Editorial - 27-16

Compare and contrast the processes for the just-released Quebec Research and Innovation Strategy with the recently announced updating of the federal Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy. You'd be hard pressed to find a more glaring example of bottom-up versus top-down planning.

The Quebec strategy was launched more than a year ago under a Liberal government and completed by the current Parti Québecois administration. Throughout that tumultuous year, the process continued, driven by two external organizations engaged to provide input from industry and the broad research community (see lead story). The final product contained numerous examples of the government adopting the externally generated recommendations, producing a policy that has widespread buy-in and a very good chance of making a difference.

And the update of the federal strategy? Other than its cursory announcement in last week's Throne speech and an address by the minister of state for science and technology to a gathering of university presidents, there's been nary a word about the process by which the new strategy is being developed.

Instead of public consultation , the government is relying on the Science, Technology and Innovation Council to provide advice. At least you'd assume so, as STIC's advice is confidential. Strategy documents don't have to be long, consultation-laden exercises.

But it would be nice to know how, or whether, the government intends to gather the intelligence and insight required for such an undertaking.