IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-01501-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mobilization of science advice by the Canadian federal government to support the COVID-19 pandemic response

Author

Listed:
  • Dominika Bhatia

    (North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
    Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital)

  • Sara Allin

    (North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
    Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto)

  • Erica Ruggiero

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
    Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
    University of Toronto)

Abstract

The procurement and provision of expert-driven, evidence-informed, and independent science advice is integral to timely decision-making during public health emergencies. The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the need for sound evidence in public health policy and exposed the challenges facing government science advisory mechanisms. This paper is a jurisdictional case study describing (i) the federal science advice bodies and mechanisms for public health in Canada (i.e., the federal science advice “ecosystem”); and (ii) how these bodies and mechanisms have mobilized and evolved to procure expertise and evidence to inform decisions during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed publicly accessible Government of Canada documents, technical reports, and peer-reviewed articles available up to December 2021. Canada’s federal landscape of science advisory bodies for public health within the Health Portfolio was largely shaped by Canada’s experiences with the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome and 2009 H1N1 outbreaks. In parallel, Canada has a designated science advisory apparatus that has seen frequent reforms since the early 2000s, with the current Office of the Chief Science Advisor created within the Science Portfolio in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated Canada’s science advice ecosystem, with involvement from departments, expert advisory groups, and partnerships within both the federal Health and Science Portfolios. Although the engagement of federal departments outside the health sector is promising, the COVID-19 experience in Canada supports the need to institutionalize science advisory bodies for public health to improve pandemic preparedness and ensure rapid mobilization of well-coordinated and independent advice in future emergencies. This review also identified pressing areas for further inquiry to strengthen science advice for public health in Canada, including to assess the independence of science advisory actors and the interaction between federal and subnational authorities.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominika Bhatia & Sara Allin & Erica Ruggiero, 2023. "Mobilization of science advice by the Canadian federal government to support the COVID-19 pandemic response," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01501-8
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01501-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-01501-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-01501-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nele Brusselaers & David Steadson & Kelly Bjorklund & Sofia Breland & Jens Stilhoff Sörensen & Andrew Ewing & Sigurd Bergmann & Gunnar Steineck, 2022. "Evaluation of science advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. David Cameron & Richard Simeon, 2002. "Intergovernmental Relations in Canada: The Emergence of Collaborative Federalism," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 32(2), pages 49-72, Spring.
    3. Remi Quirion & Arthur Carty & Paul Dufour & Ramia Jabr, 2016. "Reflections on science advisory systems in Canada," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 2(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. repec:pal:palcom:v:2016:y:2016:i:palcomms201648:p:16048- is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Remi Quirion & Arthur Carty & Paul Dufour & Ramia Jabr, 2016. "Erratum: Reflections on science advisory systems in Canada," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 2(1), pages 1-1, December.
    6. Kumanan Wilson & Jennifer McCrea-Logie & Harvey Lazar, 2004. "Understanding the Impact of Intergovernmental Relations on Public Health: Lessons from Reform Initiatives in the Blood System and Health Surveillance," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 30(2), pages 177-194, June.
    7. Benjamin M. Vallejo & Rodrigo Angelo C. Ong, 2022. "OCTA as an independent science advice provider for COVID-19 in the Philippines," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    8. Nele Brusselaers & David Steadson & Kelly Bjorklund & Sofia Breland & Jens Stilhoff Sörensen & Andrew Ewing & Sigurd Bergmann & Gunnar Steineck, 2022. "Correction: Evaluation of science advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-1, December.
    9. Jessica Weinkle, 2022. "An evaluation of North Carolina science advice on COVID-19 pandemic response," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yating Wen & Xiaodong Zhao & Yuqi Zang & Xingguo Li, 2024. "How the crisis of trust in experts occurs on social media in China? Multiple-case analysis based on data mining," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kason Ka Ching Cheung & Ho-Yin Chan & Sibel Erduran, 2023. "Communicating science in the COVID-19 news in the UK during Omicron waves: exploring representations of nature of science with epistemic network analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Yuwan Malakar & Justine Lacey & Paul M Bertsch, 2022. "Towards responsible science and technology: How nanotechnology research and development is shaping risk governance practices in Australia," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Gérard Boismenu & Peter Graefe, 2004. "The New Federal Tool Belt: Attempts to Rebuild Social Policy Leadership," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 30(1), pages 71-89, March.
    4. Taylor R. Gray, 2010. "A Corporate Geography of Canada: Insights into a Multi‐Jurisdictional Model of Corporate Governance," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(4), pages 467-494, December.
    5. Roberto Leone & Barbara W Carroll, 2010. "Decentralisation and Devolution in Canadian Social Housing Policy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 28(3), pages 389-404, June.
    6. Shawn Donnelly, 2023. "Clocks, Caps, Compartments, and Carve‐Outs: Creating Federal Fiscal Capacity Despite Strong Veto Powers," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 92-101.
    7. Isabel Narbón-Perpiñá & Maria Teresa Balaguer-Coll & Diego Prior & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2021. "Searching for the optimal territorial structure: the case of Spanish provincial councils," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(4), pages 645-664, April.
    8. Prakash Chandra Jha, Prakash Chandra Jha, 2017. "Equalization Transfers in Canada: Emerging Challenges," MPRA Paper 82506, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Mindsponge, AISDL, 2022. "Call for papers: Science lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic," OSF Preprints av78z, Center for Open Science.
    10. Wilson, Kumanan & Graham, Ian & Ricketts, Maura & Dornan, Christopher & Laupacis, Andreas & Hebert, Paul, 2007. "Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and the Canadian blood system after the tainted blood tragedy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 174-185, January.
    11. David J. Gordon, 2015. "An Uneasy Equilibrium: The Coordination of Climate Governance in Federated Systems," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(2), pages 121-141, May.
    12. William R. Lowry, 2009. "Policy Changes on Canada's Rivers: Different but not Isolated," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 26(6), pages 783-800, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01501-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.