Policy, social and political

Actionable opinion research and program evaluation for Canada's public and not-for-profit sectors

TNS uses a mixture of quantitative, qualitative, and specialized statistical techniques to deliver both public opinion research and program evaluation for public sector organizations, including government departments or agencies, crown corporations, universities, and non-governmental organizations.

Public opinion research

Public attitudes, perceptions and behaviour are critical inputs into government decision-making and ultimately the realization of governments' policy goals. TNS provides thought leadership and leading edge research and strategy in disciplines such as social marketing, advertising and communications, stakeholder engagement and satisfaction, and policy development. With continuous access to local, national and international trends across a range of issues, TNS brings expertise in socio-economic trends, and strategic value-added, that are unmatched by traditional "polling" companies.

While TNS is active in virtually every policy area at all three levels of government, we have a very high level of depth and expertise in the areas of health care/public health, international business development; and as a global firm, we have a extensive experience in conducting multi-country studies. TNS Canada is qualified under all three workstreams of the Federal Standing Offer for Public Opinion Research Services, including on-line advertising and ethno-cultural research.

In addition, TNS conducts highly specialized work to regularly 'take the pulse' of Canadians on key economic issues. Our monthly Consumer Confidence Index is regularly by many of Canada's major media outlets, and our quarterly 'TNS Vibe' survey tracks Canadians' view of our economy and spending habits throughout the economy and the key sectors of interest to our clients.

Program evaluation

The TNS Evaluation group is a team of senior research analysts who combine multiple lines of evidence to complete formal evaluations and policy studies. Each evaluation is designed to meet the needs of our government clients who demand robust findings to support decisions regarding development of policies and programs and associated expenditures.

For over 25 years, our TNS team has conducted some of the largest and most challenging qualitative and quantitative evaluation studies in Canada. We understand and appreciate the challenges and intricacies of evaluations that are large in scope, technically challenging, and of critical strategic importance to our clients.

We also conduct smaller evaluations restricted to stakeholder consultations and other qualitative approaches. In both cases we provide timely and cost-effective evidence for our clients. Please see our TNS Evaluation sellsheet [PDF] for more details.

TNS industry sector specialists get to the heart of our clients’ business issues to deliver market research with actionable insights and seamless, consistent results.