Innovative Management Award

In 1990, IPAC established "The IPAC Award for Innovative Management" to recognize the exceptional management within the public sector of Canada. Each year a new theme is chosen by the IPAC Board of Directors and our sponsors - IBM Canada and KPMG. In those 20 years we have been privileged to see many extraordinary examples of innovation at its best from right across the full spectrum of the public sector in Canada. On the IPAC website we have a database of all the winners and finalists through all these years.

In many years IPAC receives 100 submissions from across the country. These 100 submissions are whittled down to a group of finalists who are invited to present their innovative management submission to a jury composed of distinguished public servants. The top three finalists are then invited to make presentations at the IPAC Annual Conference and winners are announced.

This years theme is "Collaboration at Work".

Governments in Canada and around the world face complex problems that reach across ministerial mandates, regulatory purview and jurisdictions, and affect citizens and stakeholders in predictable and unintended ways. While resources are increasingly limited, citizens expect governments to work together to tackle "wicked problems."

Collaboration is needed within an entire governmental enterprise or public organization, with other governments, the broader public sector, NGOs and with citizens. Natural disasters or flu epidemics, adapting to and mitigating climate change, dealing with the impacts of a global recession, caring for the most vulnerable members of our society, or helping other countries develop their institutions and public services: one single government entity, acting alone, cannot achieve the results that our citizens expect.

We demand that governments act in concert with actors from business, civil society as well as with citizens, and work effectively with other orders of government to achieve the best outcomes. We require that this cooperative approach be cost effective, swift, innovative and transparent. We also expect public sector values to be respected.

For 2010, the Innovative Management Awards will recognize governmental/public sector organizations that have shown new and innovative ways of cutting across bureaucratic boundaries and silos to address the complex issues facing society.

The deadline to submit your application is June 7, 2010.  Go to the Innovative Management section of the IPAC website to fill in the application form.

Resilience, Reliability and Results

On Monday May 31st, and Tuesday June 1st, IPAC will be holding a conference focusing on health care entitled Sustainable Transformation: Building a Resilient Organization.

As part of IPAC's health care research project we will be releasing a study of five acute-care hospitals in the Waterloo-Wellington region that highlight the stories of these "high performers in the making" and their respective experiences with ED PIP – the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s “Emergency Department Process Improvement Program.”

This 8 month initiative which ran from March – October 2009 engaged front-line staff from across these organizations in "quality by design" decision-making, planning, piloting and implementing of process improvement changes in Emergency Departments and across Inpatient Units. With Wave 2 just finishing and an additional 17 Ontario Hospital sites added to the roll-out, ED PIP may be one of the most significant transformational efforts to take place in Ontario hospitals in decades. In its early days PIP has clearly demonstrated success by enhancing the quality of the patient experience through improved access to care and flow through the system at the following Wave 1 sites:

• Groves Memorial Hospital, Fergus
• Guelph General Hospital, Guelph
• St. Mary’s General Hospital, Kitchener-Waterloo
• Grand River Hospital, Kitchener-Waterloo
• Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Cambridge

The case studies provide a context for specific process improvement strategies that could be adopted in other hospitals and outline the challenges or barriers that may prevent the adoption of these process improvements. This study considers:

• the significance of a learning culture that builds capacity and resilience in its people;
• the importance of process improvement designs that enhance system effectiveness and efficiencies and increase overall reliability in care delivery and patient outcomes; and
• the value of a management and performance measurement infrastructure that encourages and supports the desired results of the transformation.

With a spirit of persistent crafting and sustaining of robust strategies and improvements in care, these ‘stories’ and ‘lessons learned’ can influence, inspire and dare us to consider what is possible as we continue the journey of healthcare reform in the province of Ontario.

You can access these cases and much more on the IPAC Health Care Leaders Forum page of the IPAC website.

Next week I will be blogging from our Health care conference.  As I've written before on this blog, we must come to grips with the increased demands of our health care system if we are to ensure a longer term fiscally sustainable future and a society that invests in other important areas such as education, the arts and infrastructure.

