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Commentary

by David Zusman


A recent visit to England and Scotland reminded me of the many innovations in public sector management taking place around the world. There has been a steady stream of reports on the government’s performance on a number of key policy areas based on performance measures and other metrics used to hold agencies or departments to account.

In Scotland, much of the discussion (aside from speculation on an independence vote) has been directed to the government̵...

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ON THE COVER

Shirley Serafini, DM, Indian and Northern Affairs, holds an original piece of contemporary Iroquois pottery detailed with many symbols showing lifecycles of rebirth and renewal; unity in peace and friendship; earth and motherhood; and the harmonious forces and spirits of nature.

Photography: Martin Lipman - martin.lipman@gripandgrinphoto.com

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Y2K... A GOVERNMENT ON-LINE PATHFINDER
Allen Conrad
During the final years of the last millennium, all developed countries around the world were faced with an urgent, serious and unprecedented problem  the Year 2000 date change problem (or Y2K bug) which affected virtually all computers and digital systems in use globally. If left unchecked, the Y2K bug had the potential to cripple critical infrastructure and services everywhere. It was a deceptively simple issue arising from the use of two-digit years in digital systems, but its repercussions could have been massive.
CITIZEN-CENTRED SERVICE NETWORK WINS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Geoff Dinsdale
Action-Research Roundtables and Brian Marson, Senior Advisor, Service and Innovation, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
On October 18th, in Cape Town, South Africa, the Citizen-Centred Service Network received the Silver International Innovations Award from the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM). It won the award for working across boundaries to improve service delivery to Canadians.
DELIBERATIVE POLLING:GIVING VOICE TO AN INFORMED PUBLIC
James S. Fishkin
As democracy spread around the world, it brought "power to the people", but under conditions where the people have little motivation to think about the power they are supposed to exercise. Elections, public opinion polls, and referenda all provide opportunities for the expression of public opinion. But the opinions expressed by ordinary citizens through these institutions tend to suffer from at least two major defects.
INTEGRATED PROBLEM-SOLVING Advice from the Dean of McGill's Faculty of Management
Mike Kennedy
In today's fast-moving world, it is not uncommon for senior executives to report that trying to implement change in a government environment sometimes feels a bit like attempting to steer the Titanic away from the iceberg. It can be tough enough trying to meet the needs of multiple constituencies and to cope with the unremitting pressure to do more with less; add to that the difficulties associated with managing an aging, and in some cases demoralized, Public Service workforce, and it soon becomes clear that providing leadership for a major department or agency is a task that clearly is not for the faint of heart.
CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DELIBERATIVE POLLING Doing Democracy: How deliberative polling works
Nancy Averill
Citizens are looking for a stronger voice in government decision making. They are becoming less willing to have decisions made for them by government, and are more inclined to trust their own judgement in political matters.
AIM: NEW DIMENSIONS, NEW TRUTHS
Paul Crookall
Excellence in public management begins with a clear sense of aim  and the basic components of aim are mission, leadership, and accountability. As we work with the new tools and trends of public management  including initiatives such as Citizen Centred Service and Government On-Line  we need to keep the fundamentals clearly in mind. Indeed, it is even more important to focus on knowing one's mission, providing good leadership, and being accountable, since these are central to the success of any new initiatives.
CONNECTING ABORIGINAL CANADIANS
Shirley Serafini, DM, Indian and Northern Affairs Interview by John Dingwall
Information and communication technologies  particularly the Internet  have the potential both to improve the quality of life for Aboriginal peoples in Canada and to contribute to effective self-government on their part. Canadian Government Executive spoke to Shirley Serafini, the Deputy Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, about the potential of these new technologies and the approach being taken in implementing them. >>Full Story
CLARIFYING AND VALUING ACCOUNTABILITY
Walter Baker
Centre and Anne Perkins, Ottawa consultant Accountability needs to play a more positive and central role in public management  at every organizational level and across all functions. Managers and executives can and should be held meaningfully accountable for the results delivered by the organizations, units, or projects they manage, and for the effectiveness with which such results are delivered. They need to understand both the limitations and the strengths of accountability, and to develop the skills required to design and implement effective and workable results-based accountability processes.