Our Local Government Program, which was established in 1974, offers unique opportunities to study in the areas of local government and public administration, through both a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (GDPA) and Masters in Public Administration (MPA). The GDPA provides specialized education in local administration and policy analysis, better preparing students for the challenges of modern community, urban and regional governance and administration. Our MPA Program is one of Canada’s leading graduate programs specializing in local level public administration. It is designed for mid-career local government officials wishing to further their public management skills as well as for future professionals seeking careers in municipal government.

We invite you to explore our Local Government Program website and to contact us with any questions you may have.

Featured News

Martin Horak & Zack Taylor Launch Canadian Municipal Attributes Portal 

Martin Horak and Zack Taylor are pleased to announce the launch of the Canadian Municipal Attributes Portal (CMAP), an interactive app that presents information on how governance is structured in major municipalities across Canada. CMAP includes data on dozens of key institutional attributes – ranging from electoral systems and council structure to the governance of service provision – for nearly 100 municipalities. The portal’s functions allow users to compare institutional characteristics across municipalities of their choice, making it a useful tool for both research and classroom applications. 
You can access CMAP here: https://westernurban.shinyapps.io/CMAP/ 
CMAP is an open-access project of Western University’s Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance (https://nest.uwo.ca/urbancentre/). It is a living database, which will continue to be expanded and updated. We would be happy to hear feedback about the app and its contents at: cmap@uwo.ca 

Kate Graham & Jesse Helmer have peer-reviewed paper released.

LGP instructors Kate Graham and Jesse Helmer have collaborated and written a peer-reviewed paper about the tenure of CAOs in Alberta. 
Lonely at the Top: An Examination of the Changing Dynamics for CAOs in Alberta Municipalities 
Future of Municipal Government Series, University of Calgary & Alberta Municipalities 

REGISTER NOW: 2023 LGP Alumni Society Conference: Municipal Government - The Next Generation

Join the Local Government Program Alumni Society on November 9 & 10, 2023 for an engaging day filled with topics including new legislation, succession planning, and Council-staff relations discussions that will leave you inspired in the work of public service. See the LGP Alumni Society Annual Conference page for details & registration. 

2023 CAPPA/IPAC National Student & Thought Leadership Award Winner & Bronze Medalist - Julie Matthews

Julie Matthews was selected as the LGP's 2023 recipient of the National Thought & Student Leadership Award, a joint initiative of CAPPA & IPAC. Julie has the highest cumulative average for Full-Time MPA students. In addition to winning the award, Julie competed in an e-poster competition with the other winners and was awarded the bronze medal - Congratulations Julie! 

Professor Lyons - New Article

Professor Joe Lyons has co-authored a new paper with Zachary Spicer (PhD’13) and Morgan Calvert (MPA’19) in Canadian Public Administration, entitled “Preparedness and crisis-driven policy change: COVID-19, digital readiness, and information technology professionals in Canadian local government.” The paper is open access and available here: https://doi.org/10.1111/capa.12517.

Professor Lyons - New Book Chapter

Professor Joe Lyons and Law instructor Dave Taylor (MPA’17) have published a co-authored book chapter with Zachary Spicer (PhD’13) about municipally owned corporations in Canada. The chapter is part of a co-edited book entitled, Corporatisation in Local Government: Context, Evidence and Perspectives from 19 Countries and can be accessed here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-09982-3.

Event: Metropolitan Governance Panel at University of Toronto 

Prof. Zack Taylor of the Department of Political Science and Local Government Program will participate in a panel discussion on “Making the Case for Regionalism” hosted by the University of Toronto’s School of Cities in partnership with Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG). The event will review the need for coordinating structures, tools, and resources that cities can use to act regionally, compete with other global city-regions, and improve the social and economic outcomes of residents. 
Speakers:
Don Iveson, 35th Mayor of Edmonton, former Chair of Canada’s Big City Mayors, and Canadian Urban Leader at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities.
Jen Nelles, Senior Research Fellow with the Innovation Caucus and co-director of the Oxford Regions, Innovation, and Enterprise Lab (ORIEL), Oxford Brookes Business School, United Kingdom.
Zack Taylor, Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science and Local Government Program, Western University.

The hybrid event will occur on January 17, 2023 from 5:30–7:30pm at the Campbell Conference Centre in the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto. Participants can also join on-line. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/making-the-case-for-regionalism-tickets-474124538257.