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A Beginner’s Guide: Communities of Practice

Kids know the best way to learn double dutch or how to solve a Rubik’s cube is to watch their peers do it, collect tips and tricks, and then practice the skill themselves. It’s simple: observe, apply, practice, refine.

The same is true in our professional lives when we seek to tackle a complex challenge; there are rich lessons to be learned from our peers that can be applied to make our work more effective. Joining a Community of Practice is one way to tap into our peers’ knowledge.

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Poverty in Canada: Experiences and Perceptions

Within the Cities Reducing Poverty network, building public awareness and shifting attitudes about poverty is a critical part of the work. So I was interested in what the Angus Reid Institute’s recent study of poverty, which was released in two parts this summer, revealed about Canadians’ views on poverty.

The first part of the study defined and quantified poverty in Canada by asking people whether and how often they have struggled economically. The study created four segments of the population based on the responses:

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Update on Ontario's Basic Income Pilot

Only hours after we posted a blog exploring reflections on the Ontario basic income pilot, two weeks ago, the Ontario government announced the cancellation of the pilot within 100 days. The Ontario basic income pilot, which reached its full enrolment in April of this year, with 4000 participants, in Thunder Bay, Hamilton, and Lindsay, was scheduled to run for three years, with an in-depth evaluation of the impact of this pilot afterwards. The Progressive Conservatives are discontinuing it after only eight months — despite Premier-elect (now Premier) Doug Ford’s commitment to continuing the pilot if successfully elected.

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Basic Income in Practice: Reflections from the Ontario Basic Income Pilot

The Ontario Basic Income pilot project is just over a year into its three year mandate and, it’s clear, from the emerging narrative of pilot participants, the provincially-funded program announced in 2017 is already changing lives and restoring a sense of dignity. In Hamilton, Thunder Bay and Lindsay, Ontario 4,000 people are now enrolled in this social policy experiment to determine whether providing a basic income enables low income participants to maintain housing, eat better, stay healthier and engage in work.

In May, Hamilton hosted the 17th annual North American Basic Income Congress. The 2018 Congress was organized in collaboration with McMaster University, the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, Low Income Families Together (in Toronto), and other partners. The Congress brought together basic income pilot participants, academics, politicians, researchers, community allies, and academic champions of the basic income concept from across the globe. 

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What We Heard About Poverty in B.C.

The Government of British Columbia’s recent release of What We Heard About Poverty in B.C. means the province is one step closer to having a poverty reduction strategy. The Report reflects public input, gathered between October 2017 and March 2018, that will shape the provincial strategy. Some of the common themes are summarized below.

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London For All: Making Progress and Meeting Targets One Year In

In May, United Way Elgin Middlesex reported that it had met 27 of its 112 targets as part of London’s anti-poverty strategy, London For All, just one year since starting its work. United Way Elgin Middlesex is the lead agency implementing London’s strategy. The United Way brings together partners to implement plans, ensures evaluation and accountability, reports back to the community, and meaningfully involves folks with lived experience of poverty in all aspects of the project.

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