Speech to Privy Council Office Employee Townhall Meeting
Monday, September 14, 2009
Introduction
I want to thank you, Bill (Baker), for chairing the 2009 Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign. I am deeply committed, both personally and professionally to this campaign, and it certainly has been a privilege for me to chair the workplace campaign in the past.
Every day, as public servants, we come to work because we value being able to give back to our country. We also value giving back to our communities, and we do this by working together on the workplace charitable campaign and through our own volunteer activities.
I know that PCO employees give generously towards creating a society in which everyone cares about their fellow citizens.
It is a pleasure to speak to PCO employees for the first time since assuming my new role. I appreciate the hard work that all of you accomplish daily, and I would like to start by thanking all of you for your excellent support over the summer.
I have not met everyone yet, but I know that many people worked hard to bring me up to speed and to make me feel comfortable. I appreciated the transition briefings and have been impressed by your commitment to keeping me out of trouble ever since.
Public Service Renewal
I would like to pick up on our theme of “Climate of Change” by sharing some thoughts on the forward direction of Public Service renewal.
Progress on Workforce and Fundamentals
Since July, I have travelled across the country, meeting with public servants, the business community, and others in British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Based on what I have seen, I consider myself to be in an enviable position. Leading a change process for the country’s largest employer would be very daunting, if it were not already so well underway.
We are making good progress on renewing the Public Service, and particularly towards shaping the workforce for tomorrow’s Public Service. Planning has improved, we have recruited some of the best candidates, and steps have been taken to enhance retention.
The results of the recent Public Service Employee Survey point to a strong, capable and confident Public Service, and indeed an engaged one. Close to two-thirds of public servants completed the survey, which is the highest response rate ever achieved.
At the same time, we cannot be blind to areas that need attention such as leadership. This information presents us with an opportunity to tailor our renewal efforts in departments and the Public Service as a whole.
Going forward, I would like to see us sustain our efforts to ensure that the fundamentals for renewal and excellence in public sector management are in place, while keeping the renewal agenda current.
Sustain the Effort on Fundamentals
Renewal happens in departments. Sustaining our effort means that Deputies will continue to drive renewal in their organizations along the established priority areas of integrated planning, recruitment, employee development and enabling infrastructure.
We will continue to make concrete annual commitments in each of these areas, and I will report on our progress through my annual report to the Prime Minister. This is important for keeping up momentum.
Keep the Renewal Agenda Current
But, Public Service renewal is not static, and the agenda must continue to evolve to stay relevant. One area that I believe deserves more emphasis is workplace renewal.
A foundation has been laid by improving integrated business and human resources planning, and implementing recruitment plans to increase our intake of post-secondary graduates and qualified specialists.
Yet, we have not responded to the demand from our employees for new tools, processes, and systems – a new work environment – that allow them to innovate in service of our country. It is time now to take the next step and provide people with workplaces that support innovation, networking, and collaboration.
I see four areas to focus on.
First, we need to encourage and nurture more innovative and creative workplaces across the Public Service. We have always been strong in providing policy advice to governments and designing programs. However, I believe that we have become overly risk-averse in how we serve Canadians and run our organizations.
I know that it is not easy with the minority Parliaments we have had, but we still need to do more to support our staff at all levels in exploring and working through new ideas and new ways of doing business.
People need to be risk-aware, while feeling safe and rewarded for looking at things differently and pushing for change. As part of this, we might think about leading by example, with an innovation campaign here at PCO.
Second, we need to invest in making our workplace more effective and modern. In part, this is about strengthening our back office and our internal management systems, such as the work which is underway on pay modernization. We have made progress in this area, but more needs to be done.
Treasury Board Secretariat needs to continue to work with departments on streamlining the web of rules. Departments, in particular, have to take the next step by examining their own rules and reducing those where appropriate. We at PCO also need to be careful about the demands we make on departments for reports.
Third, the workplace has to encourage increased collaboration. This is not just about inventing new organizational structures to connect us. Our workplace has to adapt to support greater use of collaborative technologies, such as wikis, that offer new ways to resolve policy and management issues. They are also platforms for addressing government-wide challenges.
Networks are catalysts for working horizontally and building critical mass around good ideas. It falls to each public servant to invest in building strong relationships and partnerships. I know that our youngest public servants take this all for granted anyway. We should be humble and open enough to learn from them.
Finally, the workplace we are going to build will continue to be framed by Public Service values and ethics. We must also do more to recognize diversity as a core value. This will not happen by osmosis.
Understanding the democratic role of the Public Service and how to apply the core values hinges on deliberate dialogue between managers and employees.
Leaders at all levels need to clearly affirm that the Government and Canadians are best served by a Public Service that reflects the society we serve, and recognizes diversity in talent, skill, education and experience as a competitive advantage over other public services.
This is what I see as the forward direction of Public Service renewal. It is about renewing the workplace to enable public servants to better serve Canadians.
I have always advocated that how you lead is as important as where you are heading and what you are trying to accomplish. As we move forward, this means harnessing the energy of every public servant, regardless of level, age, background, or experience.
Allow me to use a Team Canada analogy here. The players who are being considered for Canada’s Olympic Hockey Team have demonstrated that they are willing to play the role that is required, just to have the chance to be part of something bigger than their personal bests. They recognize that all roles are important and know they will return to their home teams as better players.
