This study seeks to identify a shortlist of key mechanisms of policy capacity that can support Canadian public sector organizations to deliver policy and program innovation and excellence in an increasingly complex context. A mixed-methods approach is used in this applied research study to analyze three Canadian public sector case studies’ adoption of innovative initiatives and understand the key aspects of each jurisdiction’s policy capacity that has supported each innovation. An analysis then examines these aspects of the initiatives using a motivation-resources-obstacles lens, with particular focus on the mechanisms of policy capacity that facilitated the initiative in each case study. The study then identifies and examines specific policy capacity mechanisms that could be leveraged to support delivery of policy and program excellence in this increasingly challenging era.