Well Done Vancouver! Congrats Canada!!

It is the last day of the 2010 Winter Olympics just half an hour before the closing ceremonies. As I look back on the last 17 days, all I can say is WOW! Vanoc you have done a wonderful job. Vancouver you were fantastic and Canada you were extraordinary. Though the games started tragically, they went on to be an extraordinary example of Canadian resilience and spirit. Even Jacques Rogge, head of the IOC has said that he has never seen such a spirit in an Olympic City.

What a way to finish the games than to win the Gold medal at Hockey....in overtime with a goal by Sidney Crosby. Parties have broken out all over the country...they are partying and playing street hockey on Yonge Street in Toronto.

From Alexandre Bilodeau winning Canada's first Gold medal on home soil to Joannie Rochette's extraordinary bronze medal performance in figure skating, the whole Canadian team did Canada proud.

I hope that the spirit that was evident throughout these last 17 days and in the torch run that preceded the games will last for a long time in Canada and are a harbinger for a new attitude in this great country.

If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care

I recently received a link to a great video that is based on an article written by Jonathan Roach of the National Journal magazine in the US entitled If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care. The article is based on the US Health Care system and its fragmented nature. It is very funny but so true! Some of the issues that the protagonist goes through in the US applies to Canada also.




Hope you enjoy!

Fiscal Review of US States

A recent report by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers lays out the precarious state of the finances in US State governments.

The report makes the case that US states are currently facing one of the worst, if not the worst, fiscal periods since the Great Depression. During 2009 their respective fiscal conditions significantly deteriorated and the trend is expected to continue into the next three fiscal years. Tax revenues from every source are down and demands on state programs is significantly increased as a result of the recession. Unlike Canadian provinces, US States are not allowed to run a budgetary deficit. They must enact either spending cuts or increase tax and must balance every year.

The increase in expenditure pressures for mandated programs such as Medicare and Medicaid as well as the increased demand for social services as a result of the significant increase in unemployment will mean that US States will continue to struggle to balance their budgets. Obviously each individual state has its own particular struggles, with California the one getting the most press given the fiscal mess that they are in. Can you imagine a Canadian province issuing "IOU's"?

Between the fiscal mess at the US Federal Government level and the struggles at the State level, it seems that only a miracle will resolve the fiscal issues facing the US. Let's hope for one, because the alternative for the world economy and in particular the Canadian economy are too gruesome to contemplate. (Sorry to be gloomy, I guess the February blahs have kicked in!)

Tom Brokaw on Canada

Came across a video that was done by Tom Brokaw on Canada for the Vancouver Olympics. It's a pretty good video explaining to our American cousins the relationship between our two countries. Enjoy......

150!Canada Conference - more

Shout out to Andrew Steele for his wonderful Blog today on the Globe and Mail website.

Andrew writes about what the 150th anniversary of Confederation could mean for Canada and highlights the role that IPAC is spearheading in organizing the first conference on March 11 and 12 in Ottawa.

As I mentioned in my last post, we have an incredible line up of speakers...so register today...what are you waiting for?

Thanks ANDREW!!

150!Canada Conference

Have you registered yet for our upcoming 150!Canada conference that is taking place at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 11 and 12, 2010. If you haven't, here is a list of the speakers that you will miss (and probably kick yourself later):

Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin on Citizenship
Helen Davies on the Politics of Participation
Peter Aykroyd on the Anniversary Compulsion
Bruce Kidd on Arts and Athleticism
Rita Cox on New Canadian Stories
Roch Carrier on our Past and Likely Future
Jeanette Hanna on Symbolizing the State
Mary Simon on Looking North
Daniel Caron on the Future of National Memory
Justin Brown on Australia at 100
Francisco Barrio on Mexico at 200
Luci Tremblay on Quebec City at 400
Barbara Stymiest on Nation-building
Tom Jenkins on Innovation and Competitiveness
Jeff Melanson on Energizing the Arts
Sujit Choudhry on Demographics and Democracy
Nicole Sanscartier on a New Generation
Keith Neuman on Why Canadians Want to Celebrate
Danny Graham on Citizen Leadership
Monica Patten on Connecting Communities
Marlo Raynolds on Canada’s Ecological Future

Plus a few others to be announced shortly. And if that isn't enough, we also have a wonderful concert on March 11th - 6717: An Arts Celebration with:

Jully Black
Radio Radio
David Virelles
Bear Witness
Rise Ashen
Sampradaya Dance Creations

So what are you waiting for...Register today!!!

And if that isn't enough for you...read the wonderful letter from Wayne Wouters, the Federal Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary of the Cabinet, commending IPAC for taking this initiative and commenting on the importance of Canada's upcoming sesquicentennial (the letter is on our conference website). Thanks Wayne for such a positive message.

See you in Ottawa!

The High Road

I wrote a few times about a wonderful book written by Terry Fallis called "The Best Laid Plans" that I enjoyed immensely. When Terry wrote his book, he could not find a publisher, so he started by doing a pod cast and then he self-published the book. He was then nominated for the LEACOCK Memorial Medal for Humour and then went on to win the medal. As a result of all this, Terry got a publisher and has been speaking about the book in numerous venues.

