Susan Holdsworth, Project Manager for RECOVER: Urban Wellbeing, City of Edmonton
• Keren Tang, Participatory City Development Manager, J W McConnell Foundation
• Gaynor Watson-Creed, Assistant Dean, Serving and Engaging Society, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University

12:00 - 14:00 INCOME AND CONSUMPTION

Moderator: James Hughes, President and CEO, Old Brewery Mission 

Researchers:

• Paul Frijters, Professor of Wellbeing Economics, London School of Economics (video presentation only)
• Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science, Warwick University
• Nattavudh (Nick) Powdthavee, Professor of Behavioural Science, Warwick Business School, IZA Research Fellow

Policy/Practice Respondents:

• Derek Cook, Director, Canadian Poverty Institute, Ambrose University
• Marc Lee, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
• Kari Wolanski, Acting Director, Coordination, Economic Studies and Policy Analysis Division, Finance Canada

May 21

10:00 - 12:00EDT

Invitational Cross-sectoral Working Meeting

An invitation-only working meeting for researchers, policymakers and community leaders actively working on wellbeing policy at local, provincial and national levels. Participants will consider “how does adopting a wellbeing lens change how to organize and implement new policy?”. Taking a set of promising policies arising out of the May 14th panels, and making use of examples of successful wellbeing-oriented policy implementation elsewhere, we will address key issues in the prospective policy implementation. These may include the roles of different sectors; challenges and opportunities in shifting perspectives in organizations, public, and government; and any new institutions or innovations needed. Registration is limited but applications to participate are welcome.

May 28

10:00 - 12:00EDT

Strategy and Vision for Better Lives

Live moderated panel discussion on Strategyy and Vision for Better Lives: Where next for wellbeing budgeting and policy-making in Canada?

Moderator: Nancy Hey, Executive Director, What Works Centre for Well-Being, UK

• Don Drummond, Canadian Economist, Matthews Fellow and Visiting Scholar, School of Policy Studies, Queens University
• Houssam Elokda, Operations Manager & Senior Planner, Happy City
• Danny Graham, Chief Engagement Officer, Engage Nova Scotia
• Nora Spinks, CEO and Team Lead, Vanier Institute of the Family
• Keren Tang, Participatory City Development Manager, J W McConnell Foundation

Closing Keynote: Lord Gus O’Donnell, Member of the House of Lords, Former Cabinet Secretary, Head of Civil Service, Permanent Secretary of the UK Treasury and Press Secretary, UK Government

Closing Keynote: The Honourable Mona Fortier, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance

Discussion moderated by Chris Barrington-Leigh, Associate Professor, McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy and the Bieler School of Environment