Policy Research
SPR has conducted many projects to inform or develop government
policies, including policy studies, literature reviews, international reviews,
Delphi studies and related analyses.
- Policy Analysis: Renewing Ontario's Recreation-Nature Trails Strategy (for
the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport); Assessing the Capacity of Sport and Recreation in the Not-for-Profit Sector in
Ontario (for the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport); Review of Policy Issues in Child Development (for Human
Resources Development Canada); Study of the Costs and Benefits of
For-profit Versus Not-for-profit Child Care (for The House of Commons
Special Committee on Child Care); and Study of Shelter
Allowances as an approach to housing low-income families (for the Ontario
Ministry of Housing).
- Literature Reviews: Review of Shared Equity Housing Finance Models in Canada and the US (for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation);
review of literature for the Year Three Evaluation of the Canadian
Strategy on HIV/AIDS (for Health Canada); retirement issues for
an Evaluation of Public and Private Incentives for Retirement (for
Human Resources Development Canada); Review of Literature on
Inter-City Transportation (for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation); and Review of the Literature on Sports Injuries (for the
Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation).
- International Reviews: examination of
international experiences in youth exchanges for a Strategic Review of
Youth Exchanges (for Canadian Heritage); Study of
Public Disability Pensions in Six Countries (for Human Resources
Development Canada); Study of Homeownership Policies in Six
Countries (for the Ontario Ministry of Housing); and Review
of the Future Prospects of International Trade Fairs (for External Affairs
Canada).
- Delphi Studies: Study to forecast future
directions for international expositions for an Evaluation of Canada's Participation at EXPO
2000 (for Canadian Heritage); and a Delphi study to
assess future directions for the National Longitudinal Survey of
Children (for Human Resources Development Canada).
- Computer Simulations and Models:
research to estimate quality of decisions to award pensions for the Canada
Pension Plan (Disability Component); research to estimate an "actualization line" (inverted
poverty line) for persons with disabilities; and examination of patterns of
Federal-Provincial cost-sharing, in relation to the Ontario Work Incentives
Program.