Research
The Dalhousie School of Public Administration is a leading regional, national and international centre for research in public policy and public sector management. Its research agenda advances all aspects of its mission by providing enhanced research opportunities for faculty and students, thereby grounding and advancing learning, while contributing knowledge to the public sector and broader management communities.
Research generated by SPA faculty has produced a number of published books and chapters, dozens of articles in peer-reviewed journals and numerous research monographs, peer-reviewed paper presentations and faculty research seminars and invited talks.
Research themes
The School’s research agenda engages public management within a wide variety of themes and issues, including:
| accountability | evaluation | municipalities |
| alternative program delivery | governance | non-governmental organizations |
| change management | health management | public engagement |
| communities | human resource management |
public policy |
| comptrollership | law and economics | regulation |
| demographics | leadership | risk management |
| equality management | lobbying |
Find out more about specific SPA research projects:
- Local Economic Growth and Food Security in Cuba
- The Critical Infrastructure Protection Initiative
- Understanding and Responding to Terrorist Threats
- Population Decline
- E-Government and Democracy
- Population Challenges in Rural Atlantic Canada
Research partnerships
Faculty members within the SPA often collaborate with other researchers within Dalhousie, other universities and with public and private sector research organizations. The School’s current external research partners include:
- University of Strathclyde
- HEC Montreal
- Harvard University
- University of Toronto
- University of Nantes
- University of Chicago
- Public Safety New Brunswick
- Co-op Atlantic
- Nova Scotia Public Service Commission
- Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
- Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
- The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; and
- Institute for Citizen-Centric Service Delivery
Individual research topics
Individual faculty research topics can be found in the Faculty & Staff section.