Interesting article in the Economist on the rise and use of Social Networking. It is a good read. For those who do not know, IPAC has launched a new IPAC e-connect site that is a networking site to link public servants across the country. If you haven't joined, do so today and connect across the country & around the world with other dedicated public servants.
We officially launched the e-connect site on January 27th and throughout the day a number of different live chats took place on subjects that were discussed at the October New Professionals conference. Check out the site & join in the discussions.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Resilience, Reliability & Results
A “resilient” organization, team, or individual has the ability to bounce back from a hard hit, to deal with adversity and return to a high level of performance. This idea has been gaining prominence in several fields in the last few years. In safety in high-consequence industries (aviation, chemical, nuclear, and healthcare), it means the ability to recover from accidents and also to prevent them before they happen. In human and social development, it means the ability of individuals and communities to rise above their circumstances and better themselves despite misfortunes or difficult conditions. In organizational terms, in means the capacity of a government, healthcare system, or private-sector company to recover from environmental shocks, adapt to the new situation, and return to a well-performing equilibrium point.
Why is resilience an important capacity for organizations, groups, and individuals to develop? In 1988, in a report for the Office of the Auditor General, Federal Government of Canada, Otto Brodtrick wrote:
“Well-performing organizations encourage risk taking. They are willing to try new methods when common sense dictates that better results can be achieved by following the spirit of a regulation, instead of the letter. However, staff must hold the values of stewardship, service and results, and they must consult with each other. When their people are governed by these values, the well-performing organizations encourage risk taking as a matter of strategy.”
Strategic risk-taking and risk management, toward optimizing performance, are hallmarks of the Resilient Organization. Given budget shortfalls, aging populations, and increasing demands for targeted, high-quality services, governments and healthcare systems must develop their capacity for resilience if they hope to accomplish their mandates. The same thing is true, in different ways, for high-consequence industries and the private sector. Achieving good performance in pockets seems more attainable than maintaining and sustaining it over large segments of a system or organization. Building organizational resilience is a necessary performance platform in today’s environment.
This is even more true today than it was ten or twenty years ago. Many governments, hospitals, school boards are facing budget crises and severe fiscal constraints across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Take the healthcare sector as a further illustration. In many Canadian provinces spending on health care is fast approaching half of the provincial budget and is growing at a rate of 5-8% per annum. This is at the same time as governments are running significant deficits and demand for health services are climbing. This is also at the same time when government should be focusing more of their scare resources on investing for the future. Departments/Ministries of Health and Finance can only meet their fiscal accountabilities if they adopt the Resilient Organization perspective. Otherwise, their strategies will be limited to broad-brush cuts in service which do not change the basic dynamics of the system. Resilience can achieve both: steadily bending the cost curve, while increasing the quality of care and access to service. How? By improving alignment across the sector, enabling organizations to adapt, flex, and anticipate to environmental shocks, and (in general) reducing the costs of coordination by improving system-wide teamwork and situational awareness. All of these are characteristics of a highly-reliable, resilient healthcare system.
There are a number of studies that show that by only focusing on results, organizational improvement is temporary and not embedded in the culture of the organization. Using the same resources, one can focus on creating a resilient organization that will achieve the desired results over the long term.
In a future post I will write about a new paper by some leading US Healthcare thinkers on "Transforming Healthcare: A Safety Imperative". It is a fascinating paper and I think hits the nail on the head in terms of how to transform health care.
Why is resilience an important capacity for organizations, groups, and individuals to develop? In 1988, in a report for the Office of the Auditor General, Federal Government of Canada, Otto Brodtrick wrote:
“Well-performing organizations encourage risk taking. They are willing to try new methods when common sense dictates that better results can be achieved by following the spirit of a regulation, instead of the letter. However, staff must hold the values of stewardship, service and results, and they must consult with each other. When their people are governed by these values, the well-performing organizations encourage risk taking as a matter of strategy.”
