Current Projects

Projects Underway

Creating a Framework for Comparison of Municipal Finance within Complex Systems of Local Governance in Canada and England

This project synthesizes existing knowledge concerning municipal finance systems in England and Canada using a complex adaptive system (CAS) framework. The objective is to improve understanding of the complexity of municipal finance and to aid comparison of municipal finance within broader systems of governance, and across international jurisdictions. Proponents of alternative approaches to finance rarely account for the variations in different jurisdictions’ systems of governance and how they shape municipal financing, making effective comparison difficult. And, while stakeholders associated with public funding in both England and Canada often refer to the ‘municipal finance system’, or associated governance systems in debate, it is rare for any analysis of the system itself, or to consider reforms or policy interventions from the point of view of the system. This project develops the knowledge base necessary for such analysis of municipal finance systems to be undertaken.

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