We provide a range of policy services to support government and civic organizations. From insightful planning exercises to long-form public deliberations, we design participatory processes that bring more people to the table and bridge the distance between citizens and their governments.

Whether it is meeting the demands of an aging society or the imperatives of strengthening transit infrastructure, we are routinely trusted by our clients with high-value, high-stakes policy challenges. To meet these challenges, we specialize in three areas: strategy, public engagement and research and we provide a comprehensive range of services to support each.  Our goal is always to create greater clarity for our clients so they can make decisions that enjoy public confidence and support.  

Download our work history

MASS LBP is a pre-qualified vendor of record with the governments of British Columbia, Ontario and Canada.

2017

  • Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure:
    Long-Term Infrastructure Plan Stakeholder Roundtables
  • Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development: Student Advisory Council
  • Ontario Association of Children’s Rehabilitation Services: Policy Summit
  • Government of Canada: Federal Expert Panel on Youth Employment
  • Trans Canada Trail Foundation 2018-2022 Strategic Plan
  • Greater Toronto Airports Authority: Toronto Pearson Residents’ Reference Panel on Airport Growth and Noise Fairness
  • Canada Health Infoway: Better Health Together Workshop
  • St Michael's Hospital: Essential Medicines Workshop
  • Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport: 2017 Ontario Sport Symposium
  • Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations: Policy Exchange 2017
  • City of Toronto: Planning Review Panel
  • Metrolinx: Residents’ Reference Panel on the Regional Transportation Plan
  • St. Michael’s Hospital: Patient, Family, and Community Engagement Evaluation
  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation: Canada's Drug Futures Forum
  • Duncan-North Cowichan Citizens’ Assembly on Municipal Amalgamation
  • Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care: Patient and Family Advisory Panel Recruitment and Selection

2016

  • City of Lethbridge Citizens' Assembly on Councillor Employment and Compensation
  • Community Foundations of Canada: 150 Alliance Roadshow
  • City of Toronto: Old City Hall Public Consultation
  • Citizens' Reference Panel on Pharmacare in Canada
  • Region of Peel Governance Review
  • St. Joseph’s Health Centre Recognition Program
  • Vulnerable Persons Standard
  • Canadian Race Relations Foundation Living Together Symposia
  • Health Quality Ontario Patient Engagement Framework
  • City of Brampton’s Council and City Leaders Engagement Workshop
  • St. Michael’s Hospital Residents Health Services Panel
  • St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team Patient Design Session
  • Toronto Central LHIN Patients First Proposal Public Consultation
  • Toronto Central LHIN Primary Care Transitions Physician Engagement
  • Ontario 2016 Sport Symposium
  • Toronto Supervised Injection Services Community Consultations
  • St. James Park Masterplan and Site Improvements Consultation Process
  • Consultation Process for the Redevelopment of Facilities and Public Space in Moss Park
  • People for Education Stakeholder Measuring What Matters Summit

2015

  • 150 Alliance 150
  • Calgary Commission on Municipal Infrastructure 
  • Inspirit Conference: Change Up 
  • Local Health Integration Network’s Ontario Wide Patient Engagement Survey 
  • Metrolinx Residents’ Reference Panel on the Davenport Community Rail Overpass 
  • OHA Health Achieve Tune up
  • Plexxus Environmental Scan 
  • Public/Patient Engagement Training Institute and Patient Advisory Council
  • Scarborough Hospital Engagement and Place-making Strategy
  • The Citizens’ Reference Panel on the Mental Health Action Plan for Canada 
  • Toronto Arts Council Strategic Plan 
  • Toronto Central LHIN Health Equity Roadmap Development 
  • Toronto Planning Review Panel 
  • Town of Whitby Food Truck By-Law Review 
  • Trans Canada Trail Futures

2014

  • Grandview-Woodland Community Plan Citizens’ Assembly
  • Halton Region Citizens’ Reference Panel on Strategic Priorities 
  • PEI 2014 New Canada Conference
  • Port Hope Radioactive Waste Remediation Community Liaison Groups 
  • Residents’ Reference Panel on Supervised Injection Services 
  • Residents’ Review Panel for the LHIN Patient Experience Survey 
  • Review of the Quality of Care Information Protection Act, 2004: Patient & Family Engagement
  • St. Joseph’s Health Centre Community Reference Panel

