The International Programs Office (IPO) is responsible for implementing the international activities of the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI). It manages projects worth $19 million, of which $4 million was implemented in 2002. It has 14 employees in Toronto and 13 abroad.

CUI’s international vision and mandate were initially set forth in the 1988 feasibility study that led to the establishment of the Institute. This feasibility study included extensive consultations with municipalities, senior government agencies, universities and other urban organizations across the country, as well as with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and potential overseas partners.

One of the main conclusions of that study was that there was a growing demand for international cooperation devoted to promoting excellence in the governance and management of urban regions. Too few Canadian organizations were engaged in direct city-to-city linkages, especially those involving practical projects and capacity building for local authorities. Based on this finding, the Institute was created to play a major role in filling this gap in Canada and addressing this need internationally.

The CUI has extensive international experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of local government capacity development and urban management programs. Projects have been implemented in several countries within the following regions: Central Europe, The Balkans, The Americas and Asia.

The Canadian-based programming of the CUI provides the knowledge base and professional network on which the international programming of the Institute is built. Our applied research, conference, seminar and award programs have developed the CUI into a clearinghouse of Canadian best practices and leading-edge approaches to tackling the challenges of urban management.

While the Institute itself is not a large organization, it does have a large constituency. By drawing on our network of members and associates, we provide our overseas partner organizations with access to Canadian expertise and first-hand knowledge. For example, CUI provides a window for local government employees and other urban professionals to volunteer on our international projects, thereby providing a direct, in-the-field sharing of their technical expertise. By drawing on this network, the CUI also organizes study tours that provide an opportunity for representatives of our overseas partner organizations to meet their peers in Canada and to learn first-hand how local governments here are tackling similar issues and challenges. At the same time, Canadian urban professionals have much to learn from the urban experiences of other countries. The CUI’s international programming feeds back information to our membership and other Canadian urban professionals, thereby providing lessons for Canada from other places.