Our Focus
The School of Public Policy provides a practical, global and focused perspective on public policy analysis and practice in four focus areas:
- Social Policy and Health
- Energy and Environmental Policy
- Fiscal and Economic Policy
- International Policy and Trade
We have created a framework of programs within each area to address specific policy issues confronting business and government.
Social Policy and Health
The goal of our Social Policy and Health program is to improve the lives of Canadians by employing an objective, evidence-based approach to assessing existing and proposed public policies. Our goal is to identify practical solutions that cut through rhetoric designed to polarize debate and freeze policymakers into inaction.
We apply this approach in two policy areas:
Energy & Environmental Policy
Through disciplined research and analysis, the Energy and Environmental Policy research division provides practical solutions to Canada’s challenging energy and environmental policy problems. We inject evidence into policy debates, and engage with decision makers, stakeholders and the public to create a forum meaningful dialogue among different perspectives.
The research division has five priority areas:
• Canadian Network for Energy Policy Research and Analysis
• Energy Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
Fiscal and Economic Policy
The Fiscal and Economic Policy Research Division contributes economic, fiscal, and social policy expertise rooted in an understanding of evidence that is more cognizant of heterogeneity and intersectionality, while also being attentive to systems and structures of power, to support inclusive economic growth while advancing and shaping discourse in this area.
Fiscal and Economic Policy has research projects under several topic areas:
International Policy and Trade
The School collaborated with leaders in business, government and academia to develop a practical program of international policy studies focused on security and defence as well as the economics of international policy, particularly issues related to trade.
To achieve this objective, the School has two priority areas focused on creating maximum benefit for Canada in terms of the expansion and security of our international relationships: