We bring rigorous economic analysis to the problems governments and civil society organizations actually face — from program design to policy reform to expert testimony. Here is how we work.
Our engagements range from short advisory mandates to multi-year co-designed research programs. All of our work is grounded in rigorous economic analysis — and all of it is designed to produce findings that can actually be acted on.
Rigorous, evidence-based analysis of tax and transfer policy questions — delivered in forms that serve decision makers, not just academic audiences. We produce technical reports, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed research that travels.
Systematic evaluation of income support and social programs — examining design, delivery, interaction effects, and distributional outcomes. We map how programs operate as systems, not just individually, including barriers to access for marginalized groups.
Credible, independent expert analysis for legislative committees, government panels, tribunals, and courts. We have appeared before the Senate and House of Commons Standing Committees, served on expert panels, and provided expert witness testimony in legal proceedings.
Long-form research partnerships where governments, civil society organizations, and affected communities are collaborators from the beginning — not just end users. We design the research questions together, ensuring findings are grounded, usable, and relevant from day one.
Quantitative modelling of the fiscal and distributional impacts of tax and transfer reforms — who gains, who loses, and by how much. We have built basic income simulations for BC and Nunavut, and distributional analyses of property tax and personal income tax changes.
Accessible, evidence-grounded public presentations on tax policy, income security, and fiscal reform for professional associations, government retreats, conferences, and public forums. We make complex policy analysis intelligible without dumbing it down.
Translating rigorous research into forms that reach beyond academic audiences — policy briefs, op-eds, interactive data tools, media engagement, and public testimony. We communicate findings to legislators, journalists, civil society, and the public without sacrificing analytical precision. Our work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Macleans, Policy Options, and before parliamentary and Senate committees.
We don't default to one method. We use the analytical approach that best fits the research question — whether that means building a microsimulation model, conducting stakeholder interviews, or combining both. Our quantitative work includes econometric estimation, distributional analysis, and working with large-scale administrative data from Statistics Canada, provincial and territorial governments, and municipal partners. Where the question calls for it, we pair that with qualitative methods to capture what the numbers alone can't.
What stays constant is our commitment to rigor, transparency, and research that accounts for how policy actually operates — including the institutional context, the delivery infrastructure, and the people the policy is meant to serve.
We never sacrifice research quality for a client deadline or a convenient conclusion. Our commissioned work is held to the same standards as our academic research — designed to withstand peer scrutiny, and published in peer-reviewed outlets wherever possible so the evidence base remains open and contestable. When you engage us, you get findings you can defend.
The following examples illustrate the range of engagements we take on — across governments, scales, and policy domains. All work is conducted in accordance with University of Calgary research ethics and policies.
We work with governments, civil society organisations, and research partners across Canada. Reach out directly — we read our email.