Housing and Homelessness Solutions: A Community Dialogue - Free Event
Pitch Your Housing and Homelessness Solutions to Community and Public Sector Leaders - Free to attend - Open to the public
Submissions are now being accepted for the 6th annual IPAC Policy Pitch Competition
Practice your presentation skills in front of a live audience by sharing your innovative idea in three minutes or less and win cash prizes.
Join us in tackling one of the most critical issues of our time and contribute to sustainable solutions for housing and homelessness.
We look forward to your innovative ideas!
IMPORTANT DATES
Submission Deadline: June 19, 2024
Notification of Finalists: June 21, 2024
Competition Date: June 27, 2024
LOCATION
ELIGIBILITY
Students, Community Members, New Professionals and Emerging Leaders
Individuals (no team entries)
BC residents only
COMPETITON PROCESS
Step 1. Submit your idea in written format (400 words or less) in PDF format by June 19, 2024 at 11pm to ipac@ipac-victoria.ca for Heat 1 of the competition.
Step 2. A screening committee will select the top 6 submissions from Heat 1 to advance to the live event, happening on June 27, 2024. Doors open at 5:00pm and presentation starts at 5:30pm.
Step 3. The top 6 submissions from Heat 1 will prepare a three-minute presentation, following the rules below, to pitch to our judging panel and audience on June 27, 2024.
PRIZES
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
People's Choice: $200
RULES
All presentations must include: a summary of a specific issue related to housing or homelessness faced by government at the local, provincial or federal level, the options to deal with it, and a recommendation on the best option.
A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description)
No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment)
No laser pointers
Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs)
Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum and competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified
JUDGING CRITERIA
A four member panel will judge the presentations on the basis of three criteria:
Content
Was the topic well researched and analyzed?
Did the speaker identify an unresolved issue?
Did the speaker provide relevant and well thought out options?
Did the speaker propose a well-argued recommendation?
Would you consider this contestant for further discussion about their work?
Communication Style
Was the topic and significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
Did the title of the talk give a clear picture of the topic and its importance?
Were all technical or specialist words clearly explained for a non-specialist audience?
Was the communication style clear enough so that any intelligent person could now sum up the topic and its significance
Was the presentation an objective analysis not influenced by partisan politics?
Comprehension
Did the presentation help the audience to understand the issue and solution?
Did the speaker deliver their presentation at an appropriate pace?
Was there a storyline that helped the audience understand the issue, its importance and how the recommendation would or did address that problem?
Did the PowerPoint slide help the audience better understand the topic and its significance?
JUDGING PANEL
Melanie Hope
Executive Director, Homelessness and Supportive Housing Policy Branch, BC Ministry of Housing
Melanie Hope has spent her career passionately supporting efforts to address housing affordability and homelessness at provincial, regional and local levels. Melanie has been Executive Director of the Homelessness and Supportive Housing Policy Branch since January 2023 and has over 15 years of policy, research, and leadership experience with the Province of BC, including a variety of roles in the Housing Policy Branch and Homelessness Policy and Partnerships Branch. In 2021-2022, Melanie worked with the Capital Regional District overseeing Housing Planning, Policy, and Programs, including administration of the Regional Housing First Program, Reaching Home Program and supporting development of a coordinated access process for the region. Prior to her work in government, she worked in the non-profit housing sector with Pacifica Housing and the Victoria Cool Aid Society within supportive housing and as an outreach worker. Melanie has her M.A. in Studies in Policy and Practice from the University of Victoria.
Dr. Jeffrey Masuda
Professor and Acting Director, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria
Jeffrey R. Masuda, PhD is a Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. An urban health geographer and critical public health scholar, Jeff is a Sansei (third-generation) Japanese Canadian settler whose ancestors established roots on Pauerugai in today’s Downtown Eastside on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ territories prior to their dispossession and banishment after 1941. With over 15 years of research relationships in the neighbourhood, Jeff was a formative member of the Right to Remain research collective, which currently supports Indigenous-led multi-racial organizing for better living conditions among tenants in Vancouver’s Single Room Occupancy Hotels.
Candace Witkowskyj
Executive Director, Local Government Management Association of British Columbia
Candace Witkowskyj joined the Local Government Management Association of British Columbia as Senior Program Manager/Deputy Executive Director in January of 2020 before being appointed Executive Director in January of 2022. In addition to Candace’s recent experience at the LGMA developing professional development programming and networking opportunities for local government leaders, Candace has worked as an inclusive leader supporting local and provincial programs and services, leading provincial and national training programs, and in developing resources and strategies for good governance and operational efficiencies. Before the LGMA, Candace worked as a Portfolio Manager with the BC Housing Women’s Transition and Housing Supports Program. Previous to this, Candace was as a Senior Learning Specialist in the interprovincial Electronic Health Record Software implementation project.
Candace holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Public Health and Social Policy from the University of Victoria. In addition to her role at the LGMA, Candace serves as a Director on the Board of the BC Municipal Safety Association, represents the LGMA on the Working Group for Responsible Conduct, and serves as a Region X Institute Director with the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. Candace enjoys the chaos and beauty of her two almost grown up daughters and her weird rescue dog.
Julian Daly
Chief Executive Officer, Our Place Society
Born in Ireland, Julian has over 30 years' experience working in non-profit, government and private sectors in Canada, the UK, Indonesia, and his country of birth. The vast majority of his working life has been spent working at the margins of society -- in particular, in the inner-city communities of London, UK, and Edmonton, Alberta and now Victoria where he has been the CEO of Our Place since 2020-- seeking to achieve some degree of social justice for those served through a combination of practical, needs-based programming and advocacy. He has been a frontline worker, manager and CEO in a wide range of programs and projects over the years, which have included housing, poverty reduction, community engagement, HIV/AIDS, harm reduction and recovery, the differently abled, employment, youth services, social enterprises, health, education, and children and family services.
MODERATOR
William (Bill) Reid, Host
Partner, Advisory Services, MNP Public Sector Consulting
Bill Reid has over thirty years of history, currently as a Partner and a Public Sector Niche Lead with MNP. He specializes in results-based governance along with management as well as with facilitation and stake(rights)holder engagement. This includes strategic and operational planning together with consultative and team-based sessions; carrying out reviews of programs, services and operations to explore the meeting of needs, structure, delivery, and results; and assisting with policy, research and performance reporting. Most recently, Bill presented at conferences on the topics of “Social Return on Investment as a Tool to Quantify Intangible Outcomes”, and on “What Can We Learn About Doing Evaluation Differently? Reflections from the Evaluation of the Ninth Gathering of Healing Our Spirit Worldwide”. Bill is a Credentialed Program Evaluator under the Canadian Evaluation Society, a Certified Management Consultant, and holds a certification in change management.
SPONSORS
We extend our gratitude to ARYZE, MNP Public Sector Consulting, and the Government of British Columbia for their invaluable and substantial contributions to our initiative. Your unwavering support has played a pivotal role in advancing our goals and fostering positive change. The dedication and generosity demonstrated by each of our sponsors have not only enhanced the success of our endeavors but have also underscored the importance of collaboration in achieving meaningful outcomes. We look forward to continued collaboration as we work together to make a lasting impact. Thank you for your commitment and belief in our mission.
