The Rural Secretariat, Office of Public Engagement, is an innovative entity of the provincial government which strives to advance the sustainability of rural Newfoundland and Labrador communities and regions. It does this by: supporting the development of citizen-based policy advice; engaging citizens in the future of their province; and by supporting collaboration between and among rural stakeholders including governments.

The Rural Secretariat also collaborates with regional partners on a host of research endeavors that shed light on the realities facing rural communities and regions.  The Rural Secretariat sees great value in working with national and international partners on issues of rural sustainability. The role of the Rural Secretariat is to ensure that those communities are engaged and heard on the issues of regional sustainability under scrutiny.

With a mandate to ensure regional voices in rural Newfoundland and Labrador are heard in the policy development and decision making processes of the Provincial Government, working as a partner with On the Move help the Rural Secretariat to connect its Councils and partners to current and new research, and best practices, on rural issues related to employment-related geographical mobility.

Partner representative: Jenny Rockett, Program and Policy Development Specialist

Partner website: www.exec.gov.nl.ca/rural