In the same way, to succeed at our mission of building a Public Service that is effective, innovative, collaborative, and values-based, each person needs to play a role. Sometimes, this may mean stepping out of your comfort zone for the benefit of the team. Take your experience and apply it to a new challenge. See your individual contribution in the outcome.
This includes how we work together here in PCO.
Renewal in PCO
PCO Context
I know that public servants come to PCO to make a contribution to the Government’s agenda and decision making. These are challenging times for all us, particularly because of the minority government situation. The Public Service has to play a special role during such times, and PCO’s role is unique.
We should all recognize, as Marie-Lucie outlined, the solid work done by PCO and the leadership that has been demonstrated during successive minority governments.
Thinking about my role today, compared to when I was Deputy Secretary for Plans and Consultation in 1995, one of my first observations was that we seem to have more people at PCO today. I quickly connected this to our work and operating environment, both of which have simply become more complex.
The pace of technological change and business processes is faster. Blackberries and modern media have generated close to a 24/7 work ethic. The issues are more horizontal, which also changes the role of the centre. Each issue requires more coordination with a larger number of departments now, to ensure we provide coherent and integrated advice to the Government.
I would also say that political expectations are different now, and that PCO has an even greater role in the political-Public Service relationship than it once had. At the same time there is greater demand for PCO advice. This makes the PCO role more distinctive compared to when I was here last.
Ongoing Success of PCO
Given our current environment, how do we ensure the ongoing success of PCO? In my view, it depends on strong people management, and making more time for strategic thinking.
People management and leadership are core skills and competencies required of all executives and managers. The single most important indicator of organizational success is the quality of people management.
The recent employee survey results tell us that PCO starts from a place of strength. Staff indicate a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, work and organizations. You should all take pride in the quality of PCO’s results, considering that the level of satisfaction with most people management drivers at PCO was higher than the Public Service average.
In terms of tenure, PCO has been able to strike a balance. Some of you arrive from line departments brimming with fresh ideas, with the intention of making a significant contribution for 18 to 24 months. Others see themselves staying here over the long-term to build their careers. In fact, ideal tenure varies within each occupational community, according to the nature of work performed.
The most important area where the Public Service Employee Survey suggests we need to do more is on career development, including training, learning plans, on-the-job coaching, and career progression. Employees would also like more encouragement to be innovative. Hence my proposal: why not have a PCO innovation campaign, as I said earlier?
Newer entrants need deliberate mentoring and coaching in the role of the Public Service, the application of values and ethics, and how to be effective as public servants. Some lessons can only be imparted when told by seasoned public servants who have lived similar challenges, and such stories are critical to developing good judgment. Here, knowledge transfer is the key.
A number of initiatives are underway to address the needs of each of the four main communities at PCO: administrative support, analysts, corporate services, and executives. I would like to recognize the active leadership of Patricia Hassard and Simon Kennedy for administrative support and analysts, respectively.
Renew the Way We Do Business
The last message I want to leave with you today is that renewal presents a huge opportunity to renew the way we do business as a Public Service. I believe PCO should be a role model and set the tone.
I have always believed in leadership by example, and we must always remember that PCO has a leadership role.
As we move forward, I want us to continue to master the balance between playing a challenge function for line departments, while working together and collaborating for the public good. This is an art.
For example, the Cabinet decision-making process hasn’t changed since I was here in 1995. Do we have a role to play, which would be helpful to the Government and Departments, in considering how to move from a transaction-based process to more of a results or performance-based focus?
For example, each Memorandum to Cabinet asks for direction on at least three things: what the Government would like to do in a given area, the most appropriate instrument for implementation, and how much should be spent. Should Ministers be asked to give consideration to these questions at the same time? Does it lead to effective decisions?
All of this to say that PCO’s success will depend on our ability to manage the day-to-day business of the Government to ensure it is addressing the needs of Canadians as effectively and efficiently as possible.
As we emerge from the global economic crisis, it is essential for the Public Service and PCO in particular, to stay focussed on assessing the challenges facing Canadians.
There are encouraging signs that the tide may be turning in the current global economic crisis. When it does, both governments and citizens will be looking to the Public Service for sound, reasoned thinking about the course we need to chart next.
It is clear that we will be called upon as a Public Service to provide policy advice that goes beyond today’s focus on stimulus. Before the economic crisis hit, we were worried about problems like a dwindling labour-force, productivity and innovation. These issues are going to come to the fore again over the next few years, and we will need to be ready.
Many have argued that this crisis has not just challenged traditional notions of economic management, but has even changed the role of government. Will we see a greater appetite for government intervention, not just in Canada, but across the globe? How will we coordinate with our partners and allies – will we see a resurgence of global governance fora like the G-8 and the G-20?
And many issues that left the front page during the economic crisis will return. For example, Canada is currently in a clean energy dialogue with the United States and it is clear that climate change is still a major public policy challenge.
It is vital that we continue to lead dialogue and advice in all of these areas and more, with a view towards medium-term priorities. We are privileged to have the responsibility to think through where we want Canada to be in five years and to be able to bring forward that advice to the Government.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all again for your support to me. It means a lot to have good people standing behind you - people who are professionals, dedicated to addressing any situation. Thank you.
With a potential election pending, we are entering “interesting” times. The Public Service is already the custodian of our country’s permanent problems. During an election period, we are also the guardian of the sceptre of Government. Consequently, the expectations for PCO’s leadership, and our role in providing Canadians with stability and order, are even higher.
I have every confidence in this team and I look forward to your continued support. Thank you.