Strategic risk-taking and risk management, toward optimizing performance, are hallmarks of the Resilient Organization. Given budget shortfalls, aging populations, and increasing demands for targeted, high-quality services, governments and healthcare systems must develop their capacity for resilience if they hope to accomplish their mandates. The same thing is true, in different ways, for high-consequence industries and the private sector. Achieving good performance in pockets seems more attainable than maintaining and sustaining it over large segments of a system or organization. Building organizational resilience is a necessary performance platform in today’s environment.
This is even more true today than it was ten or twenty years ago. Many governments, hospitals, school boards are facing budget crises and severe fiscal constraints across Canada, Europe, and the U.S. Take the healthcare sector as a further illustration. In many Canadian provinces spending on health care is fast approaching half of the provincial budget and is growing at a rate of 5-8% per annum. This is at the same time as governments are running significant deficits and demand for health services are climbing. This is also at the same time when government should be focusing more of their scare resources on investing for the future. Departments/Ministries of Health and Finance can only meet their fiscal accountabilities if they adopt the Resilient Organization perspective. Otherwise, their strategies will be limited to broad-brush cuts in service which do not change the basic dynamics of the system. Resilience can achieve both: steadily bending the cost curve, while increasing the quality of care and access to service. How? By improving alignment across the sector, enabling organizations to adapt, flex, and anticipate to environmental shocks, and (in general) reducing the costs of coordination by improving system-wide teamwork and situational awareness. All of these are characteristics of a highly-reliable, resilient healthcare system.
There are a number of studies that show that by only focusing on results, organizational improvement is temporary and not embedded in the culture of the organization. Using the same resources, one can focus on creating a resilient organization that will achieve the desired results over the long term.
In a future post I will write about a new paper by some leading US Healthcare thinkers on "Transforming Healthcare: A Safety Imperative". It is a fascinating paper and I think hits the nail on the head in terms of how to transform health care.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Discussion on International Development
Video interview with Mark Malloch-Brown on international development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Malloch-Brown is former head of the United Nations Development Programme and former British Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
This is a very interesting interview.
This is a very interesting interview.
Topical Briefs
As part of IPAC's knowledge sharing strategy, IPAC developed "Topical Briefs" on a number of different issues, that is:
E-Government;
Citizen-Centered Service;
Single-Windows and Integrated Service Delivery;
Codes of Ethics;
Performance Measurement;
Whistle-Blowing;
Alternative Service Delivery;
Conflict of Interest; and
Public Private Partnerships
These briefs were written by Ken Kernaghan and funded by the World Bank Institute and is part of our International work. These are wonderful short pieces outlining the key issues under all these topics. Take a look at these....there is much more on the IPAC website as well.
E-Government;
Citizen-Centered Service;
Single-Windows and Integrated Service Delivery;
Codes of Ethics;
Performance Measurement;
Whistle-Blowing;
Alternative Service Delivery;
Conflict of Interest; and
Public Private Partnerships
These briefs were written by Ken Kernaghan and funded by the World Bank Institute and is part of our International work. These are wonderful short pieces outlining the key issues under all these topics. Take a look at these....there is much more on the IPAC website as well.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Role of the State
In this week's edition of The Economist the cover story is about the growth of government, especially in the developed world. The editorial and accompanying article show that even in the United States under George Bush, government has grown. This growth in the US began before the recent market meltdown and the intervention by the state to prop up the US banking industry and automotive industry. The Economist editorial and article make the point that the upcoming baby boomer retirements will create even more pressure on governments as this generation start to access health care and other services.
The editorial makes a good point that "smaller" government does not necessarily mean "better" government - what is needed is a "right" sized government to deliver the services that citizens demand.
The editorial makes a good point that "smaller" government does not necessarily mean "better" government - what is needed is a "right" sized government to deliver the services that citizens demand.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
More on Haiti
I am sure that you have all been watching the news out of Haiti. There was another aftershock today that was quite strong. The devastation in that country is beyond comprehension. The immediate needs are to provide medical assistance and to feed the population.
