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Public administration in the cross‐hairs of evidence‐based policy and authentic engagement: School closures in Ontario
Author(s) -
Johns Carolyn,
MacLellan Duncan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
canadian public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.361
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 1754-7121
pISSN - 0008-4840
DOI - 10.1111/capa.12360
Subject(s) - demographics , administration (probate law) , politics , public administration , stakeholder engagement , political science , closure (psychology) , public policy , stakeholder , public relations , public engagement , sociology , law , demography
Education policy affects communities across Canada. Changes in demographics, enrolment patterns, and pressures on education budgets have put school closures on the political agenda in many provinces. Implementing these policies is increasingly contested and conflict‐ridden. Public administrators are at the cross‐hairs of implementing evidence‐based policies, based on authentic stakeholder input and engagement. This article examines two cases of school closure policy implementation in Ontario to illustrate the tension between these two important dimensions of public administration and challenges that must be overcome in this and other policy areas where evidence and engagement are increasingly important.