Patient Safety & Quality Health Care

An interesting new report, published in April 2010, by the European Commission on the perceptions of patient safety and the quality of healthcare. The survey was conducted in 27 members states of the European Union. Nearly half the respondents feel that they could be harmed by healthcare in their country, and the majority of respondents feel hospital infections or incorrect, missed or delayed diagnoses are either fairly likely or very likely to occur.

• The majority of respondents feel hospital infections or incorrect, missed or delayed diagnoses are either fairly likely or very likely to occur when receiving healthcare in their own country.

• Over 25% of respondents claim that they or a member of their family have experienced an adverse event with healthcare. However, these events largely go unreported.

• Where adverse experiences were reported this was mainly to the hospital management or the relevant doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

• Nearly one third of respondents do not know which body is responsible for patient safety in their country. Others see the ministry of health or the healthcare providers (e.g. clinic, hospital, doctor, nurse) as the responsible bodies.

• Of the people who underwent surgery, 17% say written consent was never obtained, though great variance across the Member States is evident.

• Most respondents (73%) say television is their main source of information regarding adverse events in healthcare, followed by newspapers and magazines (44%) and friends or family (31%). Only 9% would seek information in official statistics or in hospital.

• Whether harm occurred in their own country, or another Member State, respondents expect that an investigation into the case or financial compensation would be the forms of redress.

• Should they be harmed in their own country, most respondents anticipate that they would seek help from a lawyer, or else the hospital management or ministry of health. If the harm occurs in another Member State, they claim they would first contact their embassy or consulate.

• When thinking of high quality healthcare, the most important criterion is well trained medical staff, followed by treatment that works. Thereafter, no waiting lists, modern medical equipment and respect of a patient’s dignity receive roughly equal responses.

• Most respondents rate the healthcare in their country as good, though the majority feel it is fairly good rather than very good. However, there is again great variance on a national level (from 97% to 25% of respondents rating quality of healthcare in their country as good).

• Respondents from 16 EU Member States consider the quality of healthcare in their country as worse than in other Member States, whereas respondents from 11 Member States consider it as better.

This is a fascinating report and Canadians should be aware that we have similar issues in this country.

La Gouverneure générale remet la Médaille Vanier

Le 13 mai la gouverneure générale du Canada a présenté la Médaille Vanier au Dr Gordon S. Smith lors d'une cérémonie à Rideau Hall. Ce fut une occasion merveilleuse et l'IAPC est fier que Son Excellence a présidé cette cérémonie importante.

Dr Smith, Wynne Young (la présidente de l'IAPC) et moi sont arrivé à 9:30 où nous avons été accueillis par le merveilleux personnel de Rideau Hall. On nous a montré où la cérémonie aurait lieu et ce que nous avions à faire. Après nous sommes allés à la salon "Mme Vanier" et ont nous a offert café, thé, etc que nous avons attendu que la cérémonie commence a 10h30.

La gouverneure générale a prononcé un discours admirable sur le service public que vous devriez tous lire. Wynne Young a ensuite remercié la GG pour son hospitalité et a présenté le Lauréate de 2009 de la médaille Vanier, Dr Smith. Dr Smith a ensuite reçu sa médaille de la Gouverneure générale et il a parlé pendant quelques minutes sur le service public et sa carrière et sa relation avec Rideau Hall.

Après le chant de «O Canada» nous avons été invités à une réception où la merveilleuse GG nous a rejoint.

Ce fut un événement merveilleux et nous sommes très reconnaissants que la gouverneure général a été en mesure de présider à la cérémonie de cette année.

Pictures from Vanier Reception/Photos de la réception de la Médaille Vanier

Here are a few pictures from the reception at Rideau Hall following the Vanier Medal ceremony.  This picture is of our incoming President, Denise Amyot and the Governor General.

Voici quelques photos de la réception à Rideau Hall, après la cérémonie de la Médaille Vanier. Cette photo est de notre présidente entrante, Denise Amyot et de la Gouverneure générale Michaëlle Jean.