The responsiveness of the Canadian public service, including the armed forces, has been nothing but extraordinary. I think all Canadians should be proud of how our country and our government have responded.
There will be many years of rebuilding in Haiti. Not only infrastructure but also all aspects of civil society, public services, education, health care and the economy. As I wrote previously, the relationship between Canada and Haiti is a special one and I know that Canada will be at the forefront of this multiyear rebuilding.
I also think that IPAC and its members can play a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Haitian public service. As we are doing in many other countries around the world we can bring Canadian public sector expertise to bear and assist in building a non-partisan, efficient and effective public service.
The responsiveness of the Canadian public service, including the armed forces, has been nothing but extraordinary. I think all Canadians should be proud of how our country and our government have responded.
There will be many years of rebuilding in Haiti. Not only infrastructure but also all aspects of civil society, public services, education, health care and the economy. As I wrote previously, the relationship between Canada and Haiti is a special one and I know that Canada will be at the forefront of this multiyear rebuilding.
I also think that IPAC and its members can play a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Haitian public service. As we are doing in many other countries around the world we can bring Canadian public sector expertise to bear and assist in building a non-partisan, efficient and effective public service.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tomorrow's bureaucrats
Interesting editorial in today's Ottawa Citizen about the civil service.
Tomorrow's bureaucrats
what do you think?
Tomorrow's bureaucrats
what do you think?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Haiti
As you have all no doubt heard and read, there was a huge earthquake in Haiti that occurred two days ago. The devastation of an already impoverished country is significant.
The relationship between Canada and Haiti is longstanding and strong. Canada has provided significant assistance over the years to support the development of Haiti. In addition, there is a significant Haitian born population in Canada, including our Governor General.
My father before he retired and while he was working for the Government of Canada had the opportunity to travel to Haiti a few times to teach courses in automotive management. He loved the country and its people but was taken aback by the level of poverty in the country.
I see that the Government of Canada has reacted very quickly to the disaster in Haiti and is sending relief teams and supplies. And Canadians have reacted by contributing to the relief effort.
It will be a long process to rebuild Haiti and I am sure that all Canadians will continue to support that redevelopment.
The relationship between Canada and Haiti is longstanding and strong. Canada has provided significant assistance over the years to support the development of Haiti. In addition, there is a significant Haitian born population in Canada, including our Governor General.
My father before he retired and while he was working for the Government of Canada had the opportunity to travel to Haiti a few times to teach courses in automotive management. He loved the country and its people but was taken aback by the level of poverty in the country.
I see that the Government of Canada has reacted very quickly to the disaster in Haiti and is sending relief teams and supplies. And Canadians have reacted by contributing to the relief effort.
It will be a long process to rebuild Haiti and I am sure that all Canadians will continue to support that redevelopment.
Monday, January 11, 2010
150!Canada
In a little over two months, we will be gathering in Ottawa to start planning and imagining Canada's sesquicentennial celebrations in 2017. Those of us who were around in 1967 remember the centennial celebrations with fondness. Obviously Expo '67 in Montréal was a highlight of the year, but beyond that there were events right across the country from sea to sea to sea. The Centennial was also part of a period of incredible social change in Canada.
The Centennial year helped define Canada's modern identity. It focused our sense of public imagination and it made us feel proud to be Canadian.All of this took foresight and planning. The Centennial year succeeded because millions of Canadians worked with thousands of dedicated public servants to make it a year to remember.
Since 1967, Canada and the world have changed. Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017 is an opportunity to look back and to look forwards as we assert our ambitions for an even better Canada.
Canada's sesquicentennial is still six years away, but we think the time to start imagining and planning our national celebration is now. Staging major national events take time; we know that the first meetings concerning the 1967 celebrations were held in 1958. By this measure, we're already a year behind!
I urge all of you to attend the 150!Canada conference at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 11-12, 2010. To see the exciting program and the register, visit our website.
Bien de canadiens et canadiennes conservent de précieux souvenirs du Centenaire du Canada, en 1967, notamment, l’Expo, les centaines de nouveaux chantiers de travaux publics et les milliers d’événements communautaires.
