Government

We are experts in citizen experience research, bringing in-depth understanding of municipal, provincial, and federal government policy and regulations, the issues Canadians face, and the services they receive. 

We look at research issues from the local citizen lens, applying our extensive experience, best practice, and proven question sets, while understanding the mandate, jurisdiction, and service provision of our government clients. Our inclusive research designs account for diverse populations by ensuring that data collection methods afford everyone the opportunity to provide their perspectives.

For elected officials and administration who have a duty to understand their citizens, our approach ensures Pivotal Research recommends evidence-based solutions that have a tangible impact on communities.

Involving members of the public in the agenda-setting, decision-making, and policy-shaping activities of government institutions is a crucial step when undertaking policy development. Encouraging a two-way dialogue and allowing the public to share their views on the way government operates builds trust and supports effective decisions.

When providing opportunities for residents to contribute their feedback on projects, programs, services, and organizational priorities, it’s helpful to have an experienced partner to assist with collecting that input in an equitable, timely and systematic way.

Through application of our inter-jurisdictional and cross-sectoral policy acumen, we provide essential support to our government clients, so they can undertake program, policy, and infrastructure reforms knowing they’re solving residents’ most critical needs.

The right information at the right time helps make good decisions and effective policy.

The collection of accurate information is the cornerstone of public policy development. While many forces are involved in shaping government policy, it is research and data analysis that provide the body of evidence necessary to justify decision-making. Good public policy emerges from, and relies on, an understanding of the public’s needs. Our research approach is solutions-focused and guided by curiosity. We bring passion to every project and excel at translating complex data into clear, thorough, and compelling reports with strong propositional policy ideas that meet mandates.

Program evaluation is a key priority for governments seeking to continuously improve their actions and public policy outcomes to meet citizen needs. At Pivotal Research, we have a track record of conducting multi-year program evaluations that assess the performance and effectiveness of policies, programs, and processes, identifying areas for potential improvement. We help our government clients assess what’s working and what’s not.

Whether evaluating a new service at the pilot stage or assessing the outcomes or impact of an ongoing program, Pivotal Research has the requisite experience and tools to help you report on outcomes to your stakeholders and the public. We operationalize the evidence base for product and service delivery excellence and innovation.

Our support of evaluation activities can include providing evidence-based pilot design considerations, developing logic models, facilitating evaluation workshops, providing formative feedback, and assessing uptake, usage, and impact of interventions.

Municipal Census counts can help a municipality understand the point-in-time count and distribution of population and dwellings within their boundaries.

The current iteration of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) uses population estimates for provincial funding purposes. There remains, however, the ability for a municipality to conduct a census within the MGA, and many good reasons to do so.  Pivotal Research maintains standards in census undertakings that meet all regulations and requirements.

Check out our Municipal Census Solution page to learn more about our proprietary technology-supported enumeration product.

The relationship between governments and residents is ever changing. The advent of virtual service delivery and digital resources, especially over the pandemic, has increased overall digital literacy across all demographics in urban and rural settings.

At Pivotal Research, we use research and stakeholder engagement designs to create meaningful, holistic, and human-centred digital transformation strategies for our government clients. We put the lived experiences of people in the digital landscape first, understanding that people, places, and processes need to be deeply understood to effectively plan for products and services in our emerging digital world.

That means our team of experts assess more than your readiness for digital transformation, we leverage research as a steppingstone to help you build evidence-based digital and technology tools that accelerate the speed of quality services and expand your reach, ultimately empowering innovation in your service to residents.