The Conference Board of Canada

The Conference Board of Canada
Name	The Conference Board of Canada
Formation	1954
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Type	Independent research organization
Region	Canada

The Conference Board of Canada The Conference Board of Canada is an independent, not-for-profit research institution headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, engaged in applied policy research and organizational performance analysis. It produces studies, indexes, and advisory services addressing Labour, Health, Public Policy, Trade, Finance, Innovation, and Sustainability across Canadian provinces, territories, and municipal jurisdictions. The institution engages with stakeholders including corporations, Crown corporations, think tanks, academic institutions, and international organizations to inform decision-making and benchmarking.

History

Founded in 1954 during a post-war period of industrial expansion, the organization emerged amid debates involving Lester B. Pearson, John Diefenbaker, Maurice Duplessis, St. Laurent, and regional business leaders. Early initiatives addressed productivity after influences from Marshall Plan reconstruction discussions and comparisons with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development practices. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s it expanded research into Labour relations, engaging with actors such as Canadian Labour Congress, Confederation of British Industry counterparts, and provincial authorities including Government of Ontario and Government of Quebec. In the 1980s and 1990s, the institution began producing economic outlooks comparable to reports by Bank of Canada, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank, while adapting methods used by RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution. Post-2000, agendas broadened to include Climate policy dialogues similar to those at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences and Innovation debates influenced by Sir Michael Porter frameworks.

Organization and Governance

Governance is overseen by a board of directors drawing from corporate executives, academic scholars, and public sector leaders such as deans from Rotman School of Management, presidents from University of Toronto, and CEOs from major firms like Royal Bank of Canada and Suncor Energy. Executive leadership has interacted with policy officials from Privy Council Office and senior managers formerly at Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. Advisory councils incorporate experts from institutions including McGill University, University of British Columbia, Queen's University, and think tanks like C.D. Howe Institute and Fraser Institute. The organization maintains internal divisions for Research, Economics, Human Resources, and Sustainability, staffed by analysts trained in methods from Harvard Kennedy School and London School of Economics.

Research Areas and Programs

Programs encompass Labour market and Workforce development studies referencing data from Statistics Canada and trends observed by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Health system performance comparisons aligned with analyses by Canadian Institute for Health Information, and Public finance evaluations paralleling work at International Monetary Fund. Other streams include Trade and Globalization with ties to World Trade Organization discourse, Energy and Environment analyses informed by International Energy Agency methodologies, and Innovation and Productivity studies building on theories of Joseph Schumpeter and Michael Porter. Sectoral research examines Banking and Finance in the context of Bank of Canada policy, Infrastructure linked to Infrastructure Canada priorities, and Indigenous economic development engaging with leaders from Assembly of First Nations and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

Publications and Reports

The institution issues economic forecasts, labour market indicators, corporate benchmarking tools, and thematic reports comparable to outputs by Conference Board of Europe affiliates. Signature products include national and regional Outlooks, Human Capital reports, and Sustainability Scorecards often cited alongside analyses from Moody's Investors Service, Standard & Poor's, and Deloitte. Methodologies reference models used by National Bureau of Economic Research and survey approaches akin to those of Pew Research Center. Regular indices monitor Productivity, Consumer Confidence, and Business Outlook, and special reports assess policy options discussed in forums like G20 and Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Policy Influence and Advocacy

The organization contributes to policy debates by presenting evidence at parliamentary committees such as those in the House of Commons of Canada and by informing provincial policy dialogues in Ontario Legislature and Quebec National Assembly. Its work is used by business lobby groups like Canadian Chamber of Commerce and sector associations including Canadian Federation of Independent Business to advocate on taxation, Trade, and Workforce regulation. It engages in roundtables that include participants from Public Health Agency of Canada, regulatory agencies such as Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and international delegates from European Commission and United Nations Development Programme.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborative partnerships span academia, corporate partners, and international organizations: joint projects with University of Calgary research centres, contracted studies for Export Development Canada, and comparative research with Conference Board of America and OECD secretariat staff. It hosts conferences and workshops featuring speakers from World Economic Forum, heads of agencies like Statistics Canada, and executives from firms such as Enbridge and Bombardier. Memoranda of understanding and sponsorships link it to foundations and associations including Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.

Funding and Financial Structure

Funding blends membership fees from corporate members such as Bank of Montreal and Scotiabank, contract research commissioned by federal departments including Health Canada and provincial ministries, and revenue from conferences and subscriptions similar to academic presses like University of Toronto Press. The organization operates as a registered non-profit with audited financial statements and endowment-like reserves managed in ways comparable to practices at Canadian Foundation for Innovation and other Canadian not-for-profits. External grant funding has come from private foundations and sectoral sponsors aligned with projects on Workforce development and Sustainability.

Category:Think tanks based in Canada