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Institute on Governance
GOVERNANCE KNOWLEDGE HUB

Governance Resources

The IOG Governance Resources page is a digital collation of sources related to the practice and study of governance accessible to all. This list is updated regularly to reflect emerging trends in Canada and around the world.

If you have any material to suggest, please contact Dr. Lori Turnbull at lturnbull@iog.ca

Primary Texts

The following is a list of primary documents that are relevant to governance in Canada and elsewhere.  Primary documents are those that are created directly for the purpose of governing and are, themselves, governing tools. For example, among the items listed here are the respective cabinet manuals that apply in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia. These documents help to bring clarity to the laws, rules, and constitutional conventions that apply to the operation of government. Canada does not have a cabinet manual, but Open and Accountable Government is a similar type of document.

The Constitution Acts, 1867- 1982

The Federalist Papers

Cabinet Manuals

Open and Accountable Government

Secondary Texts

The following is a collection of scholarly publications, media reports, and other commentaries relevant to the topic of governance. This list is focused primarily on Canada but includes some documents related to other jurisdictions. We group them according to sub-theme for ease of reference. This is not a comprehensive list of sources. We will continue to add to these lists as we become aware of relevant publications, and we welcome suggestions for sources to include.

1. Parliamentary Democracy and Governance

Bost, Marc and Andre Gagnon. 2017. “House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 3rd Edition.”  Available at: https://www.ourcommons.ca/procedure/procedure-and-practice-3/index-e.html

Canadian Parliamentary Review. Available at: http://www.revparlcan.ca/en/home/

2. Disinformation, Populism, and Governance.

Government of Canada. 2024. Countering Disinformation: A Guidebook for Public Servants. Available at: Countering Disinformation: A Guidebook for Public Servants – Democratic Institutions – Canada.ca

House of Commons. 2019. “Disinformation and ‘fake news’: Final Report.” Digital Culture Media and Sport Committee. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1791/1791.pdf

3. Collaborative Governance

Clement, Fiona and Michael Law. 2024. “National Pharmacare: Laying the Groundwork.” Institute for Research on Public Policy. Available at: https://irpp.org/research-studies/national-pharmacare-laying-the-groundwork/

4. The Future of Public Service Work

Government of Canada. 2023. “Deputy Ministers’ Task Team on Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council.” Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/publications/deputy-ministers-task-team-values-ethics-report-clerk-privy-council.html

Government of Canada. 2024. “Guide on the use of Generative AI.” Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/responsible-use-ai/guide-use-generative-ai.html

OECD. 2020. “The Future of Work in the Public Service.”Available at: https://www.oecd.org/gov/budgeting/the-future-of-work-in-the-public-service-2020.htm

Institute for Government. 2024. “Power with Purpose: Final Report of the Commission on the Centre of Government.” Available at: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/Centre-Commission-final-report.pdf

5. Public Governance Frameworks

OECD. 2018. “Draft Policy Framework on Sound Public Governance.” Available at: https://www.oecd.org/governance/policy-framework-on-sound-public-governance/draft-policy-framework-on-sound-public-governance.pdf

Good Governance Institute. 2019. “Modern Governance in the Public Sector: The First Report from the National Commission on the Future of Governance in the Public Sector.” Available at: https://www.good-governance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GGI-NatComm-Phase1-FrameworkReport-201119-Final-1.pdf