Generating dialogue to promote discussion – science and public policy decision making

The Dictionnaire des politiques publiques defines public policy decision making as follows: “Public decision making is the product of the intersection of a political will and an administrative structure: it is at the center of government action. The public decision is necessarily collective because its preparation and implementation require the participation of several actors.”¹

Among these actors, we inevitably find scientists. It is in this context that the Institut quantique de l’Université de Sherbrooke, in collaboration with the Chief Scientist Office, is hosting an immersive one-day workshop on April 21st on the subject of evidence-based decision making. Supported by the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA), the event will bring together more than 50 people from the student community, researchers and people working in public administrations as well as from the Sherbrooke quantum ecosystem. Together, they will examine a case imagined by the organizing committee that puts forward a quantum theme.

“With these workshops, we hope that both the scientific and political communities will learn each other’s language. By multiplying these types of simulations, the scientific community better understands the complexity of the political decision-making process and the political community more easily perceives how we can benefit from the advice of scientists,” explains Julie Dirwimmer, Senior Advisor – Science and Society Relations, Chief Scientist Office.

For the Institut quantique, organizing this workshop serves a dual purpose. “As a research institute, our role is to create the conditions for scientific discovery and training. It is also important to raise awareness among our partners and the public about the implementation of quantum technologies in society and their consequences. We have therefore developed a scenario involving scientists and political actors in a context of cybersecurity and quantum technologies. The goal is to create a dialogue. The other goal is to integrate our student community into this conversation so that once they enter the workforce, they are prepared to participate in the discussions and bring a scientist’s perspective and better understand all the facets of a policy decision,” explains Christian Sarra-Bournet, Executive Director of the Institut quantique.

INGSA, an organization currently chaired by Chief Scientist of Québec, Rémi Quirion, was established in 2014. Its mission is to provide a forum for elected officials, practitioners and academics to share experiences and develop theoretical and practical approaches to promote the use of evidence to guide public policy development at all levels of government.

1- Sous la direction de Laurie Boussaguet, Sophie Jacquot, Pauline Ravinet, Dictionnaire des politiques publiques, 3e édition actualisée et augmentée, 2010, 776, Presses de Sciences Po