Navigating Canada’s Path to Evidence-Informed Decision-Making

At Evidence for Democracy (E4D), we believe that a strong democracy requires governments to make policy decisions informed by the best available evidence. In the face of several challenges, ranging from climate change to public health crises, it is clear that the need for evidence-informed decision-making has never been more important. 

Yet, integrating evidence into policy-making is not easy. Decision-makers have to navigate competing interests, time restraints, and limited resources, all while trying to make informed choices that serve the common good. For over a decade, we have been working towards placing evidence at the heart of public policy — and we have not been alone in doing so.

Over the years, we have seen an increase in both political and public demand for evidence-informed decision-making. In fact, mandate letters issued to federal Ministers over the last decade have called for “continued collaboration, engagement, and the use of science and evidence-based decision-making.” 

The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the need for evidence to be at the decision-making table, putting a glaring spotlight on the decision-making machinery in Canada. Never before has the public been so collectively aware of the need for evidence in action, both in government policies and in our daily lives. The pandemic also illustrated the public’s struggle to comprehend the reasoning behind specific policy choices and the intricate use of evidence throughout the decision-making process. The manner in which governments communicated with the public, marked by a lack of clarity, coherence, and evidence, significantly chipped away at public trust.

Importantly, our recent public polling, in collaboration with Leger, showed that 49% of Canadians were dissatisfied with the transparency of factors influencing policy decisions. Eight in 10 wanted to see the key evidence used in decision-making. This showed that Canadians not only valued evidence but also wanted more transparency around the evidence in policy and decision-making. It’s clear: there is a public demand for evidence, and transparency is no longer a “nice-to-have” but a must.

What Does Transparency in Decision-Making Look Like in Canada Today? 

Transparency is a hard ideal to achieve, in part because there is little agreement on what it means in practice. Over the past two decades, transparency has been a hot topic in Canadian politics, crossing party lines. The previous federal Conservative government, under Stephen Harper, included government accountability as a core tenant in their 2006 campaign and, upon being elected, passed legislation to increase transparency around government spending, lobbying, and ethics. However, Harper’s government was also heavily criticized for its lack of transparency, specifically around the ability of scientists and the public service to communicate with the public and the media. This era became known as the “War on Science” and was later challenged by significant unrest and protests by the science community.

In response to this, the challenging Liberal candidates, headed by Justin Trudeau, included calls for transparency and evidence-based decision-making as a part of their 2015 election campaign. After being elected, several actions were taken to safeguard science and improve transparency, such as enabling government scientists to speak freely to the media, implementing a model integrity policy for public servants, and continuing work on open data and open science, which was initially started by the Harper government. However, Trudeau’s government has received criticism for its lack of follow-through on campaign promises surrounding transparency, including the lack of changes to the Access to Information Act and several ethics inquiries. Additionally, concerns around scientific integrity are still prevalent, and recent research suggests that there are still high levels of interference in the ability of federal scientists to speak freely to the public. 

Most discussions around government transparency surround “reactive” measures to release internal government documents and highlight the difficulty in obtaining them via the Access to Information Act (ATIA). Conversely, the process of implementing transparency practices at the translation of evidence into policy offers a much more “proactive” approach to this underlying problem of transparency. 

Imagine this: what if transparency meant that citizens are able to tell what their government is trying to do and why? 

This seems like a reasonable expectation, and yet, from the sidelines, it’s often hard for the public to understand what considerations go into policy decisions. When evidence is transparent and readily available, it empowers the public to think critically and determine if they feel the government is responding to their concerns. In this sense, transparency then offers the public a mechanism for accountability since they can decide whether they agree with the decisions shaping their lives. This plays into building public trust in democratic institutions and increases participation in the political system. 

What are the Challenges When It Comes to the Use of Evidence in Decision-Making? 

Over the past few years, E4D has been leading research to assess the transparency of evidence use in decision-making in Canada. To get a complete picture, we adapted a framework from the United Kingdom to evaluate whether the evidence behind policy decisions be found by the lay public. For each policy, we asked: what do policymakers know about the issue? What is the government’s chosen action, and why? How and when will we know if the policy has worked? 

When extending this work into a Canadian context, we analyzed a total of 100 federal and 133 provincial policies. Across the board, our assessments were shockingly poor: policies scored low on the transparency of evidence usage. In most cases, no citation or evidence was provided for evidence that was mentioned in a policy. This means that it’s very difficult for members of the public to find the evidence behind government policy. 

Outside the government, we’ve found that it’s difficult to ascertain what the internal barriers are to implementing transparency in policy-making. For example, there may be cases where the transparency of evidence usage in policy-making falls short due to necessary confidentiality or crisis-time circumstances. In fact, in speaking with public servants across the Canadian federation, we learned that there are various challenges to contend with, ranging from communication practices (e.g., supporting evidence is typically not the focus in policy announcements) to broader challenges around government culture and processes (e.g., there is a culture of risk aversion, and public servants often lack the time and resources needed to analyze and synthesize policy-relevant evidence).

What Happens When Governments Aren’t Transparent? 

Transparency acts as a check on government power and control by ensuring that officials are held accountable for their actions. When transparency is missing, the consequences can have serious, negative impacts on democracy and public trust. Ultimately, when citizens feel that decisions are made behind closed doors or that information is being withheld, their trust in public institutions is compromised. This lack of openness breeds skepticism and cynicism about the government’s intentions, especially when decisions don’t seem to be based on the best evidence or public interest.

When citizens are left out of the decision-making process, it can lead to social unrest and division. Protests, demonstrations, and polarization are common when people feel unheard and ignored, weakening democratic institutions. Additionally, without clear and honest communication, misinformation and even disinformation can spread. This makes it even harder for citizens to make informed decisions about their lives and who they vote for. All these issues can stall innovation, hinder progress, and damage Canada’s reputation on the global stage, highlighting why transparency is essential for a healthy democracy.

How can Canada Be a Leader in Transparency and Accountability in Policy-Making? 

Canada has the potential to emerge as a global leader in transparency in policy-making, but it needs a clear strategy to get there. We recently saw an optimistic first step in this direction with the release of the Treasury Board of Canada’s Trust and Transparency Strategy. This plan aims to create a culture of openness, update policies to improve transparency and accountability, and encourage meaningful public involvement in government decisions. 

However, while this top-down strategy sets the stage, there are still challenges to making transparency a reality within the federal government. Our research shows that public servants want to lead the way in improving transparency practices but often lack the tools and resources to do so. Investment in training and resources will be essential to help government officials effectively communicate evidence and maintain high standards of openness. At E4D, we are committed to supporting this shift by developing a best practices toolkit on enhancing transparency in policy-making, which will be available later this year. This toolkit will empower federal employees and promote a culture of accountability, leading to increased public trust and participation in our democracy. 

Ultimately, by focusing on transparency, Canada can set a global example for evidence-informed decision-making and strong democratic governance.