Research Program

CHRC’s Research Program

How does research fit into the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s mandate?

Paragraph 27(1)(b) of the Canadian Human Rights Act establishes the Commission’s responsibility to “undertake or sponsor research programs relating to its duties and functions under this Act and respecting the principle described in section 2.”

Paragraph 27(1)(f) also provides that the Commission “shall carry out or cause to be carried out such studies concerning human rights and freedoms as may be referred to it by the Minister of Justice”.

What is the Commission’s Research Program?

As part of the Commission’s efforts to foresee and understand the trends and shifts that are taking place in Canadian society and remain a leader in disseminating human rights knowledge, it has developed a Research Program in human rights.

The Research Program focuses on initiatives that serve to advance human rights in Canada. It supports the Commission’s work, in its development of:

• guidelines, regulations and policies on human rights and employment equity;
• strategic initiatives;
• tools to help prevent discrimination;
• presentations to Parliamentarians, etc.

Research will be disseminated and used to inform and educate others. In some instances, research will provide a starting point for debating current societal issues, such as environmental sensitivities. The Research Program will also support the work of stakeholders, such as employers, unions, Parliamentarians, research centers on human rights, non-governmental organizations, officials responsible for developing public policy, and provincial and territorial commissions.

How is the Program funded?

The Program is funded from the Commission’s existing budget. The Commission has undergone a change process over the past four years that has made its dispute resolution process more efficient. This has allowed the Commission to channel more resources toward other areas of its mandate, including expanding its research and policy capacity.

How does the Commission choose research subjects?

The Commission monitors issues or trends in complaints that are brought before the Commission. It also monitors human rights issues raised in the media, by Parliamentarians, or by other stakeholders. In addition, past reports published by the Commission may require follow-up through additional research.

What is the Commission’s process for undertaking a research project?

The Commission prepares a statement of work for a topic it wants to have researched, and may either send the statement of work to a few researchers from its database of experienced researchers (see next question) asking for proposals, or distribute the statement of work to all those registered in the database and ask for proposals, if the project is larger.

The Commission generally assesses proposals on a series of criteria, including the match between the researcher’s proposal and the Commission’s statement of work, the proposed methodology, the proposed budget and the researcher’s qualifications and experience.

How did researchers hear about the research program and its database?

The Commission launched its research program in 2006. It publicized it through its web site and through presentations, meetings and the distribution of literature in universities, research centers and at conferences.

How can the researchers join the research program?

Researchers can join our database of researchers by completing a form on-line on the Commission’s website.

What happens once a report is received?

Once the Commission receives a research report, it analyzes the information and plans its next course of action. The reports will, in most cases, be posted on the Internet and the public will have an opportunity to provide the Commission with comments or ask questions.

Do the reports reflect the position of the Commission?

The reports reflect the ideas and findings of the researcher. The Commission may or may not agree with the findings and may also choose to act upon only portions of the reports.