These pictures were taken in the beautiful gardens of Rideau Hall.  Picture below from left to right are: Kaili Levesque, Chair National Capital Regional Group, Denise Amyot, Incoming IPAC President, Nancy Chahwan, IPAC National Secretary, me and Nancy Faraday-Smith, IPAC VP.

Ces photos ont été prises dans les jardins magnifiques de Rideau Hall. Photo ci-dessous, de gauche à droite: Kaili Lévesque, présidente du Groupe régional de la capitale nationale, Denise Amyot, présidente entrante de l'IAPC, Nancy Chahwan, Secrétaire national de l'IAPC, moi et Nancy Faraday-Smith, vice-présidente de l' IAPC.

Citizens use of the Internet

My friend Geordie Adams at Publivate tweeted today about a report on the use of the internet by citizens in the USA. The report by Pew Internet is on Government online and shows that US citizens are more and more turning to the internet to access government in the US.

Fully 82% of internet users (representing 61% of all American adults) looked for information or completed a transaction on a government website.

The report found that:

• 48% of internet users have looked for information about a public policy or issue online with their local, state or federal government

• 46% have looked up what services a government agency provides

• 41% have downloaded government forms

• 35% have researched official government documents or statistics

• 33% have renewed a driver’s license or auto registration

• 30% have gotten recreational or tourist information from a government agency

• 25% have gotten advice or information from a government agency about a health or safety issue

• 23% have gotten information about or applied for government benefits

• 19% have gotten information about how to apply for a government job

• 15% have paid a fine, such as a parking ticket

• 11% have applied for a recreational license, such as a fishing or hunting license

The report identifies several other common characteristics regarding citizens’ interactions with government. Specifically, these interactions are frequently:  

• Data driven – Efforts by government agencies to post their data online are resonating with citizens. Fully 40% of online adults went online in the preceding year to access data and information about government (for instance, by looking up stimulus spending, political campaign contributions or the text of legislation).

• Organized around new online platforms – Citizen interactions with government are moving beyond the website. Nearly one third (31%) of online adults use online platforms such as blogs, social networking sites, email, online video or text messaging to get government information.

• Participatory – Americans are not simply going online for data and information; they want to share their personal views on the business of government. Nearly one quarter (23%) of internet users participate in the online debate around government policies or issues, with much of this discussion occurring outside of official government channels. 

The study also found that 40% of online users search for basic information about government and that the use of the internet is directly proportional to the users level of income and education - the more educated and those with higher incomes use the internet with greater frequency.  The report also found that Social Media has the potential of reaching currently underserved populations.  This is a fascinating study and is in-line with some of the conclusions of IPAC's study on the use of social media.

Governor General presents Vanier Medal

Yesterday the Governor General of Canada presented the Vanier Medal to Dr. Gordon S. Smith at a ceremony at Rideau Hall. It was a wonderful occasion and IPAC was proud to have Her Excellency preside over this important ceremony.

Dr Smith, Wynne Young (IPAC Prez) and I arrived at 9:30 and where greeted by the wonderful staff at Rideau Hall. We were shown where the ceremony would take place & what we had to do. After we went to the Madame Vanier room and were offered coffee, tea etc as we waited for the ceremony to begin at 10:30.

The Governor General gave a wonderful speech about public service which you should all read. Wynne Young then thanked the GG for her hospitality & introduced the 2009 Vanier medal laureate, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith then received his medal from the Governor General & spoke for a few minutes about the public service and his career and his connection to Rideau Hall.

After the singing of "O Canada" we were invited to a wonderful reception where the GG joined and mingled with the guests.

It was a wonderful event and we were very grateful that the Governor General was able to preside over this year's ceremony.

Tweeting Politicians

There is an interesting article in the May 6th issue of the Economist about politicians and their ever increasing use of Twitter. As the article notes tweeting makes politicians seem more accessible but does it change behaviour?

In Chile, the new President requested that his cabinet all tweet and in Japan there are 485 politicians tweeting versus 3 a year ago. The key question with any public figure who tweets is whether tweeters will tweet on controversial issues.

This phase of social media will be interesting to watch and to see if it changes people's perception of government.

