Dr. Ann McMillan

Biography:
Ann is with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) working on aspects of Climate Change and the Arctic. Previously, she was with Environment Canada for almost 20 years, starting as a research manager, moving to the supervision of science assessments and then on into policy based on science. She was the Chair of the Science Subcommittee under the Canada/US Air Quality Agreement for a decade and initiated the science assessment work on air quality modeling of particulate matter as the basis of bilateral discussions on air quality policy.

Abstract:
Moving science from technical results into the hands of decision makers in a useful way is a challenging task. Science and policy cultures are different in terms of time scales, expectations, and communication of results. If policies are to be based on science, it is important that policymakers take sufficient responsibility for defining what they need from the scientific community to structure the dialogue. One successful tool for establishing this structure, is the science assessment. The assessment is best initiated by both communities together formulating a set of “questions” the answer to which will provide a conduit for scientific information to be channeled into policy. Formulating the questions is important, and must be done sufficiently in advance of the need for the output to allow the assessors to work with the science community to assemble the answers.

Science assessments on particular issues such as “acid rain” have been around for decades. More recently organizations such as the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) have taken on the role of providing assessments. Within DFO we have the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) which takes on this role. Science assessment is a well defined tool that works successfully to bring the science and policy communities together over issues moving from science to policy.