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Public Policy and the Social Economy in Atlantic Canada (Phase II): Nova Scotia - briefing paper by Dr. Jan Myers Introduction As part of the activities of the Atlantic Node of the pan-Canadian Social Economy and Sustainability Research Network, the public policy working group initiated a project to map and provide an inventory of provincial legislation, policies, programs and initiatives that are directly relevant to community economic and social development, the social economy, and building the capacity and opportunities for engagement in policy formulation and implementation in the Atlantic region. This initial phase consisted of desk based research to identify information publically available through government and other agency websites as well as more traditional academic routes for literature reviews and searches (bibliographic, journal and research databases), up to 2008 and before the 2008 federal elections. A review of some of the available literature and policy scan reports to-date indicates a concentration on substantive or administrative policy and relations. This includes program focused, funding relationships and accountabilities, and/or issue based concerns (e.g. employment, social exclusion and services for specified groups) often, but not always, in relation to resourcing and service delivery1. Many of these reports identify issues common across sub-sectors of non-profit organizations (e.g. changes in funding regimes, changing jurisdictions and downloading of public programs) and identify good practice approaches in relation to, for example, single issue concerns (e.g. child care, elder care, learning disabilities, housing, drugs and alcohol services); communities of interest (Native communities, migrant and immigrant workers); and in