Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 04

PUBLIC SERVANTS NORTHERN FEDERAL COUNCIL SMALL TEAMS, X-LARGE RESULTS July/August 2018 // Canadian Government Executive / 27 T he Northern Federal Council (NFC) is a collaborative network of over 40 senior federal officials responsible for implementing Government of Canada programs and ser- vices in this part of the country. The three Northern Territories – Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories – encompass ap- proximately 40 per cent of Canada’s total area, and are inhabited by less than 1 per cent of Canada’s population. Through its network and by providing the broader fed- eral community awareness, insights and advice, the NFC members support one an- other, share information and collaborate to deliver results in the North. The broader community of Regional Federal Councils (RFCs) has played an important role in the provinces and terri- tories since the 1980s. Following reforms in 2014, the RFCs have been led by the deputy ministers of Regional Develop- ment Agencies, strengthening their role in connecting people and intelligence with- in, to and from the regions, departmental headquarters and central agencies to sup- port the implementation of regional and government-wide initiatives. Chaired by Janet King, President of the Canadian Northern Economic Develop- ment Agency, CanNor, the Northern Fed- eral Council is well positioned to provide collective and coordinated northern per- spectives on the four priorities areas iden- tified for 2018-2019: • Networks and Collaboration • Intelligence and Knowledge Exchange Platform • Regional Innovation and Experimentation • Strong and Engaged Workforce in the Regions. The NFC provides a bridge between the regional and national initiatives, priori- ties and activities. For example: the close working relationship developed with the Canada School of Public Service on re- gional learning needs and activities and providing a communication window for national policy dialogues and initiatives. Of course, given the vast geography, the NFC faces some technical and opera- tional challenges. Members of the NFC are located in 12 cities across both south- ern and northern Canada. The NFC has learned to operate as a virtual network through regular meetings on Webex – in- cluding side chats and live shared pre- sentations – and shares information and opportunities through Government of Canada social media platforms such as GCconnex and GCpedia. To help connect public servants on the ground, the NFC also includes Territo- rial Tables – fora where federal public servants in each of the three northern capitals – Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit – convene to engage, connect and collaborate on issues and opportunities of particular local interest. Some exam- ples include the Yukon and NWT Federal Tables support of the Treaty Implementa- tion Caucuses, the Yukon Table’s creation of a northern recruitment calendar; the NWT Table’s facilitated conversations on reconciliation; the Nunavut Table’s work with Pilimmaksaivik on Inuit employ- ment. All three territories’ Tables also work with Shared Services Canada to im- prove the IT services in the North, serve as a connector to other fora and networks such as the Northern Security Working Group and the National Managers’ Com- munity, and the list goes on. Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, com- mitted citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This quote is a very real reflection of the wonders that can be accomplished when people take the time to connect, share and innovate, and that is the everyday reality of the Northern Federal Council.