Canadian MR firms to launch new industry association

At a planning meeting in Ottawa on 30 August, the leadership of Environics Research, Ipsos Canada, Leger, Nanos Research, EKOS Research Associates, Corporate Research Associates, CRC Research and Canada Viewpoint decided to immediately establish a new association, which as yet remains nameless.

The move follows the closure of the Canadian industry organisation, MRIA, which has ceased operations due to bankruptcy.

The mandate of the new association will be to ensure member firms conduct rigorous and ethical research. It will also look to adopt global research standards. 

Don Mills, chairman and chief executive of Corporate Research Associates, and co-chair of the interim board, said: “Our objective is simple and straightforward – membership in this organisation means strict compliance with a rigorous set of world-class research standards. If you can’t or won’t comply, then you can’t be a member. It’s about quality, ethics and legitimacy of the data you collect.”

The body will also look to advocate on regulatory and legislative matters, continue the Survey Registration System, and uphold the Canadian Charter of Respondent Rights.  

The leaders of the eight agencies, who will act as interim board members until the association has been more formally established, have also said they will work alongside individual research practitioners to find “mutually agreeable” solutions to the void created by the MRIA’s closure, according to a press release.

The news follows the establishment last month of another interim working group, the MRIA Transition Taskforce, to represent individual researchers at companies of all sizes, including consultants, freelancers, academics, students and government researchers.

Barry Watson, president and chief executive of Environics Canada, and co-chair of the interim board, said: “While our new association will represent research agencies and the users of research data, it’s in the best interest of the industry that we work collaboratively with everyone involved, most importantly the research practitioners. We’re very committed to supporting the efforts of individual researchers to establish a complimentary organisation and to protecting the CMRP (Certified Marketing Research Professional) designation.”

The group’s interim board members will consult with the industry to discuss the role and mandate of the new association, with more details to be released in the coming months. The new association is expected to formally launch in early 2019, with membership open to research suppliers and an associate membership category for buyers and users of research.