Canada
The then Chief of Staff to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper talks about how to brief a Prime Minister...
Pay deal reached with striking Canadian public servants striking for two weeks
The dispute centred on demands for greater pay and concerns with the drive to get more people back to workplaces. The government has offered pay rises and more flexibility around remote work...
Published by Policy Horizons a strategic foresight organisation within the Canadian Government. This paper looks at how the life course is changing and what that means for future social and economic policy...
Policy Transformation in Canada
Neil Bouwer, Vice President of the Canadian School of Public Service, explains how the process for developing good policy is being radically changed. You should be aware of this. This is coming our way...
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing his retirement, Wernick wrote that "recent events have led me to conclude that I cannot serve as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to cabinet during the upcoming election campaign.” There is a backstory - Wernick got caught up in allegations that he, on behalf of the PM, tried to inappropriately pressure the former Justice Minister...
Mandate letters for Canadian Ministers
Two things took my eye - the Canadians have a Minister for Democratic Institutions and one of the paragraphs in every Minister's Mandate letter is 'Our ability, as a government, to successfully implement our platform depends on our ability to thoughtfully consider the professional, non-partisan advice of public servants. Each and every time a government employee comes to work, they do so in service to Canada, with a goal of improving our country and the lives of all Canadians. I expect you to establish a collaborative working relationship with your Deputy Minister, whose role, and the role of public servants under his or her direction, is to support you in the performance of your responsibilities'. The Secretary of a Department is called 'Deputy Minister' in Canada...
The future of the public service - imagination and disruption
This article compares two recent articles which forecast the future disruption facing the public sector and the skills that will be needed for public servants to thrive in the future. One study is of the Canadian public sector, the other of the Australian public sector...
Ministerial Mandate letters published in Canada
In November, the new Canadian government made the 'Mandate letters', from the Prime Minister to each Minister public for the first time. Look up the Portfolio in which you have an interest...
Public Service of Canada Annual Report
Priorities for the next year are to reinvigorate recruitment, get better at dealing with mental health issues in the workplace and reinforce the policy community as a profession...