L’année du Centenaire nous a aidé à définir l’image moderne du Canada, à aiguiser notre imagination collective et à ressentir notre fierté d’être Canadiens.
Mais pour cela, il a fallu prévoir et planifier. Le succès de l’année du Centenaire est attribuable à la collaboration de millions de Canadiens et de milliers de fonctionnaires dévoués, résolus à en faire une année mémorable.
Depuis 1967, le Canada et le monde ont changé. Le 150e anniversaire du Canada, en 2017, nous offre l’occasion de réfléchir au passé et à l’avenir au moment de définir nos ambitions en vue d’améliorer encore le Canada.
Le 150e anniversaire du Canada se tiendra dans six ans, mais nous croyons qu’il nous faut commencer dès maintenant à concevoir et à planifier notre fête nationale. Les préparatifs de grands événements nationaux exigent du temps. Ainsi, nous savons que les premières rencontres pour les fêtes de 1967 ont eu lieu dès 1958. À ce compte-là, nous accusons déjà un an de retard!
Venez et participez à cette conférence mémorable - prière visiter notre site web
The Centennial year helped define Canada's modern identity. It focused our sense of public imagination and it made us feel proud to be Canadian.All of this took foresight and planning. The Centennial year succeeded because millions of Canadians worked with thousands of dedicated public servants to make it a year to remember.
Since 1967, Canada and the world have changed. Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017 is an opportunity to look back and to look forwards as we assert our ambitions for an even better Canada.
Canada's sesquicentennial is still six years away, but we think the time to start imagining and planning our national celebration is now. Staging major national events take time; we know that the first meetings concerning the 1967 celebrations were held in 1958. By this measure, we're already a year behind!
I urge all of you to attend the 150!Canada conference at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on March 11-12, 2010. To see the exciting program and the register, visit our website.
Bien de canadiens et canadiennes conservent de précieux souvenirs du Centenaire du Canada, en 1967, notamment, l’Expo, les centaines de nouveaux chantiers de travaux publics et les milliers d’événements communautaires.
L’année du Centenaire nous a aidé à définir l’image moderne du Canada, à aiguiser notre imagination collective et à ressentir notre fierté d’être Canadiens.
Mais pour cela, il a fallu prévoir et planifier. Le succès de l’année du Centenaire est attribuable à la collaboration de millions de Canadiens et de milliers de fonctionnaires dévoués, résolus à en faire une année mémorable.
Depuis 1967, le Canada et le monde ont changé. Le 150e anniversaire du Canada, en 2017, nous offre l’occasion de réfléchir au passé et à l’avenir au moment de définir nos ambitions en vue d’améliorer encore le Canada.
Le 150e anniversaire du Canada se tiendra dans six ans, mais nous croyons qu’il nous faut commencer dès maintenant à concevoir et à planifier notre fête nationale. Les préparatifs de grands événements nationaux exigent du temps. Ainsi, nous savons que les premières rencontres pour les fêtes de 1967 ont eu lieu dès 1958. À ce compte-là, nous accusons déjà un an de retard!
Venez et participez à cette conférence mémorable - prière visiter notre site web
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Mental Health Crisis in the Public Service
In today's Ottawa Citizen, there is an article on the Federal Public Service and the doubling in mental health disability claims between 1991 and 2007 and its impact on productivity and innovation in the public service. Mental health disability claims now make up 45% of all disability claims in the Federal public service.
The following is an extract from the article:
It’s an affliction among the country’s nurses, teachers, police, military and bureaucrats at all levels of government, undermining innovation, productivity, quality of service, policy-making and even the relevance of our democratic institutions, said Bill Wilkerson, founder of Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health.
Stress, burnout and depression is evident in all workplaces, especially in times of economic turmoil. But few employers have as profound a problem as the federal public service where the health effects of mental distress has been termed an epidemic.
