Policy and Planning Branch

Policy and Planning provides leadership, coordination and support to the Department on policy issues that affect the delivery of social services to Manitobans. The branch supports strategic planning and policy development and provides information and advice to the Minister, Deputy Minister, senior management, divisions and programs on key issues and initiatives. The branch also:

• conducts analysis and assesses the effectiveness of departmental programs;
• provides support for legislative debate and Estimates review;
• prepares policy papers; and
• represents the Department in intergovernmental, interdepartmental, and inter-sectoral discussions related to a broad range of social issues.

Recent branch activities include:

• facilitating the development of the Manitoba Prenatal Benefit;
• developing pilot projects to support the transition from income support to the labour market;
• providing support related to the implementation of Full Citizenship: A Manitoba Provincial Strategy on Disability;
• preparing business requirements for the restoration of the National Child Benefit Supplement;
• co-managing the evaluation of a program which support single parents find and keep work;
• analyzing dynamics of income assistance dependency and performing analysis of income assistance caseload;
• preparing options on providing effective income supports to low-income Manitobans;
• compiling Early Childhood Development baseline data and prepared information for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy and the Northern Development Strategy;
• chairing working groups examining issues surrounding the development of an integrated service delivery system;
• conducting net impact analyses of several employment training programs;
• facilitating strategic planning;
• participating on interdepartmental and external committees, such as the Community Economic Development provincial working group, Neighbourhoods Alive! working group, Social Planning Council's Campaign 2000 committee, Healthy Child Interdepartmental Policy and Evaluation committee, Voluntary Sector Initiatives committee, Sustainable Development working group, Veterans' Affairs committee, and Northern Food Prices steering committee;
• representing the department on the federal / provincial / territorial National Child Benefit, Early Childhood Development and Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities working groups.

For more information, please contact:

Policy and Planning Branch
1010 - 200 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg MB R3C 4L5
Phone: (204) 945-6777
Email: fscawebunit@gov.mb.ca