Policy labs, partners and policy effectiveness in Canada

Upon election in 2015, the Justin Trudeau Liberal government announced its intention to transform government operations by bringing nonprofit and private sector partners into the center of public sector decision making through new structures such as Policy Hubs and Innovation labs. These collaborative arrangements were intended to yield the benefits of Michael Barber's theory of deliverology by breaking through the public sector aversion to risk and change and by creating new spaces for devising effective solutions to the increasingly complex social and economic challenges facing government. A preliminary examination of the use of policy hubs and innovation labs in Canada between 2015 and 2020 indicates that the results have been mixed for the nonprofit sector partners. Collaborative relations have offered nonprofit sector partners new opportunities and access to influence policy decisions. However, this influence also poses risks to their independence, legitimacy and effectiveness as policy advocates. Both public and nonprofit sector partners in PILs should heed certain cautions in choosing future partnerships or they may find their ability to achieve meaningful policy change is limited.

Automated summary

Since 2015, the Canadian government has aimed to involve nonprofit and private sector partners in the core of public sector decision-making through structures like Policy Hubs and Innovation labs. This has had mixed results for nonprofit sector partners, offering them new opportunities to influence policy decisions but also posing risks to their independence and legitimacy as policy advocates. Both public and nonprofit sector partners need to be cautious in choosing future partnerships in order to achieve meaningful policy change.