Over the past year, the ISSP has published multiple member blogs about how we need to transform decision-making to more effectively address grand challenges, such as transforming teaching, training and the science enterprise; fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in decision-making; putting into practice new decision-making models, and reframing how we think about science and technology in domestic and international policy. The compilation also includes a dedicated section on the grand challenges of COVID-19 and climate change.
Over the past six months, the ISSP has published multiple member blogs providing concrete advice to decision-makers about the myriad impacts and dimensions of COVID-19 – everything from science advice and government responses, to data collection and modelling to the cultural dimensions of superspreader events, the future of air travel, and the impacts on human rights.
We need to understand that Indigenous voice is important in all mission-driven projects. If we make that space for Indigenous voices in the creation of missions, it broadly serves society as a whole and the economy as a whole.
Faculty Affiliate, ISSP
Full Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, uOttawa
The development of multiple COVID-19 vaccines is an incredible achievement, but vaccinating people remains a grand challenge. In Canada, acquiring and maintaining public trust in the COVID-19 vaccine is an important part of the equation. This will require continued and focused attention, especially on populations that have been historically marginalized or face other barriers to accessing the vaccine.
That Canada leads the world in vaccination uptake is certainly impressive, but it took a lot of work to get here. It will take even more work to increase our numbers further. At the root of that work, however, is the not-so-secret ingredient public health authorities everywhere are trying to cultivate: trust. It takes a lot of trust—between Canadians and their governments and industries, between Canadians and their public health authorities and experts, and between Canadians and their own neighbours—to have appreciably high vaccination rates.
Over the past year, the ISSP has published multiple member blogs about how we need to transform decision-making to more effectively address grand challenges, such as transforming teaching, training and the science enterprise; fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in decision-making; putting into practice new decision-making models, and reframing how we think about science and technology in domestic and international policy. The compilation also includes a dedicated section on the grand challenges of COVID-19 and climate change.
Drawing from COVID-19 mitigation measures, smart climate change policy will seek to change behaviour most effectively in toto, meaning it must incorporate potential social feedback and other costs. Both policy responses – at the level of the individual and the collective – have a role to play in tackling the COVID-19 and climate crises.
As we turn to evaluating government performance during the pandemic, we need to consider not just the choices made by elected leaders but also the role of the CMOH and whether changes are necessary for the next time this happens. Because there will be a next time.
This summer on the first day of the workshop reading of my latest play, veteran Ottawa actor Paul Rainville asked me: How do I play a robot? He was referring to his character, Adam, the husband and father in The Anniversary. It’s a near-future tale about three adult children who return to the family home to celebrate their parent’s thirtieth anniversary. Key detail: Adam’s a robot.
With the 4th conference of the International Network of Government Science Advisors (INGSA) currently taking place in Montreal, it is worth recalling the earlier work of such structured, global science advisory gatherings.
The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ISSP or its staff.
