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Municipal Pathways Towards Digital Government: Ontario’S Municipal Modernization Program And The Determinants Of Technology Adoption, Owen Jaggard
MPA Major Research Papers
Ontario’s municipalities exist at various stages of e-government adoption. Municipalities are faced with the challenge of adopting new technologies to meet expanding services demands. Both municipalities and the Provincial government face the challenge of developing policies to support information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption. Understanding the unique determinants of technology adoption can assist with this policy making. The study answers how organizational factors affect ICT adoption in small and rural municipalities; and how Ontario’s municipal modernization funding interacts with these determinants. The study examines the determinants of ICT adoption for ICT policies, online services, and electronic records management systems. Focusing …
The Financial And Environmental Viability Of Municipally Operated Hybrid Ambulance Fleets In Ontario: Calculating The Return-On-Investment Of Hybrid Ambulance Assets In Oxford County From 2017-2021, Stephen Edwards
MPA Major Research Papers
On October 26, 2017 Oxford County became the first municipality in Canada to deploy gasoline-electric hybrid ambulances as part of their Community Sustainability Plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting low-carbon transportation. The Oxford solution utilizes aftermarket hybrid electric-gasoline propulsion systems that leverage two primary technologies: regenerative braking, which uses the inertia of the vehicle to store energy in a battery cell during deceleration; and acceleration assist, which uses this stored energy to assist propulsion of the vehicle during acceleration events and thereby reduces gasoline consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Due to high demand for aftermarket hybrid propulsion …
Examining Connected And Automated Vehicle (Cav) Policy In Ontario: A Modified Multiple Streams Framework Analysis, James Scott
Examining Connected And Automated Vehicle (Cav) Policy In Ontario: A Modified Multiple Streams Framework Analysis, James Scott
MPA Major Research Papers
This research paper utilizes Kingdon’s (1984) Multiple Streams Framework to systematically analyze influential agenda-setting variables in the policy domain of connected and automated vehicles (CAV) in Ontario, Canada. The paper also leverages the Five Stream Confluence Model, a model which builds on the Multiple Streams Framework and is designed by Howlett et al. (2015) to analyze policy formation. The two foundational research questions that will guide the overall direction of this paper are: (1) What influenced Ontario to be the first province in Canada to legislate connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) in 2015? (2) Have influential agenda-setting variables translated through …
Preparing Communities For The Golden Years: Approaches For Developing Age-Friendly Communities For Seniors, Shivi Darubra
Preparing Communities For The Golden Years: Approaches For Developing Age-Friendly Communities For Seniors, Shivi Darubra
MPA Major Research Papers
The heterogeneous nature of aging has led policymakers to reconsider how seniors are impacted by localized decision-making and implementation efforts (Remillard-Boilard, 2018). Forecasted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of seniors (60+) is expected to reach over two billion worldwide, surpassing the number of children being born across the world for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2006). To better address the local challenges faced by the aging population, WHO devised an Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) framework to guide urban communities into redesigning policy and intervention models to better reflect the needs of seniors while also allowing …
Streamlining Information Technology Services In Local Government, Michael Ben
Streamlining Information Technology Services In Local Government, Michael Ben
MPA Major Research Papers
This research paper examines the outcome of the City of Toronto's Shared Services foundation project. Drawing on the lessons learned from previous shared services projects at the City, it aims to answer the question: "What factors promote or discourage shared services between a local government and its agencies?" The paper conducts a systematic literature review with the aim of discovering a candidate set of factors that promote or discourage participation in shared services between a local government and its agencies. It then uses the literature review to explore the potential for future shared services between the City of Toronto and …
Building A Smart City: Insights And Perspectives From The Winners Of Smart City Challenge, Andi Maloku
Building A Smart City: Insights And Perspectives From The Winners Of Smart City Challenge, Andi Maloku
MPA Major Research Papers
When Canadian Government launched smart city initiative over 130 municipalities, large and small have submitted their innovative ideas. On May 14, 2019, the four winners of the Canadian Smart Cities Challenge were announced in Ottawa: Town of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia winning $5M Prize Category; the Nunavut Communities, Nunavut winning $10M Prize Category; the City of Guelph and Wellington County, Ontario winning $10M Prize Category and the City of Montréal, Quebec winning $50M Prize Category. This paper focuses on these four cities by exploring two main research questions: (1) what does “smart cities” mean for Canadian municipalities; and, (2) what are …
Digital Strategies In Local Government: Private Sector And Early Adopters Lessons Learned, Robert Delorme
Digital Strategies In Local Government: Private Sector And Early Adopters Lessons Learned, Robert Delorme
MPA Major Research Papers
In recent years, both the public and private sectors have been using digital strategies, which represent an integration of business and technology plans in an organization. This paper investigates the early adoption of digital strategies in the public sector at the local government level using case studies for southern Ontario that focus on existing academic and practice-based literature, along with documented government adoptions of digital strategies to identify trends and issues. The findings support the private sector lessons and further indicate that there is little consistency in approach, methodology, or stage of digital strategy implementation within the public sector. Research …
Driving Decision-Making: An Analysis Of Policy Diffusion And Its Role In The Development And Implementation Of Ridesharing Regulations In Four Canadian Municipalities, Lisa Shields
MPA Major Research Papers
Throughout the world, ridesharing services compete with the highly regulated taxicab industry and governments have been compelled by various interest groups to address the regulatory uncertainty that has resulted from the emergence of the sharing economy. This paper examines the literature on policy diffusion and applies the relevant concepts to explain the proliferation of ridesharing regulations in Canada. It chronicles the experiences of four large Canadian municipalities – Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, and Toronto – and it documents the similarities in the regulatory frameworks adopted by these municipalities and other North American jurisdictions where transportation network companies are regulated. The research …
Transitioning The Canadian Democratic System Into The Era Of Digital Governance: A Longitudinal Study Of First Time Online Voting And Voter Turnout In Ontario Municipalities, Chris Bantock
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the relationship between online voting and voter turnout rates in Ontario municipalities. It uses a longitudinal research design to collect election data from municipalities that used online voting for the first time in 2014, which is compared to election data from the 2010 Ontario municipal elections, and it also uses a survey that was administered to the Clerks Department of randomly selected municipalities. The findings reveal a statistically proven relationship between online voting and increased voter turnout in Ontario municipalities.