2013

  • BC Services Card User Panel
  • CAMH Next Leaders Program
  • Canadian Urban Transit Association Symposium 
  • CBC 2017 Starts Now Conferences 
  • CBC Corporate Engagement Strategy
  • Metrolinx: Residents’ Reference Panel on Regional Transportation Investment 
  • Metrolinx: The Big Move Public Roundtables 
  • OHA Conference Engagement Review 
  • Prince Edward County Civic Lottery 
  • Second Generation Health System Strategy for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside 
  • Wagemark Foundation

2012

  • Calgary Arts Development Strategy Citizens’ Reference Panel
  • City of Pickering Engagement Strategy
  • ImagiNation 150 Municipal Planning Handbook
  • Metrolinx: Big Move Transit Investment Conversation Kit
  • Next10 Volunteerism in Ontario Survey
  • OHA National Nursing Executive Summit 
  • Port Hope Radioactive Waste Remediation Community Liaison Groups
  • Quetico Foundation Board Renewal Strategy 
  • Reluctant Radicals (Counterpoint)
  • Residents’ Workshops on Halton’s Affordable Housing Strategy
  • The Residents’ Panel to Review the Condominium Act 
  • TransCanada Trail Strategic Plan
  • Transition to Early Years Programming 
  • United Way Strategic Plan Public and Stakeholder Consultation 
  • YMCA Canada Annual General Meeting
  • YMCA Redevelopment Engagement Handguide 
  • YMCA Brand Camp
  • Canadian Nurses Association Expert Commission Public Consultation
  • Citizens’ Reference Panel on Ontario Health Services 
  • Future Fund Evaluation Survey

2011

  • Halton Community Investment Fund Review 
  • Halton Region Citizens’ Reference Panel on Strategic Priorities 
  • Hamilton Citizens’ Reference Panel on Cultural Policy and Planning
  • Holding a Better Public Meeting Handbook 
  • Metrolinx Public and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy for Regional Transportation Planning
  • Middle East and North Africa YAANI Policy Lab (British Council)
  • NRTEE: Climate Prosperity Public Engagement Strategy
  • OHA National Nursing Executive Summit 
  • Partnership Project Non-profit Sector Survey 
  • PEI2014 Winter Forum 
  • Saskatchewan Trail Completion Summit 
  • TCHC Tenant Communications Strategy & Tenants’ Reference Panel
  • The Ottawa Hospital Patients' Reference Panel on Clinical Services Transformation 
  • Toronto Arts Strategy Consultation
  • Toronto Residents’ Reference Panel on Household Income 
  • Understanding Alternate Level of Care 
  • YMCA Canada Annual General Meeting

 

2010

  •  150!Canada Conference 
  • ArtSmarts Strategic Plan
  • Citizens’ Advisory Panel on Clinical Hospital Services Distribution Plan
  • Developing a Strategic Vision for the TCHC Youth Council 
  • Explosives and the Environment: A Public Deliberation (Civic Lottery)
  • Mayor’s Citizen Advisory Committee on Civic Engagement 
  • North York East Local Immigration Partnership Community Engagement Refresh 
  • Ontario Youth Matter Youth Advisory Council 
  • Politics of Participation: Learning from Canada’s Centennial Year 
  • TransCanada Trail National Leadership Roundtable 
  • Ward 5 Citizens’ Workshop Series 
  • Waterloo-Wellington’s CCAC Engagement Strategy 
  • YMCA Canada Annual General Meeting 
  • YMCA Canada Strategic Plan 
  • Biobanking in BC: A Deliberative Public Consultation 
  • Central LHIN Citizens’ Reference Panel on Regional Health Priorities

