How to use the Council

First choose whether the Council should review the work against the policy development lifecycle — what we do and why: intent, principles and rules — or the Ontario public sector program development framework: how we do it, through business planning, business case, Treasury Board and Management Board approval, design, delivery, and monitoring and evaluation. Then say which stage you have reached, including just starting or a closing review. The Council concentrates on the work still ahead of you rather than restating what you have already settled, and on the program side it also tests service delivery, financial management and the corporate services the program depends on.

Describe the policy/program idea in your own words: what it is meant to achieve, for whom, and what is already decided. Longer and more specific input produces sharper advice. You can dictate the title and the proposal aloud instead of typing them.

Upload PDF, Word or plain-text files — briefing notes, drafts, submissions, data summaries. Each file is read and shown as accepted before the session can begin, so nothing enters deliberation unread.

Search across government sources, research and academic work, public opinion and polling, news, the legislative record (Hansard) and Ontario open data. Nothing is used until you accept it, and the Council may only cite sources you have accepted.

Choose which premiers sit. Before the session opens you are shown a summary of everything you have supplied so you can add more information first. Each premier then responds in turn with a stance, arguments, historical parallels, risks, opportunities and citations.

The Council synthesises a collective verdict: strategic considerations, risks, opportunities, constitutional implications, equity and accessibility effects, governance requirements, and any points of dissent.

Download the deliberation as a Word briefing note, a PowerPoint outline, a PDF summary, an Excel decision matrix or a one-page executive memo. Every document carries the required disclaimers and your name as preparer.

Reopen any past inquiry, add new notes, documents or evidence, and the Council sits again as a numbered round. Each premier states whether their stance held, shifted or reversed, and the new ruling explains what changed. Earlier rounds stay on the record.

• Name the people affected. The Council reasons more usefully about equity, accessibility and access to services when you say who is in scope.
• Say what is fixed and what is still open, so the advice lands on decisions you can actually make.
• Accept evidence deliberately. A small set of strong sources produces better reasoning than a large set of weak ones.
• Treat the ruling as a prompt for your own thinking, then use reconsideration once you have tested it with colleagues.

When you are ready, convene a session. If something is unclear, the frequently asked questions may help.