Well....Terry has now written a sequel entitled "The High Road" that is due to be published in September 2010. I can't wait to get my hands on this book. If you are interested in Canadian politics and also want an entertaining and funny book, I highly recommend "The Best Laid Plans" and I am sure that the sequel will be just as entertaining.

The Video below is a synopsis of the book saga by Terry....

Haiti

On February 12th, an new version of "We Are The World" was released in aid of disaster relief for Haiti. The video was made by Paul Haggis and includes over 80 artists and performers.

World's Most Livable Cities....Guess who's Number 1.....

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just released the list of the world's top ten most livable cities....and Canada has 3 cities in the top ten.

In fact, the world's most livable city is....Vancouver. Not only are they hosting the Winter Olympics (great opening ceremonies by the way), but now they are #1 in the world. Talk about bragging rights.

Toronto is ranked number 4, followed by Calgary at number 5. For full disclosure, I should note that Australia had 4 cities in the top ten: Melbourne at # 3; Sydney at # 7; Perth at # 8; and Adelaide at # 9.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's liveability rating, part of the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual's lifestyle in 140 cities worldwide. Each city is assigned a score for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories:

* Stability
* Healthcare
* Culture and environment
* Education
* Infrastructure

For those who are interested in looking at all the factors you can find them here.

The Olympics are another opportunity for the world to see why Vancouver is rated #1. Congratulations to Vancouver.

20 Years Ago.....

On February 20, 1990 a historic event took place in South Africa...the Apartheid regime released Nelson Mandela from his 27 year imprisonment at Robbin Island. It was a memorable day for those of us who believe in equality, democracy and human rights. I remember the anti-apartheid campaigns that we held on campus at University and still have a framed poster from that time. And I remember seeing Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak to the assembled crowd on the lawns in front of Queen's Park. What a moving experience.

What Nelson Mandela was able to accomplish after his release, moving South Africa to a full democracy without a civil war is truly extraordinary.

In looking at some of the stories related to the release of Nelson Mandela, I came across a reference to a new documentary about another hero of mine entitled "RFK in the Land of Apartheid". This documentary follows Robert Kennedy's trip to South Africa to confront the apartheid regime. I am always moved by some of RFK's speeches such as the one he delivered in Indianapolis the night that Martin Luther King was assassinated.

The speech that RFK gave on June 6, 1966 at the University of Cape Town for the National Union of South African Students Day of Affirmation which is dubbed the "Ripple of Hope" speech is truly moving. Listen to RFK give this speech and read it. His values and perspective is just as valid today as it was in 1966.

The New Population Bomb

In the January/February 2010 issue of Foreign Affairs there is an interesting essay by Jack Gladstone entitled "The New Population Bomb: The four megatrends that will change the world".

In his essay, Mr. Gladstone notes the following four major demographic trends that will affect the 21st Century:

1) the decrease in the relative demographic weight of developed countries;
2) the aging and declining workforce in these developed countries;
3) the substantial increase in population in the poorest, youngest and most heavily Muslim countries; and
4) the continued urbanization of the world with the majority of the population living in urban areas.

The decline and aging of the population in developed countries is relatively well documented. I actually wrote about this a few years ago as part of an Executive Brief on Organization & People Performance. This decline in the labour force of developed countries is a major challenge facing policy makers as it will impact the potential economic growth of countries such as Canada. A number of countries will actually see a decline in their respective populations, a decline in the active workforce and a significant increase in their seniors population. The percentage of the global GDP derived from Western countries is already on the decline from 68% in 1950 to 47% in 2003. Projections are for a rapid decline to 30% by 2050. The implication of this trend is that the overwhelming majority of GDP growth will occur outside of Western countries over the next 40 years. This is in line with the significant increase in the middle class in developing countries - they will be the engines of economic growth with their increased demand for goods and services. According to a World Bank report, the middle class will increase by 200% in developing countries between 2005 and 2030 (to 1.2 Billion people).

Western countries are also facing an aging population and a decline in the number of working age citizens. The most extreme example cited in this essay is South Korea that will see its overall population decline by 9% by 2050, its working age population drop by 36% over the same period and the number of citizens 60 years of age and older increase by 150%! This same trend is evident in other developed countries, though the swings are not as extreme. Even China will be feeling the impact of these trends as the average age of its population continues to creep up.

The impact on economic growth will be significant. The Canadian Parliamentary Budget Officer will be releasing a report in the next two weeks that will look at the impact of demographics on economic growth and the labour force over the next 50 - 75 years. That should be an interesting read, especially for Canadian policy makers.

I will tackle the two other megatrends in an upcoming blog post, as this one is long enough!