“The public service is a tsunami of distractions — meetings, everything questioned, delegated, people moving … and no one is really in charge,” said Wilkerson. “It’s the most transient, fluid, unsettling work environment on the planet, so why wouldn’t people be anxious and in distress? They are human beings.”
The public service is heading into uncertain times. Speculation is rife that the public service will be the first place the Harper government turns when wrestling with the deficit. There are rumblings of changing or cutting public servants’ pension and benefits plans.
But Wilkerson argued the big savings will come by reforming management in the public service, which will go a long way to reducing disability claims. He said the across-the-board cuts that government’s typically resort to will only eat into the public service’s productivity.
“Pension reform and benefit reconstruction will not save the government money until it creates a work environment that protects mental health and the disabling effects of job stress and depressive disorder. Depression is the public health crisis in the government of Canada. Period.”
Similarly, he called the government’s so-called renewal of the public service, largely aimed at hiring new recruits, a “vision without hope” unless it focuses on improving the work environment. Instead of getting at problems with management, the government has hired thousands of new young workers and placed them in a toxic environment.
Wilkerson singled out two major trends that are crippling the public service. The biggest is the rapid and high turnover of people bouncing from job to job.
“The churn is remarkable, like a ship at sea casting about in turbulent waves and cascading until one day it tips over and sinks.”
A symptom of this is public servants’ obsession with delegating tasks until no one is really knows who is responsible for what. He said stories abound of revolving-door managers who are oblivious to how their behaviour affects others.
What’s needed is a cultural overhaul that brings back “human relations, not labour relations,” said Wilkerson. That means treating people fairly, with respect, giving them authority and fulfilling jobs. Without these basics, people “ruminate” and seethe — the key indicator to stress and depression, Wilkerson said.
So what do you think? Is Mr. Wilkerson correct and does his analysis also pertain to the provincial, territorial and municipal public services?
The following is an extract from the article:
It’s an affliction among the country’s nurses, teachers, police, military and bureaucrats at all levels of government, undermining innovation, productivity, quality of service, policy-making and even the relevance of our democratic institutions, said Bill Wilkerson, founder of Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health.
Stress, burnout and depression is evident in all workplaces, especially in times of economic turmoil. But few employers have as profound a problem as the federal public service where the health effects of mental distress has been termed an epidemic.
“The public service is a tsunami of distractions — meetings, everything questioned, delegated, people moving … and no one is really in charge,” said Wilkerson. “It’s the most transient, fluid, unsettling work environment on the planet, so why wouldn’t people be anxious and in distress? They are human beings.”
The public service is heading into uncertain times. Speculation is rife that the public service will be the first place the Harper government turns when wrestling with the deficit. There are rumblings of changing or cutting public servants’ pension and benefits plans.
But Wilkerson argued the big savings will come by reforming management in the public service, which will go a long way to reducing disability claims. He said the across-the-board cuts that government’s typically resort to will only eat into the public service’s productivity.
“Pension reform and benefit reconstruction will not save the government money until it creates a work environment that protects mental health and the disabling effects of job stress and depressive disorder. Depression is the public health crisis in the government of Canada. Period.”
Similarly, he called the government’s so-called renewal of the public service, largely aimed at hiring new recruits, a “vision without hope” unless it focuses on improving the work environment. Instead of getting at problems with management, the government has hired thousands of new young workers and placed them in a toxic environment.
Wilkerson singled out two major trends that are crippling the public service. The biggest is the rapid and high turnover of people bouncing from job to job.
“The churn is remarkable, like a ship at sea casting about in turbulent waves and cascading until one day it tips over and sinks.”
A symptom of this is public servants’ obsession with delegating tasks until no one is really knows who is responsible for what. He said stories abound of revolving-door managers who are oblivious to how their behaviour affects others.
What’s needed is a cultural overhaul that brings back “human relations, not labour relations,” said Wilkerson. That means treating people fairly, with respect, giving them authority and fulfilling jobs. Without these basics, people “ruminate” and seethe — the key indicator to stress and depression, Wilkerson said.
