Getting the best bang for your executive buck
4 min read
The last great international effort to refashion the public sector took place during the 1980s in tandem with efforts of...
A balanced role for government
2 min read
Last night in Toronto the head of the Ontario public service, Peter Wallace, spoke at the 2012 Fleck Lecture on...
Are we ready for the cyber employee?
2 min read
In numerous interviews with senior military commanders over the past several years, Vanguard magazine has often posed the question: what...
Targeted attack: Spear phishing for intelligence
10 min read
In early February, James R. Clapper, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told the House Select Intelligence Committee that threats...
“I’ve made suggestions to improve things, they just ignore it.”
2 min read
Governments are busy downsizing. But how much are they doing to improve their processes? How pervasive is this “clay layer”...
Strategic downsizing: Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
2 min read
It’s all very well to talk about making government smaller. But smaller government is only part of the puzzle.
The danger of mixing messages
2 min read
If there is one function of government that has undergone significant change in the past few years, it has to...
Contract A is anti-competitive…
4 min read
…well, maybe not – but there is a link. Governments must learn to seek the best, be reasonable and decisive...
Democratic schisms: The clash of old and new voices
4 min read
For Egyptians and Mexicans, this past summer showcased the imperfections of democracy.
Parting thoughts of a deputy
4 min read
Last week, I announced that I would be retiring from the public service. Thank you for permitting me to bid...