Summer Institute: Introduction to Data Analysis for Making Policy Decisions
Summer Institute
Introduction to Data Analysis for Making Policy Decisions
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
August 6-9, 2013
This four day workshop (offered in English) focused on demonstrating the importance of administrative data for public policy formation and evaluation. It was a hands-on training opportunity designed to introduce government workers, non-governmental organization employees and social science graduate students to the policy formation process as well as different approaches to analyzing administrative data for research, development and evaluation of public policy.
Each day began at 8:30am and ended at 4:30pm. Lunches, refreshment breaks, and parking passes were provided for all in attendance. Presentations were given by the following:
Workshop Leaders
Dr. Daniel Henstra, Professor, University of Waterloo and Director of the Master of Public Policy Service Program. Dr. Henstra’s research centers on public administration and public policy. In his work on emergency management and climate change adaptation, he has studied the policy process of federal, provincial and municipal governments, and has analyzed the complex, networked relationships among elected officials, public servants, stakeholders and the public. A noted expert on the means by which policies are implemented, Dr. Henstra demonstrated how evidence-based policy is used in other provinces and countries and discussed the points in the policy formation process where research findings can be inserted.
Dr. Marc Frenette, Research Economist, Statistics Canada and Senior Research Associate at the Social Research Demonstration Corporation. Dr. Frenette’s primary areas of research include education, labour market issues, and income inequality. He covered some of the necessary statistical techniques for employing administrative data in public administration. He also was able to suggest when the results of statistical analysis can best aid the policy formation process.
Dr. Luc Thériault, Professor, Sociology Department, University of New Brunswick. Dr. Thériault’s field of expertise is social policy and third sector studies, with a focus on the interactions between governments and social economy organizations involved in the delivery of human services. He focused on the appropriate design and implementation of program evaluation.
Dr. Michael Haan, Canada Research Chair in Population and Social Policy at the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Haan is one of the co-founders of the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training and an experienced teacher of statistics for the social sciences. He published the first Canadian statistics textbook in 2009. Using STATA software, he lead participants through a series of lab exercises using New Brunswick administrative data that related to the morning’s lecture topic. Participants should have become more confident in generating univariate and bivariate, and some multivariate statistics by the end of the workshop.
The presentations were recorded to be archived but also for further educational use. Links to where they appear on youtube can be found below.
Day 1- August 6th, 2013
Morning- Dr. Daniel Henstra, “Research and Analysis in the Policy Process”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 6th morning: Dr. Dan Henstra
Afternoon- Dr. Luc Theriault, “Program Evaluation: an Overview of Principles and Practice”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 6th afternoon: Dr. Luc Theriault
Day 2- August 7th, 2013
Morning- Dr. Marc Frenette, “Program Evaluation”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 7th morning: Dr. Marc Frenette.
Afternoon- Dr. Marc Frenette, “Program Evaluation”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 7th afternoon: Dr. Marc Frenette
Day 3- August 8th, 2013
Morning- Dr. Marc Frenette, “Program Evaluation”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 8th morning: Dr. Marc Frenette.
Afternoon- Dr. Marc Frenette, “Program Evaluation”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 8th afternoon: Dr. Marc Frenette
Day 4- August 9th, 2013
Morning- Dr. Mike Haan, “Introduction to Stata and Data Analysis”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 9th morning: Dr. Mike Haan.
Afternoon- Dr. Mike Haan, “Introduction to Stata and Data Analysis”
NB-IRDT Policy Workshop August 2013- Aug. 9th afternoon: Dr. Mike Haan
Any further questions, please contact:
