March 31, 1998
Dear Prime Minister:
Pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act, I am pleased to submit to you the
Fifth Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada.
In my annual report of 1995, I discussed several international trends that were
influencing the role and function of governments and of public sector institutions around
the world. To keep pace with the times and the changing needs of citizens, I set three key
tasks for the public service: strengthening its policy capacity; modernizing its service
delivery function; and building a vibrant national public service adapted to future needs.
We made progress every year since then, and each year we recognized that more could be
done. This year is no different. In this report, I reaffirm the importance of the three
key tasks, I note the progress made during the last year and I briefly sketch the areas
that require special effort.
In policy development, the most important challenge will be to explore ways to better
engage the participation of citizens. In service delivery, the challenge will be to
use information technology to provide Canadians with access to government services on
their terms and according to their needs and circumstances. In human resources management,
the goal is to become a learning and knowledge-based organization, one able
to provide people with the breadth of knowledge and experience necessary to advise
and serve in a modern global environment.
Mr. Prime Minister, public servants are doing their part to build a modern, vibrant
institution. With your guidance and the support of your government and of Parliament, I am
confident that the Public Service of Canada will continue to make an important
contribution to Canada’s future and will be ready to meet the challenges of the next
millennium.
Jocelyne Bourgon |
