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Sharing knowledge and experience among federal, devolved and decentralizing countries. We provide practical solutions to problems of multi-level governance.

The Forum Advantage: Hands-on Experience and High-level Expertise

The Forum has a practical, problem-solving approach to achieving results. Since its founding a decade ago, it has supported governments and citizens around the world - through training, the provision of expertise and impartial practical education. Our Core Principle: “Learning From Each Other”

We bring the world’s leading experts together with the “practitioners” of government: elected officials, civil servants, political operatives. The Forum’s direct relationship with governments on each continent makes us uniquely placed to promote intergovernmental learning by working in tandem with our partner governments. Very few international organizations can offer that kind of real-life, comparative expertise, and none but the Forum does it with a central focus on multi-level governance.

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10/28/2026

How is digitalization governed when power is shared?

Federal countries face a hard question. Digital services cross jurisdictional boundaries, but the constitutions that govern them do not. As AI and other frontier technologies advance, who decides, who is accountable, and how do governments coordinate?

On November 10, the Forum of Federations and the University of Ottawa’s Centre on Governance launch The Forum of Federations Handbook on Digitalization in Public Administration of Federal Countries, an open-access comparative study of nine federal and decentralized countries. The book is edited by Eric Ch*****ne, Silvana Gomes, Felix Knüpling, André Lecours, Jamie M. Thomas and Diana Chebenova.

Join the book’s experts and editors as they share insights and explore what AI and emerging technologies mean for how governments make decisions, work together, and deliver digital public services. The discussion will explore:

🔹 Digital policy decisions and implementation
🔹 Accountability
🔹 Collaboration across orders of government

📅 Tuesday, November 10, 2026

🕛 12:00–1:30 p.m. (ET)

📍 Social Sciences Building (FSS), Room 4004, University of Ottawa, and online via Zoom

🗣️ English and French

All are welcome. Register for the online session here:

https://www.uottawa.ca/research-innovation/events-all/roundtable-book-launch-digital-government-federal-systems-era-frontier-technology

Forum of Federations: real solutions to governance challenges—making multilevel governance work better for people.

10/27/2026

A provincial vote does not stop at the provincial border.

Debates over autonomy, identity and secession raise a larger question: how do choices within one province reshape the federation as a whole?

That question brought the Forum of Federations to the University of Ottawa on September 25 for When Provincial Becomes National: The Alberta Referendum and Quebec’s Election.

The discussion examined two distinct political contexts and their implications for Canadian federalism. It explored what drives demands for constitutional change, how secessionist movements differ, and how provincial political choices become national questions.

For the Forum, understanding these pressures is part of a broader task: exploring how multilevel systems reconcile competing demands for autonomy and unity.

Jamie Thomas represented the Forum alongside Daniel Béland, Kelly Gordon and André Lecours, with Jenn Wallner moderating.
Thank you to the University of Ottawa and the Centre on Governance for their partnership.

Forum of Federations: real solutions to governance challenges—making multilevel governance work better.

10/19/2026

𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗔 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱.

A health clinic in a remote community can cost far more to run than one in a provincial centre.

That is why intergovernmental fiscal institutions matter. Their advice shapes how public money is shared between levels of government.

The scale is substantial:

• Kenya: KSh 428 billion to 47 counties (FY 2026/27)

• Pakistan: ~PKR 8.85 trillion to four provinces (FY 2026/27)

• Philippines: ₱1.19 trillion to 43,000+ local governments (FY 2026)

In Manila on 28–29 September, the Forum of Federations convened the first Intergovernmental Fiscal Institutions Network (IGFIN) gathering.

Two insights stood out:

🔹 Papua New Guinea’s fiscal commission starts with what a service should cost to deliver, not what was spent last year.

🔹 Anwar Shah showed that stabilization funds only cushion revenue shocks when backed by clear rules, transparency and oversight.

IGFIN will become an annual exchange and a standing platform for peer learning, with a secretariat at the Forum. Success means institutions better able to influence decisions, and funding that follows community needs.

With the support of the The World Bank Group and the Philippines Department of Budget and Management.

Forum of Federations: making multilevel governance work better for people.

10/15/2026

We are pleased to welcome Alan Cairns as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Forum of Federations!

Alan brings extensive international experience in institutional design, intergovernmental fiscal relations, and public finance, with a particular focus on fiscal decentralisation and health financing across the Asia-Pacific region.

His work in Papua New Guinea and Bougainville, alongside his contributions to international institutions, reflects his commitment to strengthening governance, promoting integrity, and improving public sector performance.

We look forward to drawing on his expertise and collaborating to advance knowledge-sharing and international cooperation on federalism and intergovernmental relations.

10/08/2026

Great reflection workshop on the Forum of Federations report on climate change, conflict and multilevel governance at the margins of this year’s Berlin Climate Security Conference.

