Building the case for a National Outcomes Fund

Abstract

This paper argues for the creation of a National Outcomes Fund as a critical element of a “social impact economy” that appropriately values and diverts resources to social good. This initiative would make funds available contingent on the achievement of targeted outcomes in priority policy areas. It would invite service providers, alongside ministries or other agencies from any order of government, to propose innovative solutions, with the dual objective of improving outcomes for individuals and communities and improving value for public money—which in some cases will correspond with a net decrease in government expenditures over time. It addresses policy recommendations primarily to the federal government, as well as to provincial, territorial, and municipal governments.