Content

Social Economy

What We Need to Know About the Social Economy

A Guide for Policy Research

July 2005

Following on growing federal interest and recent initiatives in the area of social economy, a PRI-SSHRC Policy Research Roundtable was held in September 2004. The rountable objective was to review what evidence is presently available, and to determine where further research is required to support the development of public policy in this sector. Subsequent research and consultations have culminated in this report, which is intended to serve as a reference guide for government departments, academics, and practitioners working in the field.

The guide provides background on the social economy, identifies research issues whose examination would support the development of policies and programs, provides suggestions for how this research might be conducted, and points to some useful information sources.

Specifically, the report suggests that, to help governments better support the social economy, and for social economy enterprises to operate more effectively, researchers could usefully explore issues in each of these five areas:

•  descriptive research and data development,
•  regulatory frameworks,
•  when and how governments should fund the social economy,
•  tools for measuring the impact of social economy enterprises, and
•  best practices for both governments and social economy enterprises.

The report also includes a preface by the Honourable Eleni Bakopanos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development with special emphasis on Social Economy.