Government reform in Canada
| Date | 01 February 1997 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-162X(199702)17:1<33::AID-PAD905>3.0.CO;2-4 |
| Published date | 01 February 1997 |
| Author | JANET SMITH |
Government reform in Canada
JANET SMITH
Canadian Centre for Management Development, Canada
SUMMARY
Today the Canadian federation is facing various challenges. External factors such as
globalization, changing markets and the revolution in communications, as well as internal
factors such as a growing de®cit and debt, provinces wanting more autonomy and
uncontrolled government spending are some of the pressures Canada is facing. In 1994 the
government launched the most important review of federal policies and programmes since the
early 1950s. This article examines how Programme Review, the most important of these
activities, is helping to refocus the role of the federal government in a way that would be
meaningful to all Canadians. The implementation of the combined results of policy and
programme review will involve reductions in government programmes, the development of
new delivery agencies, the launching of new partnerships, and the achievement of greater
ef®ciencies. The article also looks at the important role the Public Service of Canada is playing
in responding to the need for change. (&1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
INTRODUCTION
Canada has long enjoyed sharing its experience of government and public service
reform with other countries in the Commonwealth. We have always been able to
learn from the creativity and professionalism of our fellow member states. As each
decade goes by, we observe that more countries are in the vanguard of change.
Learning has been a two-way processÐfor us in acquiring many new ideas about
how to approach our issues of governance and, we hope, for others in learning
something from the recent experiences of Canada.
The role of federalism in the Canadian context
The story of change in Canada is shaped to a great extent by the federal nature of
our state. It is a source of our strength and a constant source of challenge. Certainly,
it is impossible to look at the efforts to renew government in Canada without
looking at it against the backdrop of Canadian federalism.
The Canadian model of federalism, with its ten provinces and two strong cultures,
is a study in ¯exibility. It is a remarkably supple way of dividing political power
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT, VOL. 17, 33±39 (1997)
CCC 0271±2075/97/010033±07$17.50
&1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Janet Smith is Principal, Canadian Centre for Management Development, PO Box 420, Station A,
Ottawa, Ontario KIN 8V4, Canada
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