Reform of public sector management: Canadaïs response to the challenge

Abstract

The scope of reforms undertaken during the past ten to fifteen year under the auspices of the New Public Management has had significant implications for public sector management in Canada. "Managing at the top" now requires very different skills and capacities than were required a generation ago; there has been a transformation in the organization of public service delivery which necessitates new competencies. Today there is less adherence to vertical structures of command and control which prevailed in more "classic" Weberian bureaucracies. The changing role and nature of the state, in terms of structure and organization, as well as the advances of information technology, have given rise to different requirements in knowledge and aptitudes for public managers. New configurations in terms of service delivery, changes in the citizen/government relationship, increased public participation in policy, as well as the emphasis on management of intersectoral issues have resulted in the need to reconceptualise the preparation and capacities of today's managers. Public sector issues and policies have become increasingly "horizontal" and managers need to manage up, down, and out, and to motivate knowledge-workers to perform to increasingly higher - and transparent - standards of performance.

Many states, including Canada, have adopted measures to modernize their public services and equip their leaders with the skills required to face the new realities, which include: a) Managing decentralized and regional agencies; b) Providing for increased accountability and transparency; c) Managing intersectoral teams; d) Enhanced financial management providing for stronger internal controls and demonstrated value for money; e) More responsive, efficient and effective services to citizens; f) Managing for results.

This presentation will examine some of the measures adopted in the Canadian public service to more effectively modernize and professionalise its cadre of managers and to provide the mechanisms for continuous learning and innovation.