What is state capacity?

State capacity is essentially the government’s ability to get things done. It’s the “how” of government — the back kitchen that ensures policies and services are delivered. This ranges from administering employment insurance, pension plans and tax credits to delivering Indigenous healthcare, conducting environmental assessments, and implementing economic and public health policies.

What we’re doing 

Our research project investigates the barriers to state capacity and will culminate in research-backed recommendations from leading experts aimed at improving federal government operations. The capacity of the public service will shape Canada’s ability to respond to and withstand today’s geopolitical, technological and climate-related pressures.

Why it matters 

Largely hidden from public view, state capacity directly influences the government’s ability to deliver on its commitments.

Canada’s federal public service and its processes have come under scrutiny for not being able to efficiently execute government priorities, anticipate and adapt to challenges, and deliver services to citizens — making questions of state capacity increasingly urgent at a time of geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption and declining public trust.

As the current Liberal government aims to “build big and build fast,” the public service faces growing pressure to deliver ambitious projects quickly in a world where problems are complex and change by the day. How can the public service adapt to meet the moment and deliver effective solutions at speed?

Areas of focus: 

• Modernizing data management
• Improving service delivery to Indigenous communities
• Addressing human resources obstacles
• Building the government’s digital capacity
• Strengthening policy capacity
• Modernizing technology procurement
• Increasing performance and productivity within the public service
• And more

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