2009

  • ENGAGE 2009: Workshop on Health Services and Integration Planning & Citizens’ Reference Panel on Regional Health Priorities 
  • Engaging with impact: Targets and indicators for successful community engagement by Ontario’s Local Health Integration Networks 
  • Feasibility Study for an Ontario School of Social Entrepreneurs 
  • MH LHIN Citizens’ Reference Panel on Regional Health Priorities 
  • Northumberland Hills Hospital Citizens’ Advisory Panel on Health Service Prioritization
  • Provincial-Municipal Fiscal Service Delivery Review Evaluation

2008

  • Citizens’ Reference Panel on Health Technologies (Civic Lottery)
  • Ignite the Americas: International Youth Arts Forum 
  • Offline Engagement: How Young Canadians Can Contribute to Making Better Public Policy 
  • SE LHIN Citizens’ Regional Health Assembly 
  • Sorted: Civic Lotteries and the Future of Public Participation 

SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE

Democratic dividend

If poor choices and a feeling of powerlessness contributes to a democratic deficit, we believe good processes can and should pay a democratic dividend. For individuals, this dividend includes a expanded sense of voice, agency and personal efficacy. For societies, it includes greater mutual awareness and cohesion, allowing it to overcome divisions.

Democratic fitness

More than civic literacy, we believe in democratic fitness — the readiness and capacity of all people to play an active and empathic role in the governance and life of their community. We believe good democratic processes are essential to achieving democratic fitness, and that good government should work the maximize the democratic fitness of its citizens.

Devolving out

Governments tend to think that decision-making authority travels on a single axis: up towards a strong central executive or down to lower orders of government like a local council. But governments have an another option: devolving out policy choices in order to solicit direction and advice from residents and stakeholders. 

WHAT WE DO

1. We are reinventing public consultation

MASS is best known for its innovative approach to public engagement and consultation. First, we believe that public consultation is a form of cultural production. Success depends on the design choices our clients make when they create opportunities for members of the public to interact with and advise government.  Since 2007, we have conducted twenty-five major reference panels, citizens’ assemblies and commissions for government, tackling some of the toughest and most divisive issues in public policy today. We also routinely host national, provincial and regional conversations, inviting Canadians to think about their country's future and their priorities for investment and reform.

Creating publics: Introducing the Civic Lottery

Working with Canada Post, MASS mails tens of thousands of Canadian households each year inviting residents to volunteer to serve on one of several reference panels or commission. Civic Lotteries produce random-representative cohorts that contain a wide range of perspectives and can speak for their communities. MASS is a global leader in the use of sortition to engage citizens in democratic processes.

Convening publics: Introducing the Reference Panel

Reference Panels are typically comprised of thirty-six randomly-selected residents who meet over several days to advise government on a specific policy issue. With an explicit mandate, these panels provide a deliberative forum in each to learn about a complex issue from leading experts and with the assistance of trained facilitators, find common ground. MASS has pioneered the design and use of Reference Panels to inform public policy choices in Canada.

2. We develop ambitious strategies that enjoy public support

Strategy isn't only about getting from A to B. Much as we might like to pretend, when it comes to aligning divergent priorities, or getting clear about an organization's core values, there are no straight lines. This is especially true for public sector organizations which work to juggle changing political contexts, fiscal constraints, and the competing interests of stakeholders and communities. We work with our clients develop strategies for organizations that are serious about change.  We approach strategy as a collaborative process that helps to establish priorities and new goals.  We want to help our clients to raise their sights, strengthen their relationships, and reach agreement from first principles. Currently, our Strategy Practice works in two fields: first, to develop multi-year strategic plans and secondly, to develop engagement strategies that assist organizations to better integrate effective engagement techniques within existing governance and communications frameworks.
 

3. We deliver solid research that shapes good choices

MASS provides policy-related research services to clients across many sectors. We routinely conduct wide-ranging environmental scans, prepare case studies and provocation papers, interview experts and stakeholders, commission essays from thoughtleaders and host workshops to review our findings or carry a discussion forward. Whatever the approach, our clients turn to us to provide insight, creativity and breadth, and to provide clear evidence and strong examples they can use to make their case. Using our knowledge of different policy areas and the state-of-play in different jurisdictions we help our clients to map out what's possible.