Sector analysis
In-depth expertise in the legal, judicial, policing and social fields.
Our sector analyses give you a thorough understanding of the dynamics, trends and issues specific to the legal, judicial, policing and social fields in Quebec. Our focused expertise and our knowledge of the ground produce rigorous studies that inform strategic decisions, feed public policy and bring opportunities for improvement to light.
Why choose our analyses?
Distinctive sector expertise
Thorough knowledge of Quebec’s legal, judicial, policing and social systems: the issues, the actors and the dynamics at play.
Analyses set in context
Account taken of the Quebec context, of regional particularities and of recent legislative developments.
A multidimensional approach
Quantitative data, qualitative analyses, literature reviews and expert consultations, for a complete picture.
Strategic relevance
Identification of emerging trends, of leading practices and of concrete recommendations.
Our areas of sector expertise
Legal sector
Legal practice, access to justice, unmet legal needs and the evolution of the Quebec system.
- Access to justice for vulnerable populations
- Effectiveness of community legal services
- Needs in legal information and legal education
- Court delays and court administration
Judicial sector
How the courts operate, judicial processes, the actors within the system and justice reform.
- Judicial pathways and processing times
- Alternatives to incarceration
- Restorative justice programmes
- Specialised courts (mental health, domestic violence)
Policing sector
Police services, public safety, police–community relations and policing practices.
- Community policing and community relations
- Mental health interventions
- Crime prevention programmes
- Profiling and bias in policing practices
Social sector
Social policy, social services, youth protection and contemporary social issues.
- Social service needs by population group
- Homelessness and social housing
- Youth protection programmes
- Integration of immigrants
Our sector approach
Documentary review
Scientific literature, government reports, official statistics and leading international practices.
Primary data collection
Surveys, interviews with key actors, focus groups and field observation.
Benchmarking
Interprovincial, international or over-time comparisons, to bring out trends and gaps.
Synthesis and recommendations
Findings brought together into a coherent synthesis, with recommendations suited to Quebec.
Examples of illustrative engagements
These examples describe illustrative engagements: they show how we work. They report no actual engagement and name no client. Engagements we have actually carried out remain our clients’ property and are not disclosed.
Drawing a picture of an unmet need
An organisation wants to document the scale and the nature of a legal need that public statistics do not capture.
A mixed-methods study: a population survey, use of administrative data, interviews with actors in the field and a review of the service models that exist in Canada.
- Estimate of how prevalent the need is, by area of law
- Inventory of the documented service models
- Courses of action ranked by how feasible they are
Documenting practices in order to build a training programme
A training organisation wants to ground its programme in the actual state of practice rather than in impressions.
A survey of the organisations concerned, in-depth case studies on a subset of them, interviews with practitioners and international benchmarking.
- Typology of the models observed
- Success factors and conditions for implementation
- A reference framework ready to be built into a training programme
Following pathways over several years
An institution wants to understand what becomes of people after they pass through a public programme.
Longitudinal analysis of de-identified administrative data, rounded out by interviews. The protocol goes through an ethics review before any collection begins.
- Typical pathways reconstructed and documented
- Turning points identified
- Recommendations tied to each turning point
Deliverables included
- Full sector analysis report with an executive summary
- Literature review and state of knowledge
- Quantitative and qualitative data analyses
- Comparisons with other jurisdictions (where relevant)
- Identification of leading practices and innovations
- Strategic recommendations suited to the Quebec context
- Presentation of the findings to stakeholders
Commission your sector analysis
Do you need a thorough understanding of a sector issue? Ask us for a tailored proposal.