A big thank you from Forum to our lead authors, Tabea Campbell Pauli and Dr Clive Grace OBE and all workshop participants for their insights and contributions.

We’ll be launching the report very soon. Stay tuned!

10/05/2026

Young people of Ajloun — Your voice matters!

Join us for a Youth Awareness Session on elections, the new Local Administration Law, and the role of young people in shaping their communities.

📅 October 17, 2026
🕚 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Ajloun

Let’s learn, discuss, and explore how young people can take part in local decision-making. 🤝

Organized with the Ministry of Political and Parliamentary Affairs and the Forum of Federations.

09/24/2026

How much autonomy should municipalities have in shaping local transportation policy?

In this new blog post, Alexandra Artiles, Jennifer Wallner and Swati Singh examine Ontario’s Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act (Bill 212) and explore what it reveals about provincial-municipal relations and the balance between provincial priorities and local decision-making.

Drawing on survey responses from 47 mayors and city councillors across Ontario, the authors examine municipal officials’ views on the legislation and the broader implications of expanding provincial authority over municipal governance.

Read the new article on the Forum of Federations blog ⬇️

🔗 https://forumfedblog.org/igr-reducing-gridlock-act-discussion/

09/23/2026

𝗟𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗻ç𝗮𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁 ⬇️

The Jean-Luc Pepin Research Chair in Canadian Politics, the Forum of Federations and University of Ottawa Research Chair on Comparative Federalism, the School of Political Science, and the Centre on Governance are delighted to invite you to a roundtable entitled: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗰'𝘀 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

October will be a compelling month in the contemporary Canadian federation as peoples in both Quebec and Alberta reconsider the integrity of the Canadian state. In the lead up to the Quebec election and the Alberta referendum, join our panel of experts, moderated by Jenn Wallner, to gain insights into these unfolding secessionist politics in Canada:

• Daniel Béland, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, McGill University

• Kelly Gordon, Department of Political Science, McGill University

• Jamie M. Thomas, Forum of Federations

• André Lecours, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa

𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁

📅 Friday, September 25, 2026

🕦 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

📍 FSS 4004

All are welcome - Students, Faculty, Administrators

🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/D4WSEZ5j5F

We look forward to seeing you there.

——————————————————

La Chaire de recherche Jean-Luc Pepin en politique canadienne, la Chaire de recherche du Forum des fédérations et de l'Université d'Ottawa en fédéralisme comparé, l’École d’études politiques et le Centre d'études en gouvernance ont le plaisir de vous inviter à la table ronde « Quand le provincial devient national : Le référendum en Alberta et les élections au Québec ».

Le mois d'octobre prochain sera crucial pour la fédération canadienne, alors que les populations québécoise et albertaine seront appelées à se prononcer sur l’intégrité de l’État canadien. À l’approche des élections au Québec et du référendum en Alberta, joignez-vous à notre panel d'expert.e.s, modéré par Jenn Wallner, afin de mieux comprendre les dynamiques sécessionnistes du Canada contemporain :

• Daniel Béland, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, Université McGill

• Kelly Gordon, Department of Political Science, Université McGill

• Jamie M. Thomas, Forum des Fédérations

• André Lecours, École d’études politiques, Université d’Ottawa

Événement bilingue

📅 Vendredi 25 septembre 2026

🕦 11h30 – 13h

📍 FSS 4004

Ouvert aux étudiantes et étudiants, aux membres du corps professoral et du personnel

🔗 Lien d’inscription : https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/D4WSEZ5j5F

Au plaisir de vous y voir nombreuses et nombreux.

09/22/2026

Climate change hits hardest where institutions are already under pressure. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, climate shocks can deepen existing vulnerabilities, strain public systems, and make recovery even more difficult.

A new Forum of Federations report explores what this means for governance - and what can help.

Working with lead experts Tabea Campbell Pauli and Dr. Clive Grace, O.B.E., alongside Dr. Zemelak Ayele, Dr. Sameen Ali, and Dr. Emma Porio, we examine experiences from Ethiopia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Myanmar.

The report looks at practical questions: How can different levels of government work together more effectively? How can local actors be better supported? And how can stronger governance contribute to resilience, peacebuilding, and recovery?

Join the Forum of Federations for the report launch and a discussion with the experts:

📅 5 October 2026 | 10:00–12:00, followed by a networking lunch

📍 Quadriga Campus, Werderscher Markt 13, Berlin

🔗 RSVP: [email protected]

09/21/2026

Join us this coming Thursday at 11:00 AM (AEST) / 9:00 PM (EDT) to discuss:

Agency in an AI-enabled world

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded across economies, workplaces and public institutions, governments face new questions around capability, accountability and decision-making.

The Forum of Federations and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government are delighted to host this practitioner-led discussion.

Address

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K1P5E7

Telephone

+16132443360

Website

https://www.forumfed.org/

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