POLICYDEVELOPMENTFRAMEWORK

INTRODUCTIONThe Policy Development Framework exists to support the advo-cacy and policy development goals of the organization. It is a stra-tegic guide in setting goals and processes towards the mission and vision of the organization.

It can be difficult for large, diverse groups to converge on a consen-sus, given no two people share the same experience. The frame-work exists as a solution to this problem, in a manner consistent with the best practices of the government relations industry.

The policy and strategy conference is just one step in the frame-work. Delegates, representing their home associations, will BRAINSTORM, REFINE, PRIORITIZE and STRATEGIZE the year’s advocacy. These crucial phases help us tie our story into a broader, strategic narrative, to better the lives of students in Can-ada.

BRAINSTORM• Issue Identification

PRIORITIZE• Subject Discussions • Priority Balloting

STRATEGIZE• Opportunity Assessment • Policy Assessment

REFINE• Research and Briefing

transition

office + p&s

p&s

p&s

BRAINSTORM• Issue Identification

In order to assist in setting the priorities for the year, a brain-storming workshop will take place at the transition conference for delegates to share and rally support for their policy ideas. Staff will assist delegates by guiding them towards a wide breadth of ideas.

The results of the brainstorm is summarized and then presented to the Home Office staff for the creation of briefing notes during the REFINE portion of the Policy Development Framework. The intent of the briefs is to encourage a more considered debate in the later phases of the framework.

IntroductionOpen spaces

5 minutes135 minutes

• Conducted at transition conference• Results tabled with Home Office

at transition

REFINE• Research and Briefing

Delegates will be presented with a series of research papers, pro-duced following the transition conferences. They provide back-ground to the various policy ideas raised during the brainstorm session. These papers will also contain some suggested actions CASA can take.

During Policy and Strategy, there will be an opportunity to dis-cuss the papers and extract from them ‘initial asks’ to be placed on a prioritization ballot. Asks from the year prior will be automati-cally reintroduced.

An initial ask is a specific action, policy initiative, legislative or regulatory change. They are meant to be ambitious: they are raw desires, which will be modified after research and strategic delib-erations.

Home Office researchIntroduction

Prior5 minutes

New ask introduction 60 minutes

• Home Office research available• Note the definition of initial ask

at office + p&s

Discussion/ballot submit 115 minutes

PRIORITIZE• Subject Discussions• Priority Balloting

Each item submitted for the ballot will be clustered into similar subjects, such as First Nations and the loans program, and each subject will be discussed at a number of roundtable discussions. Delegates are free to roam to the subject discussion which inter-ests them the most.

Following the discussions, balloting opens. Each full member as-sociation will be entitled to one approval ballot. They are to check those proposals which they believe should be priorities, and they are to leave blank those which they think should not. The top pro-posals will be declared as the priorities for the year.

IntroductionRoundtable discussions

5 minutes150 minutes

Balloting 120 minutes• Delegates are free to roam between dis-

cussions• Priority voting: the most popular 24 pro-

posals carry on

at p&s

STRATEGIZE• Opportunity Assessment• Policy Assessment

Delegates will decide to attend one of two assessment sessions. The policy assessment session will determine which of the twen-ty-four priorities requires more work at the policy committee level. The opportunity assessment session will rank each of the priorities for one-year achievability.

The results from each session will be brought together to form the policy development framework diamond, which dictates the organization’s strategic work plan for the year.

IntroductionAssessments

• Delegates may attend either seesion, but not both.

5 minutes90 minutes

at p&s

AFTER P&SBecomes the advocacy focus of government relations and com-munications

Becomes the cultivation focus of government relations and com-munications

Becomes the primary focus of the policy committee

Becomes the long-term focus of CASA

Substantial OpportunitySufficient Policy

Green

Substantial OpportunityInsufficient Policy

PurpleLimited Opportunity

Sufficient Policy

Blue

Limited OpportunityInsufficient Policy

Yellow

Following P&S every priority for the year is tasked to working groups and are all actively engaged in