3 December 2003 Media Statement

Second social policy conference to focus on what works

The second Social Policy, Research and Evaluation Conference will be held in Wellington on 25 and 26 November 2004, Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.

The second conference, like the inaugural conference held in April this year, focuses on social research on New Zealand’s priority social issues. It will bring together the people who are researching, developing, implementing and evaluating social policy to encourage a shared understanding of New Zealand’s social needs.

Steve Maharey said the theme of the 2004 conference is ‘What Works?’.

“’What Works?’ is a fundamental question for both policy makers and social service providers. This government is committed to offering fairness, security and opportunity to all New Zealanders. The conference provides a further platform to rebuild the evidence base government has available to develop effective social policies and programmes.

“The conference will provide New Zealand researchers with an opportunity to share their findings and discuss the implications with policy makers and service providers. It will help to focus research on what matters and base practice and policy on what works,” Steve Maharey said.

International keynote speakers will once again be invited to promote debate and pass on lessons from overseas. The conference will consist of a mix of plenary sessions, focusing on issues for social policy research and its uptake by government agencies, and parallel sessions where New Zealand researchers will present their research on topics relevant to social policy.

The annual research poster competition will also be held as part of the conference for post-graduate social research students.

The conference will be held at the Wellington Convention Centre and around 800 delegates are expected.

ENDS

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