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Third Annual Symposium of the Population, Work and Family Policy Research Collaboration

December 12-14, 2007
Ottawa Congress Centre

Pre-Symposium Presentations (Dec 12)

Symposium Presentations (Dec 13-14)

Canada’s aging population will bring significant structural change over the next several decades. Population aging may have an impact on economic growth, on the characteristics of the workplace, the priorities of family life, and on civic participation. The changing age structure will create fiscal pressures and raise important issues ranging from sustainability and managing the transition, to equity and inclusion. It will also challenge the health system and society to prepare for an older population with different health service needs.

The spatial distribution of the population is likely to become more uneven, with important divides, including wide cultural diversity in large metropolitan and resource boom work forces, increasing aboriginal presence in western provinces, larger urban-rural differences.

Canada’s population also appears to be getting more diverse in lifestyle and work patterns, with greater family diversity, changing age structure, retirement patterns, etc.

What are the challenges and opportunities related to this changing composition of the population?

The third annual PWFC Symposium was preceded by a full day of presentations, workshops, and discussions on data development and modelling exercises. Analysis and understanding of population, work and family issues are informed by the use of relevant and evolving instruments and research methods. The national data system provides the foundational instruments for research, knowledge creation, and evidence-based policy development. Modelling which also requires pertinent data provides structured research methodologies, to examine the complexity of interactions among individuals, social and economic institutions and the broader policy environment, and to simulate the impact of policy/program changes. Increased awareness and an informed discussion of data and modelling instruments help to assess their relevance, identify key gaps and potential enhancements that will benefit policy development.

The objectives of the seminar were:

• discuss key ongoing and emerging challenges to the national data system, and forward-looking approaches to ensure its relevance to the analysis of population, work and family issues;
• feature and discuss specific initiatives to foster data development and access; and
• broaden awareness among the policy and research community of existing modelling instruments and discuss their relevance, limitations and potential for evidence-based policy analysis.

The various sessions focused on areas such as:

• new developments and international experiences for the management and relevance of the statistical and data portfolio (e.g., access, governance issues);
• development of new surveys (e.g., Canadian Household Panel Survey);
• advances in terms of micro-simulation models and Computable General Equilibrium Models; and
• applications of forecasting models in support of monitoring and forecasting activities.