IV
CHALLENGES FOR THE YEAR AHEAD
The arrival of a new Government does not change the traditional vocation of the Public
Service. Indeed, that vocation has been publicly reaffirmed by the Prime Minister. Yet at
the same time, the activities and priorities of the Public Service will of course adjust
in response to the particular objectives of the Government, its policy agenda and the
economic and social circumstances of the new mandate.
The question of values is important. The Government has made clear, for example, that
it is committed to managing any necessary reductions in staff to the extent possible
through attrition rather than layoffs. And the Prime Minister took immediate steps, on
taking office, to reduce the size of Ministers' offices and to restate the importance of
the traditionally close working relationship between Ministers and their Deputies. 13 I applaud these measures as an expression of
confidence in the Public Service.
Since taking office, and particularly in the February Budget, the Government has
launched a series of major policy and program reviews touching virtually every aspect of
government activity. Those reviews will eventually lead to significant changes in
government policies and the programs that follow from them. The pressures on public
servants to be innovative during this review process, and to adapt to change at the end of
it, will be intense.
For these reasons, I see the following areas as requiring particular attention in the
coming year:
Stability
Given the scope of the current policy and program review exercise, it will be a
priority for Deputies and their management teams to consolidate their organizations and to
generate an atmosphere of stability within which employees can carry out their duties to
the Government and to Canadians. This will mean settling internal organizational and
staffing issues as quickly as possible, so that people can get down to work with a sense
of confidence and direction. I am listing this as a first priority because I believe that
without this kind of stability, other objectives will be difficult to attain.
Better Service to Canadians
This is of course part of the raison d'être of the Public Service and a
declared priority of the Government. In many program areas, we will be pursuing ways of
co-operating with other levels of government to improve services or reduce costs. We need
to move forward with the consolidation of delivery mechanisms and of internal
administrative functions, especially in the regions.
Although significant progress has been made, we have yet to realize the full benefit of
our already-significant investments in information technology and in innovative delivery
mechanisms such as Canada Business Service Centres and InfoCentres. Many similar
opportunities are available, especially for merging the administrative functions of
different departments located in the same area. Over time, this will lead to streamlined
services and significant cost savings.
In the 1994 Budget, the Government committed itself to establish and publish service
standards by 1995 and to issue a Declaration of Quality Service by the summer of the same
year. This is a tangible way to demonstrate the Government's commitment to provide better
service to Canadians.
Getting full value from these initiatives, especially in the critical area of
information technology, will require initial capital investments and some tough decisions
by the Government in the light of very limited resources. I believe, however, that these
investments offer the potential for significant savings to the taxpayer over the longer
term.
People
People ought always to be a priority in the process of renewal. I have already noted
the disruption, uncertainty and stress that have resulted from the changes of the past
year. This makes it all the more important to maintain the motivation, values and skills
of public servants, and their faith in this institution.
Departments and central agencies will need to continue their efforts to help the
workforce adjust to the changing environment, to improve the quality of working life, and
to provide increased opportunities for employees to develop the skills they need to tackle
the challenges ahead.
13 |
See the Prime Minister's press release of November 4, 1993. |
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