Featured Publications

Policy Brief No. 36: The First Nation Governance System: A Brake on Closing the Community Well-being Gap

Author(s): John Graham

Relying on census data, researchers at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada have developed the Community Well-being Index (CWB), which is based on four factors: education (high school and university), housing (quantity and quality); labour force (participation and employment); and income (total per capita).  The results from the 2006 census are now available and they are less than encouraging.  The good news is that the CWB scores for a large majority (64%) of First Nations were either stable or improved over the 2001 to 2006 period.  Nonetheless, scores for 36% of First Nations declined (compared to only 10% of other Canadian communities).

First Nations Communities in Distress

Author(s): John Graham, François Levesque

Anyone with even a passing familiarity with First Nation communities is struck by their diversity in terms of, among other things, size, language and culture, geographic location (urban, rural, remote), and levels of well-being. It is this latter dimension that is the focus of this essay. In particular we are interested in those distressed communities on the extreme end of the well-being continuum.

To state that individuals living in these communities experience conditions that are the very worst in Canada is hardly to exaggerate. Consequently, developing a strategy for helping these communities to deal positively with their situation should rank very high on this country’s list of public priorities. The purpose of this essay is to stimulate reflection on this difficult challenge. The authors draw in large part from international literature and experiences to explore the following three questions:
 
1) Are there useful generalizations to be made about the developmental processes that distressed communities might adopt to deal positively with their situation?
2) Are there constructive roles for ‘outside’ parties to play in facilitating these processes? and
3) What might be useful next steps?

Health research: measuring the social, health and economic benefits

Author(s): Eddy Nason

Despite intense interest in defining the social, health and economic impacts of health research investments globally and in Canada as proof of value for-money, no validated method for measuring return on investments yet exists.

Making an Impact: The payback framework and determining research impacts

Author(s): Eddy Nason

In 2007 Canada invested nearly $29 billion in R&D. Knowing how that funding has had impacts on the lives of Canadians has become a key part of the Canadian government’s science and technology strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage.

Policy Brief No. 34: Two Key Questions For Horizontal Policy Making & Implementation

Author(s): Gail Motsi

In today’s world of increasingly complex problems that cross over boundaries between governments and between the government sector and other sectors of society, horizontal policy making and implementation is increasingly necessary, but also very difficult to do well. Based on more than a decade of experience in the area, the Institute On Governance has identified two key questions that need to be addressed when embarking on a horizontal initiative.

Citizens as Prosumers: The Next Frontier of Service Innovation

Author(s): Maryantonett Flumian

In our increasingly networked world, issues and problems quickly spill outside the organizational and even geographic boundaries of governmental institutions. Technologies have evolved at an incredible rate, but the institutional and organization learning that governments require to apply these technologies to problems progresses much more slowly.

Managing Identity: An Essential Ingredient in Service Transformation in a Web 2.0 World

Author(s): Maryantonett Flumian

Managing information about people and their needs will be critical to enabling responsive, personalized government services. However, issues of privacy, data security, and civil liberties are of major concern, and any approach to managing the “digital identity” of individuals must stand up to public scrutiny.

From Jeans to Jackets: Navigating the transition to more systematic governance in the voluntary sector

Author(s): Tim Plumptre, Barbara Laskin

This paper explores the transitions many voluntary organizations undergo as they move from an informal approach to governance or "jeans" toward one that is more systematic or formal - "jackets". It discusses key areas of difficulty and offers guidance to non-profits in developing an effective board-staff relationship.

IOG Policy Brief No. 15: Principles for Good Governance in the 21st Century

Author(s): John Graham, Bruce Amos, Tim Plumptre

This policy brief is based on a larger research project exploring the application of UN principles of good governance to protected areas. Developed initially in an environmental context, the principles are nonetheless widely applicable. The paper has received excellent reviews from academics and government officials in Canada, Australia and Europe. The original paper was prepared for the Fifth World Parks Congress in South Africa under the auspices of Parks Canada and CIDA.

Version française

Partnerships: Putting Good Governance Principles in Practice

Author(s): Laura Edgar, Claire Marshall, Michael Bassett

This publication analyzes the research and project work of the Institute On Governance in civil society - government partnerships from the point of view of both players. The paper first explores the meaning of ‘governance’ and ‘partnership’; then blends these concepts with good governance principles used by the United Nations Development Programme and the Institute On Governance to create a tool for assessing good governance in partnership arrangements. Finally, the paper draws on the Institute’s work in Canada and internationally, to illustrate some of the lessons and best practices in the governance of partnerships.