Vanier Medal @ Rideau Hall

On Thursday May 13th, the Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, will be presenting IPAC's highest award, the Vanier Medal, to Dr. Gordon S. Smith, the 2009 Vanier Medal recipient.

The Governor General is IPAC's patron and as such, we are honoured that she will be presiding over this ceremony at Rideau Hall.

The Vanier Medal is one of the highest forms of recognition for Canadian public administrators. It was created in 1962 in honour of Canada’s second Canadian Governor General, the Right Honourable Georges-P. Vanier, and is awarded annually by IPAC as a mark of distinction and exceptional achievement to a person who has shown distinctive leadership in public administration and public service in Canada, or who, by his/her writings, has made a significant contribution in the field of public administration or public service in Canada.

Dr. Gordon S. Smith is the Executive Director of the Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria and a former distinguished Canadian public servant.

Dr. Smith is well-known as both a practitioner and as an academic in public administration and has demonstrated excellence throughout his long career. Dr. Smith’s involvement within the Government of Canada began with a focus on security and defence in the 1960s and he quickly advanced to increasingly complex and demanding positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Canadian Ambassador to the European Union; Ambassador to the Canadian Delegation to NATO; and Secretary to Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations. He played the principal role in drafting the major document setting out Canada’s defence policy in the 1970s. He served as a valued adviser on constitutional questions in the eighties.

After retiring from the Government of Canada, Gordon Smith continued serving the interests of Canada within an increasingly complex and interdependent world. In 1997 he joined the University of Victoria as Executive Director of the Centre for Global Studies. He was also Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre from 1997 to 2007 and was appointed to the Centre for International Governance Innovation’s International Advisory Board of Governors in 2006. He demonstrated leadership, networking and idea generating skills during a collaborative project between CIGI and the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria. This project “L20” was ground breaking in paving the way for the recent meeting of heads of government in Washington and the London meeting that focused on solutions to the financial crisis.

Dr. Smith is also a prolific writer and is the author of “Canada and Afghanistan: Is it Working?”among many other books and articles.

I will update all of you on Thursday after the ceremony & I hope to post some pictures as well.

British Election - today's the vote

Well, in what seems like an historic election, voters in the United Kingdom go to the polls today to elect a new government.  Polls indicate that the Conservatives have the lead in the popular vote, but that Labour may end up with a plurality in terms of seats with the Liberal-Democrats holding the balance of power.

The Institute for Policy Research in the UK published the results of a survey of "prospective parliamentary candidates" in winnable seats to ascertain how they would react to a "hung" parliament.

In the event of a hung parliament, a post-election deal between Labour and Liberal Democrats could be more politically sustainable than a deal between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, according to results from the survey.

And the Globe & Mail today comments on the level of policy debate during the British election versus Canadian general elections.

As voters in Britain queue at the polls today, Canadian political parties could stand to learn a great deal from the political campaign now ending. British politicians offered a higher quality of policy thinking than anything comparable in recent Canadian elections.

It has been a very interesting election in the UK and if the polls are correct, it should continue to be very interesting over the next few days as the party leaders deal with the fallout of the election.

ROB & me

A little while ago I was contacted and asked if I wanted to be interviewed for a piece that was set to appear in the Report on Business magazine of the Globe & Mail.  The piece was on public sector leadership and the challenges facing governments.  Of course I said yes, that would be fun.

The piece is actually part of a series by the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) that is looking at leadership and advertising their Executive CMA program (which by coincidence I graduated from last year - the person writing the article did not know this until I told him).

Anyway, here is the article...I hope you enjoy it.

Happy 100th!!

Today is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian Navy by the Parliament of Canada through the passage of the Canadian Naval Services Act on May 4, 1910. 

In those 100 years the men and women of the Canadian Navy have served this country with distinction, in World War I and II, in the Korean War and in many other conflicts. Imagine the scope of operations for the Navy, with an Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic areas to patrol - that is quite a big coastline.  On top of which, in recent years, we have also sent our Navy to the Persian Gulf and to Haiti.

Happy Birthday to that great Canadian institution - the Canadian Navy!!