MPA Major Research Papers
Date of Award
7-15-2024
Degree Type
Major Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration
Program
Political Science
Geographical Areas
Ontario, Local Government
Abstract
This paper contributes to the academic field of plan quality evaluation by reviewing age friendly municipal plans in Ontario to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, and overall alignment with the known characteristics of a good quality plan. The research question guiding this paper is, “How comprehensive are age friendly plans in Ontario’s municipalities”? The analysis of plans was conducted using the plan quality framework, a recognized way to analyze plans for their strengths and weaknesses, used to analyze a variety of plans including strategic plans, official plans, climate change plans, as well as different land use planning studies, and hazard mitigation. A coding protocol consisting of 54 indicators based on eight plan quality characteristics was developed. A binary scale was used to assess each indicator with a “0” given if the indicator was absent and a “1” given if the indicator was present. The results of the analysis indicate that although there are deficiencies in age friendly plans across Ontario, most plans include some combination of the eight characteristics identified in the literature. The qualitative analysis revealed that many communities ranked high on stakeholder engagement, while implementation and monitoring was generally poor. Finally, overall, municipalities are developing policies and actions that are aligned with best practices in the age friendly literature.
Recommended Citation
Durant, Eliza, "Assessing Municipal Strategic Plan Quality in Ontario: An Examination of Municipal Size, Consultant Involvement and Strategic Plan Quality Components" (2024). MPA Major Research Papers. 251.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/lgp-mrps/251