Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 03

20 / Canadian Government Executive // May/June 2020 Source: GS/PPAL 6000 A & B 3.00 Public Management, Fall 2019, York University Millennial Outlook situation warrant trade-offs against their quest for critical engagement? CGE again invited first-year candidates in the Master of Public Policy, Adminis- tration and Law program at York Univer- sity’s School of Public Policy and Admin- istration to enlighten its readers. These young professionals and mid-career managers study on campus or downtown, weeknights, and weekends. They have busy lifestyles, balancing studies, work, and family. Seven out of ten are female. Public Management is the first course in their two-year MPPAL program. The final assignment is to select, research, and write an original article on a topic of in- terest. The purpose is to consolidate new underscored in handling crises and har- monizing workplaces. The implications of context for the peo- ple-policy dichotomy are not lost on com- mentators like Senator Tony Dean (2020): “[In a crisis], getting accountability and leadership right, and the right people in the right positions is absolutely critical. Knowing who those people are requires a sophisticated approach to human re- source management and development.” It comes back to greater public service capacity. These students are at a crossroads in their learning journeys. By graduate school, they are expected to exhibit the character and competence to advance their thinking beyond passive learning by replication to master applied analy- sis and original thought. This means eschewing Millennial anonymity and anxiety to exude the confidence to speak up and contribute selflessly to collective learning. In many ways, they are called to mod- el expectations that are the hallmark of public administration and a liberal edu- cation. The 1973 movie The Paper Chase exemplifies the challenges for an earlier generation. Technologies and behaviours may have changed, but learning values and fundamentals endure. A postscript for the wary and wise: While developing a class of critical think- ers might be a game-changer, inevitably it is dangerous and exciting. Like the times, it redefines the future and what it means to be alive. J ohn W ilkins is adjunct F aculty in P ub - lic M anagement at Y ork U niversity . H e was a career senior public servant and diplomat . ( wilkins @ yorku . ca ) 72% 46% 16% 4% 4% 2% 28% 16% 6% 4% 2% 36 23 8 2 2 1 14 8 3 2 1 75% 50% 11% 10% 2% 2% 25% 10% 6% 3% 6% 39 26 6 5 1 1 13 5 3 2 3 GOVERNANCE: People Policy Technology Finance Service MANAGEMENT: Leading Organizing Planning Controlling THEMES 2019 ARTICLES (n = 50) 2018 ARTICLES (n = 52) learning, advance thought leadership, and practice creative writing. At the conclusion of the Fall 2019 term, 50 (2018 – 52) students authored articles. Seven (2018 – 11) articles survived volun- tary, post-course rounds of review and editing and will be published on the Millennial Outlook page. The thematic threads are summarized below. The table reaffirms the nexus between people and policy. People issues are still front of mind in almost half the articles, 68 per cent when combined with related leading and organizing themes. Policy is- sues are up slightly across a range of risks concerning climate, guns, health, justice, and policing. And strong leadership is