Open Data And Big Data Programs In Local Government Policy Analysis, Susan Chase
Open Data And Big Data Programs In Local Government Policy Analysis, Susan Chase
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the development of policy around the open data programs for local government. Through a literature review, a survey of large municipalities in Ontario, and in-depth interviews, the research attempts to identify if there are factors that ensure whether the policy development process is more likely to be implemented along with the program or if there is a lack of policy development as a result of it. The findings reveal a definite lack of policy development with the open data program, which is likely due to the challenge for policy makers to ensure appropriate access and privacy protection, …
Explaining Social Media Variation: An Analysis Of Internal Municipal Factors That Shape Canadian Municipal Websites, Julien Patel
Explaining Social Media Variation: An Analysis Of Internal Municipal Factors That Shape Canadian Municipal Websites, Julien Patel
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper explains the variations in social media features on Canadian municipal websites by measuring internal characteristics of key municipal administrators. The research process used a questionnaire to measure administrators’ attitudes towards engagement and municipal corporations’ capacity to improve websites moving forward. The results of the survey are contrasted with a dataset that scores each respondent’s municipality using predetermined criteria. Representatives from 43 Canadian municipalities agreed to participate in the study. The findings reveal that age, citizen pressure to provide online services, and engagement efforts with local stakeholders significantly explain a proportion of variation in municipal social media features.
E-Governance On Ontario Municipal Websites: Exploring The Development Of E-Governance Tools Used By Ontario Municipal Planning Departments, Spencer Sandor
E-Governance On Ontario Municipal Websites: Exploring The Development Of E-Governance Tools Used By Ontario Municipal Planning Departments, Spencer Sandor
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines whether there are patterns to the adoption of e-Governance tools on Ontario municipal websites, with a specific focus on whether the adoption follows a hierarchical pattern based on intended engagement outcomes. The planning department sections of 160 websites for municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 500,000 were searched for a list of 15 online tools that were selected following a literature review of the various uses of online tools. The findings illustrate a number of statistically significant relationships, suggesting that there is a hierarchical pattern to tool adoption. In addition, the results demonstrate a relationship between the …
Gov 2.0: Exploring The Use Of Web 2.0 Tools By Local Government In Southwestern Ontario, Chandra Dougall
Gov 2.0: Exploring The Use Of Web 2.0 Tools By Local Government In Southwestern Ontario, Chandra Dougall
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines how local governments in Ontario are using Web 2.0 technologies, with a specific focus on whether or not Web 2.0 is being used by local government as a medium for citizen engagement. It uses interviews to uncover whether or not the selected municipalities in Southwestern Ontario are using social media for citizen engagement purposes, in addition to a policy review of their social media policies. The six municipalities that were selected include: South Huron, London, Dufferin County, Kitchener, Central Elgin, and one municipality that chose to remain anonymous. The findings reveal that municipalities in Southwestern Ontario are …
The Progression Of Open Data Initiatives In Canadian Municipalities: The Evolution Of E-Government Services And Its Relationship To An Emerging Movement, David Crozier
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the rationale for why local governments develop open data programs. Interviews were conducted with officials from six Canadian municipalities involved in open data projects – Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, London, Nanaimo, and Medicine Hat – and two community members from Vancouver and London who have played an important role in these developments. The findings reveal that both municipal officials and citizens have a strong desire for open data but the movement has progressed slowly and there are several areas in which it can improve.
Citizen Participation In The Digital Age: An Evaluation Of The Potential Of A Website To Encourage Community Involvement In School Board Issues, Scott Chambers
Citizen Participation In The Digital Age: An Evaluation Of The Potential Of A Website To Encourage Community Involvement In School Board Issues, Scott Chambers
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the potential for school board websites to engage the public by promoting a greater understanding of school board issues and accepting feedback and recommendations from the local community. An analysis of school board websites in Ontario was conducted to measure the effectiveness of existing websites as a method for communication. The findings reveal that until school boards provide an incentive for citizens to visit their websites on a regular basis, they will not become a strong way to connect to the community.
Interorganizational Networking In The Local Government Sector: Case Study Of The Municom Network, Geoffrey Singer
Interorganizational Networking In The Local Government Sector: Case Study Of The Municom Network, Geoffrey Singer
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the potential implications of information and communication technologies on interorganizational relations in the local government sector based on a case study of the Municom Network, which was designed to electronically link Ontario municipalities. The findings reveal that the Municom Network could be an important addition in strengthening interorganizational relationships in the future, as it provides a number of useful tools for direct communication, it is an efficient and powerful means of keeping municipal practitioners updated on events that affect their organization, and it serves as a central repository of municipal information.