The Public Policy Forum (PPF) is an independent, non-profit Canadian think tank for public-private dialogue. The organization's purpose is to connect diverse participants in the policymaking process and to work with them to inform policy discussions. The PPF is a registered charity in Canada.
Its current president and CEO is Inez Jabalpurwala who manages a staff of approximately 30.
The Forum was founded in 1987 by Shelly (Sheldon) Ehrenworth, Geoff Poapst, Max B.E. Clarkson and a group of public and private sector leaders in Toronto. In its early years, the Forum brought together leaders from business, the trade union movement, academe and the not-for-profit sector for meetings in cities across Canada. The idea was to share perspectives on public sector management questions and discuss ways to build a more collaborative approach to policy making.
The PPF has since grown to include about 200 organizations from business, federal and provincial governments, academia, organized labour and the voluntary and not-for-profit sectors.
The PPF is a registered charity that is governed by a board of approximately 20 directors. The board is chaired by André Beaulieu.
The PPF functions primarily as an independent, non-partisan facilitator of multi-sector dialogue.
In conjunction with members and partners from all sectors, the PPF convenes dialogues aimed at producing actionable outcomes in key policy areas, such as: innovation, public engagement, public service and governance.
The PPF regularly produces and publishes research and reports in areas related to its policy dialogues. The Forum also conducts original research in areas such as public service innovation, government leadership, and media.