So what do you think? Is Mr. Wilkerson correct and does his analysis also pertain to the provincial, territorial and municipal public services?
La mort d'un grand homme/The passing of a great man
Hier en lisant le journal, j'ai appris de la mort de Rémy Beauregard, le président de l'organisme Droits et démocratie. J'ai connu Rémy en 1989 quand j'ai commencé à la fonction publique de l'Ontario et Rémy dirigé l'Office des affaires francophones. Il a dirigé pendant sept ans la Commission ontarienne des droits de la personne. C'est une grande perte d'un défenseur des droits de la personne à travers le monde. Je tient à exprimer mes plus sincères condoléances à madame Suzanne Trépanier, l'épouse de Rémy.
Yesterday I was shocked to read about the death of Rémy Beauregard, president of Rights & Democracy. I first met Rémy in 1989 when I joined the Ontario Public Service and he was the head of the Office of Francophone Affairs. He subsequently went on to head the Ontario Human Rights Commission. This is a great loss to all who work in the field of human rights right around the world. I wish to express my deepest condolences to his wife Suzanne Trépanier. He will be missed.
Yesterday I was shocked to read about the death of Rémy Beauregard, president of Rights & Democracy. I first met Rémy in 1989 when I joined the Ontario Public Service and he was the head of the Office of Francophone Affairs. He subsequently went on to head the Ontario Human Rights Commission. This is a great loss to all who work in the field of human rights right around the world. I wish to express my deepest condolences to his wife Suzanne Trépanier. He will be missed.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
And now for something completely different....music
I just had a late lunch today with a friend of mine and his son. I've known them for over 20 years (time sure does fly). His son is a musician and I have enjoyed his music ever since he started playing...first reggae and now rock/pop. His name is Dylan Murray and you can visit his website to listen to some of his wonderful music as well as link to some of videos on YouTube, or his MySpace Rock page or MySpace Reggae page. He sure uses all the internet connections.
The lyrics and music are wonderful!! Take a listen and you will see what I mean. I think you will hear a lot about Dylan in the future. For those of you in Toronto, he is playing at the Rivoli on January 15, 2010.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with public administration....well his father is a public servant.
The lyrics and music are wonderful!! Take a listen and you will see what I mean. I think you will hear a lot about Dylan in the future. For those of you in Toronto, he is playing at the Rivoli on January 15, 2010.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with public administration....well his father is a public servant.
Friday, January 8, 2010
From GUI to NUI
You're probably wondering what the title means...well many of you would know that GUI stands for Graphical User Interface. This is how we interact with computers - via a keyboard, a mouse, commands, menus, etc - to make them run programs and applications.
NUI stands for Natural User Interface. This is what we now have on smartphones such as the iPhone, where you interact with the device using touch, speech, gestures, etc. According to Steve Balmer, CEO of Microsoft, this is the future. Read his interesting article about NUI technology and the future of computing here.
Lots of food for thought. Now imagine utilizing this technology to deliver government services......
NUI stands for Natural User Interface. This is what we now have on smartphones such as the iPhone, where you interact with the device using touch, speech, gestures, etc. According to Steve Balmer, CEO of Microsoft, this is the future. Read his interesting article about NUI technology and the future of computing here.
Lots of food for thought. Now imagine utilizing this technology to deliver government services......
Thursday, January 7, 2010
IPAC takes a step into Web 2.0
IPAC is moving into using Web 2.0 technology. Having created a Facebook page and a LinkedIn page, we are now moving into Ning. The site is up and running thanks to the impetus of IPAC New Professionals and Jennifer from the National office.
January 27, 2010 is the official launch date. Some of the presenters at the Winds of Change conference will post on the site throughout the day and there will be opportunities to use the site’s chat feature for live discussions.
The site includes opportunities to get involved in discussions, exchange ideas and connect with other public servants across Canada and around the world.
I urge you all to join by going to the IPAC Connect site.
