The Canadian model of public administration

1
The Canadian model of public administration

• A practitioners perspective
• Mark Goldenberg
• May 5, 2005

2
Purpose

• Offer a practitioners take on the Canadian
  model
• Suggest where practice may be falling short
• And where model needs to be further elaborated

3
Methodology

• Review of recent literature
• Interviews with public servants and observers
• Reflections on own experience

4
A Canadian model?

• Westminster parliamentary democracy
• Federal state, with division of powers
• Charter and role of courts
• North American context and influences

5
A Canadian model?

• Positive role of state in society
• Professional, non-partisan well-performing public
  service
• Customary rules (e.g. ministerial
  responsibility, public service anonymity)

6
A Canadian model?

• Variety of organizational and institutional
  arrangements
• Third way between traditional bureaucracy and
  new public management
• Pragmatism and tolerance for ambiguity

7
A Canadian model?

• Little that is unique
• Has distinctive elements that perhaps add up to
  a unique case (Gow)
• But is it exemplary? (Lindquist)

8
A practitioners perspective
9
A model can be helpful . . .

• Model, as articulated, resonates (generally) with
  public servants
• Can provide useful instrument to help guide work
• And encourage public servants to take the long
  view

10
But . . .

• A sense that we have lost our way
• Practice no longer reflects theory in some areas
• Some elements not fully operationalized
• Need to address changing realities

11
Where Canadian model is wanting

• Lack of clarity and respect for roles of public
  service and political realm
• Confusion and ambiguity about accountability
• Failure to reflect our distinctiveness
• Need to address new challenges

12
Public servants and elected leaders

• Roles and relationships not clearly articulated
  or respected (spaces Savoie)
• Moved away from traditional roles of speaking
  truth to power and providing fearless advice
• Too much the servant of the government of the day
  and not of broader public interest

13
The accountability conundrum

• Unclear spaces mean unclear accountabilities
• Taking another look at ministerial accountability
• The thickening of accountability

14
Federalism, geography and diversity

• The unitary impulse
• Integrating and responding to regional realities
  (not)
• Reflecting diversity . . . A work-in-progress

15
A changing public service in a changing world

• Working vertically . . . and horizontally
• New approaches to service delivery
• New public management

16
A changing public service in a changing world

• The new policy paradigm
• Transparency . . . and safe space
• The engaging public servant

17
Conclusion

• Model fundamentally sound and valuable
• But some elements no longer working while others
  not fully operationalized
• And model needs to adapt to respond to new
  realities

18
Some modest proposals

• Stepping up to the plate
• Dialogue and enhanced literacy
• The power of transparency
• Public servants and Parliament

19
Some modest proposals

• Exercising national leadership
• Making horizontality work
• Finding safe space