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MPA Major Research Papers

From 1990 until 2023, all Western Master of Public Administration students completed a faculty-supervised Major Research Paper. Starting in 2024, students complete a Research Report that is not individually supervised.

At the time of submission, students may opt to publicly release their papers. This series contains all publicly available papers completed since 1990.

The program does not endorse the content of these papers which are the independent research of the students. The papers are owned by the authors and posted here with their permission.

If you are the author of an MPA research paper and would like to have that paper removed from this database please contact .

Major Research Papers from 2024 2024

A Review of Municipal Asses Management Plans for Stormwater Asset Management Program in Selected Single-Tier Municipalities in Ontario: The Successful Implmentation of O.Reg. 588/17, Michael Ajibaye

What line is it anyway? An appeal for policy coordination to support integrated floodplain management in Ontario, Shawna Chambers

Assessing Municipal Strategic Plan Quality in Ontario: An Examination of Municipal Size, Consultant Involvement and Strategic Plan Quality Components, Eliza Durant

Assessing Mandate Creep in Ontario Conservation Authorities: An Analysis of Revenue Stream Dynamics, William Gardiner

The Effectiveness of Workforce Diversity Management Program in Municipal Government; A Case Study of the City of Mississauga Program, Calvin James

Bang for Your Buck? Campaign Expenditures, Gender, and Election Outcomes in British Columbia Municipalities, Julie Matthews

An Explanation of the Decade-Long Delay in the Rollout of a Green Bin Program in London Ontario, Analyzed Through the Lens of the Multiple Streams Framework, Alana Pasternak

The Impact of Local Policies on The Integration of Racialized Immigrants into Smaller to Mid-Sized Canadian Municipalities, Olivia Sekyere

Municipal Election Systems In Canada: A Systematic Review of Ward and At-large Systems for Municipalities Considering a Change in Election System, Owen Stichhaller

Enhancing Municipal Asset Management: Identifying Technical and Social Barriers to Advanced Data Integration in London, Ontario Using Socio-technical Theory, Gary Stronghill

Means Testing and Access To Rent-Geared-To-Income Housing in Hamilton, Ontario, Matt Thompson

Understanding the Nursing Shortage in Ontario's Long Term Care Homes, Wasse Wahidi

Major Research Papers from 2023 2023

Harmonizing Agricultural Growth and Nighttime Sky: Municipal Strategies for Mitigating Commercial Greenhouse-Related Light Pollution in Ontario, Canada, Adam Betteridge

Strategies For Developing Affordable Housing: An Analysis of Service Managers’ Housing and Homelessness Plans in Ontario, Daniel Cardoso

What is the role of Public Participation in Planning Development Applications for Infill and Intensification: Evidence from Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Deanne Friess

Municipal Pathways towards Digital Government: Ontario’s Municipal Modernization Program and the Determinants of Technology Adoption, Owen Jaggard

Quality Strategic Planning – Are we there? A comparative evaluation of the current state of strategic planning with Ontario’s smaller municipalities, Mike Macauley

The Impacts of Income Tax and Government Benefit Policy Changes on the “Welfare Wall” for Households in Receipt of Ontario Works (OW) Social Assistance in the City of Toronto, Paolo Staffieri

Exploring Factors Perpetuating the Underrepresentation of Women CAOs in Local Government, Kelly Sutton

Major Research Papers from 2022 2022

Recruiting for the CAO Role: An Evaluation of the Existing Recruitment Processes in Low and Single Tier Municipalities in Ontario, Ashley Bilodeau

Measuring Public Value Through Local E-Government, Kevin De Leebeeck

The Evolution of Municipal Asset Management Maturity in Canada: Surveying Mid-Sized Cities and Evaluating Federal and Provincial Policies to Spur Municipal Asset Management Practice, Dan Ditaranto

Development Charges: The Price is Right? An Evaluation of the Patterns, Processes and Outcomes of Development Charge By-laws in Ontario Regional Municipalities, David Gundrum

Identifying Challenges and Advantages of Internet Voting and Assessing the Impact on Voters Turnout in Municipal Elections, Abdul Katawazy

Tax Increment Financing – the impact of tax incentives on Investment Attraction in Ontario’s Small and Medium Sized Municipalities, Jeff Loney