January 27, 2010 is the official launch date. Some of the presenters at the Winds of Change conference will post on the site throughout the day and there will be opportunities to use the site’s chat feature for live discussions.
The site includes opportunities to get involved in discussions, exchange ideas and connect with other public servants across Canada and around the world.
I urge you all to join by going to the IPAC Connect site.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year and happy reading
The holidays are not only a time to enjoy family, friends and food, but it is also a time to catch up on making some headway through my pile of books. Over the last two weeks I have had the pleasure of reading a few very interesting books. Here is a short review of two of these books
One of my favourite "genres" of books are on politics. I read a couple of books on the 2008 US presidential election. The first is an insiders view of the Obama campaign. Written by David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, "The Audacity to Win" is an interesting book that recounts how a relatively unknown first-term US Senator won the presidency. In the primary campaign against what was thought was an unstoppable Hillary Clinton, the Obama team developed a strategy that focused on enlarging the democratic tent. This meant mobilizing non-traditional voters to become involved in the electoral process. In the Iowa caucuses, this meant mobilizing young people and because of the rules allowing for open voting, mobilizing independents and republicans to vote in the caucus. Utilizing a combination of new media (internet tools) and extensive person to person campaigning, the Obama campaign was able to dramatically increase the turnout at the Iowa caucuses and win a decisive victory there. They took this same strategy of focusing on mobilizing new and non-traditional voters to the other caucuses and primaries to win the nomination against the Clinton machine. During the campaign against John McCain, the Obama campaign developed a strategy that expanded the standard number of states that they contested. The book is insightful as it provides an insiders view of the campaign. It is quite entertaining, thought there is a bit of repetition in the book. Overall it is a very exciting and informative book about the US campaign.
The second book I read was also about the 2008 US Presidential election by Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson, entitled "The Battle for America 2008". This book provides a behind the scenes look at the Obama, Clinton and McCain campaigns throughout the primaries and the election. It is a good complement to the Plouffe book as it provides a broader context about what was happening in the other campaigns. They cover the interesting strategy followed by the Obama campaign, including when their supporters were pushing them to alter their strategy when things were not going well. Also interesting is the description and rationale of the selection of Palin as the Republican VP candidate. I would highly recommend this book as well to those of you who are interested in politics.
One of my favourite "genres" of books are on politics. I read a couple of books on the 2008 US presidential election. The first is an insiders view of the Obama campaign. Written by David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, "The Audacity to Win" is an interesting book that recounts how a relatively unknown first-term US Senator won the presidency. In the primary campaign against what was thought was an unstoppable Hillary Clinton, the Obama team developed a strategy that focused on enlarging the democratic tent. This meant mobilizing non-traditional voters to become involved in the electoral process. In the Iowa caucuses, this meant mobilizing young people and because of the rules allowing for open voting, mobilizing independents and republicans to vote in the caucus. Utilizing a combination of new media (internet tools) and extensive person to person campaigning, the Obama campaign was able to dramatically increase the turnout at the Iowa caucuses and win a decisive victory there. They took this same strategy of focusing on mobilizing new and non-traditional voters to the other caucuses and primaries to win the nomination against the Clinton machine. During the campaign against John McCain, the Obama campaign developed a strategy that expanded the standard number of states that they contested. The book is insightful as it provides an insiders view of the campaign. It is quite entertaining, thought there is a bit of repetition in the book. Overall it is a very exciting and informative book about the US campaign.
The second book I read was also about the 2008 US Presidential election by Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson, entitled "The Battle for America 2008". This book provides a behind the scenes look at the Obama, Clinton and McCain campaigns throughout the primaries and the election. It is a good complement to the Plouffe book as it provides a broader context about what was happening in the other campaigns. They cover the interesting strategy followed by the Obama campaign, including when their supporters were pushing them to alter their strategy when things were not going well. Also interesting is the description and rationale of the selection of Palin as the Republican VP candidate. I would highly recommend this book as well to those of you who are interested in politics.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
Just want to wish all my faithful readers a Happy New Year and all the best for 2010!
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