November 8, 2016

For Immediate Release

GovMaker welcomes Dr Alan Kantrow

Workshop will address turning open data policy into action plan

Fredericton, NB – GovMaker III: Open Government from Theory to Practice will put rubber to the road of open government through a series of talks and workshops designed to leave participants with practical tools and action plans to take back to the office when the conference is over.

One highly-anticipated workshop will see Dr Alan Kantrow, Senior Advisor of The Governance Lab and former Senior Editor of The Harvard Business Review, bring his extensive background in problem-framing to bear on open data policy and how it can work in New Brunswick.

In “Open Data Beyond the Check Box” Dr Kantrow will frame the challenge of actioning open data policy for both GNB staff and interested participants external to government. GNB staff are living a culture shift towards the unfamiliar territory of openness by default, while the community and private sector are eager for access to data that can be used to solve problems and create new products and services. Dr Kantrow has designed and delivered customized learning programs to support the work of governance innovators in both public and private sectors, so he is uniquely placed to guide NB’s Open Data stakeholders towards a practical outcome.

“Alan’s workshop focuses on one government policy that is key in the move towards Open, so the appeal for Government of NB staff is obvious,” said Nick Scott, Executive Director of conference host, New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN). “But openness means that not only can everyone come to the table – everyone is needed at the table. So it will be crucial to hear other voices – those of business and academe and the community – just as it will be an opportunity for those external to government to learn of the challenges that government staff face in their daily work in this area.”

In addition to the workshop, Dr Kantrow will offer a very practical keynote: “7 Lessons for Designing Innovation Labs that Work.” Both the talk and the workshop will take place on Day Two of GovMaker, Nov 22 at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

The full agenda for GovMaker III can be found at: http://www.govmakerconference.ca/timeline/

Sponsors for GovMaker III include Diamond Sponsor, The Government of New Brunswick, as well as the Government of Canada, GTEC, Pond-Deshpande Centre, and Canada’s Open Data Exchange.

Tickets for GovMaker III can be obtained at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/conference-govmaker-conference-tickets-26538221535 Full bios of the keynotes and general information can be found at: http://www.govmakerconference.ca/

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Media contact:

Nick Scott

NBSPRN

(506) 453-6507