21 September 2017

For Immediate Release

GovMaker IV Talks Transformation

Fredericton, NB –  The New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN) will host the fourth annual GovMaker Conference at the Fredericton Convention Centre on Nov 20 and 21, 2017. The premier Open Government conference in eastern Canada, GovMaker advances open government theory and practice.

GovMaker IV is entitled Leadership, Innovation, and People Power: A Framework for Digital Transformation.  “At the frontiers of 21st century democracy, GovMaker IV showcases stories and experiments that demonstrate how citizens and governments have been putting theory into practice at this transformative time in our culture,” said Karina Leblanc, Acting Executive Director of NBSPRN “GovMaker IV offers participants an exciting range of presentations on projects that have made or will make our institutions more open – by small steps or quantum leaps.”

GovMaker IV has drawn diverse submissions from across Canada on three themes.

Leadership – Participants will hear from those who have experience of coordinated, multi-departmental approaches as an integral part of the culture change to open/digital.

Innovation – Innovation is the art of the new, while government has been too often the home of the tried and true. How can we support and embolden government staff to embrace innovation as a discipline during a time of digital transformation? How are innovative citizens and businesses collaborating with government, particularly in today’s digital world? What’s in it for our municipalities?

People Power – The heart of any government is people: the people it serves and the people who do the work to serve. Uniting those two groups in a practical way proves that one plus one is often far more than two. How can government leverage citizens’ passion and expertise, and collaborate with them to solve public problems? How is the open government movement in Canada progressing?

“The response to the call for abstracts showed that People Power obviously touched a chord as a theme. Whatever sector you come from, GovMaker IV will bring you actively into the very latest conversation on open government,” Leblanc continued. “And you will leave us with the best practices and connections you need to go to the next level.”

As always, the line-up of star Canadian GovMakers is remarkable and includes keynotes and/or workshops from:

• Alex Ryan, VP of Systems Innovation and Program Director of the MaRS Solutions Lab, who co-founded Alberta CoLab, the first provincial government innovation lab in Canada;
• Colleen McCormick, Director, Economic & Corporate Initiatives, Ministry of Jobs, Trade & Technology, Government of British Columbia, and founder of Social Innovators Network;
• Tracey Lauriault, Carleton University and Canadian Open Data Leader of the Year 2016;
• and Jamie Gamble, principal of the New Brunswick based consulting company, Imprint Consulting. Jamie’s recent article on developmental evaluation in Canadian Government Executive will be known to many GovMakers, who won’t want to miss his seminal workshop, Wicked Evaluation – The role of evaluation in solving complex problems.

“It is hard to believe this is the fourth edition already. GovMaker has become a highly-anticipated fixture in the event calendar in New Brunswick; if this is November, it must be GovMaker!” Leblanc concluded.

The Diamond Sponsor for GovMaker IV is The Government of New Brunswick. For sponsorship opportunities contact Shawni.Beaulieu@rrps-nb-sprn.ca

Tickets for GovMaker IV can be obtained at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/conference-govmaker-conference-tickets-35940002515. Full bios of the keynotes and general information can be found at http://www.govmakerconference.ca/speakers.

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Media contact:

Karina Leblanc

NBSPRN

506 471-7411