Benchmarking the performance of the Australian Government

Came across an interesting study by KPMG on "Benchmarking the performance of the Australian Government Service"

In September 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia announced his ambition to further strengthen the Australian Public Service (APS). As a first step, he has established an Advisory Group on Reform of the Australian Government Administration to develop a blueprint for reform of the public service. Its mission is to advise on how to create “the best public service anywhere in the world unified in pursuing excellence and putting Australia and Australians at the centre of everything [it does]”.

To inform the Advisory Group’s work, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet commissioned KPMG to compare the performance of the APS against leading public services around the world.

The Advisory Group drew up a set of key criteria which reflect the characteristics of a model public service. According to the Advisory Group, the public service of the future must:

-have a values-driven culture that retains public trust;

-provide high-quality, forward-looking and creative policy advice;

-deliver high-quality programs and services that put the citizen first;

-provide flexible and agile responses to changing realities and government priorities; and

- be effective and efficient in all operations.

This study compares the performance of the Australian Public Service (APS) to those of eight other public services in France, Denmark, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. It evaluates six key criteria, including the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, the ability to provide flexible and agile responses to changing realities, and the capacity to attract and retain people of the highest quality. According to the results of the survey, the APS is a high performer where responsive to changes in the economy is concerned but performs comparatively poorly in terms of its capability for coordinated, informed and strategic policy.

This is fascinating comparative study of the public service in these 8 countries and provides some food for thought for all those interested in the performance of public services.

If we can put a Man on the Moon

Tonight I had the pleasure of attending a session with Bill Eggers, global director for Deloitte Research and director of the Deloitte Public Leadership Institute. Bill is responsible for research and thought leadership for Deloitte’s public sector industry practice.

You may have read some of his previous books (if you haven't read them!) , namely Governing by Network; Government 2.0; and The Public Innovator’s Playbook.

Well...he has a new book out called "If we can put a Man on the Moon: Getting big things done in Government".

Tonight in front of a roomful of invited guests Bill talked about his book and about how governments, in Canada as well as the USA, can make things work in this ever increasingly complex world.

People are frustrated with their government — dismayed by a series of high-profile failures (in the US: Iraq, Katrina, the financial meltdown). Yet both Canada and the USA have a proud history of great achievements: the Canadian healthcare system, the highway system, welfare reform, and the moon landing.

In this book If We Can Put a Man on the Moon, Bill Eggers and John O'Leary explain how to do it. The key? Understand — and avoid — the common pitfalls that trip up public-sector leaders during the journey from idea to results.

Bill talked about the Seven Deadly Traps that could result in the failure of an initiative. These are:

The Tolstoy Trap: Seeing only the possibilities you want to see;

Design-Free Design: Designing policies for passage through the legislature, not for implementation;

The Stargate Trap: Idea never makes it though the legislature or is so distorted that it will never achieve its intended results;

The Overconfidence Trap: Creating unrealistic budgets and timelines;

The Sisyphus Trap: Failing to understand the special challenges of the public sector;

The Complacency Trap: Failing to recognize that a program needs change;

The Silo Trap: Fumbling handoffs throughout the execution of the project.

Bill showed us an interactive map that illustrates the traps and shows a journey to success. I would encourage you to take a look at this website.

It was a fascinating talk and I would encourage you to buy Bill's latest book.

Need for Increased Infrastructure

A recent survey of public sector leaders from around the world conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of KPMG has identified the need for continued investment in infrastructure even as economic stimulus funding is slated to end. This is not surprising, especially in North America, as most of our major infrastructure - water & sewage; highways; schools, etc - was built in the 1950s to 1970s and is coming to the end of their useful life. I recall a recent report in a newspaper about the age of the sewer pipes in major Canadian cities - some of these pipes are from the late 1800's and are made of wood. You can just imagine the water leakage that occurs!

The report states that 70 percent of North American respondents said lack of funds remains the largest obstacle to infrastructure development, compared to 56 percent of their global peers.

“While stimulus spending was a first step, many government officials are clearly telling us that they need a long-term infrastructure investment strategy to meet the needs of their country,” said Stephen Beatty, head of infrastructure advisory for KPMG’s Global Infrastructure practice in the Americas and a partner in KPMG in Canada. “Modernizing the world’s infrastructure will require massive investment and cooperation by the public and private sectors for many years to come. But those countries that find ways to make the necessary infrastructure investments now are likely to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

The report also surveys the respondents view as to the effectiveness of governments in delivering infrastructure with the preponderant view that this is one of the barriers to delivery as is lack of financing.

I believe that the solution to "effectiveness" issues requires that governments work closely with their stakeholders in determining the infrastructure requirements and that they then work closely with the private sector to deliver on these requirements. A long-term capital investment strategy is also required to align resources versus the replacement requirements for infrastructure as well as planning for new infrastructure.

In March 2008, IPAC published a special issue of our Canadian Public Administration journal that was devoted to public-private partnerships. If you are an IPAC member, you can log in and go to CPA to see all these fascinating articles.

There is clearly much to do to renew our infrastructure in Canada and governments have a lead responsibility to ensuring that this infrastructure is in place so that our future economic growth is optimized. The KPMG report is quite interesting and I would recommend it.