As a provincial deputy minister, when an election is approaching it’s critical to focus on engaging staff and developing well thought through materials to prepare for a potential transition. With recent demographic changes, many provincial employees are relatively new to public service and have only known one government. This was evident in the recent change in Manitoba in 2023, requiring significant effort to ensure the department was ready to support a transition.

There is excitement in the public service with an approaching election but also stress for some as they face the unknown. Coaching staff to help them be open to change, promoting a nimble and responsive, non-partisan public service is a high priority. Engaging with employees in-person, online department town halls, and frequent emails underscoring key messages has helped calm anxieties and ground our team in what it means to be a public servant.

An election is the public service’s time to shine! As leaders, we need emphasize the values of impartiality and neutrality. We are critical to a functioning democracy – Canada benefits from having a non-partisan, expert public service, providing stability and continuity in government by supporting those who were voted in. The incoming government has the support of citizens, and now we need to help them advance their mandate through impartial advice and implementation.

Over time, civil servants can become protective of their programs and push back against change.  We have been loyally implementing an agenda and take pride in our work. It can feel uncomfortable when a new government signals change, and public servants can feel like they “know better”. I focus on reminding our team about our place in parliamentary democracy – we must give fearless advice but also loyally implement. Ultimately, we can center ourselves on providing excellent service to our province and supporting democracy with professionalism and integrity.

There is an opportunity for public servants to be engaged leading up to an election, inviting them to bring forward ideas on improving services and outcomes. These ideas can be collated into lists aligned with the various party’s commitments. It is important to stress that while we can bring forward ideas, ultimately a new government will decide on its priorities.

In addition to preparing staff for a transition, developing helpful transition materials is also fundamental. Those who have been through changes in government are familiar with “transition binders.” The Clerk of the Executive Council’s office directs each deputy to prepare a consistent package of information. The documents are intended to help a new government, or a returning government with a potential new minister and/or new technical staff, to quickly understand the main business of the department, its responsibilities, and any challenges or opportunities at play. Common sections include variations of:

  • Organization charts, FTE numbers;
  • Biographies of senior leaders;
  • Department responsibilities, including legislation (noting any new legislation or regulation  coming into force);
  • Lists of “Other Reporting Agencies” in Summary government;
  • High-level budget overview;
  • “Top 5” urgent matters; “Top 5” strategic opportunities;
  • List of common acronyms;
  • Stakeholder lists;
  • Intergovernmental issues and opportunities; and
  • Upcoming events of note.

Staff often put forward suggestions for things that seem urgent or top issues, however, in the scheme of things in a new government, they may not be. In addition to preparing the material as directed by the Clerk, it is helpful to assemble additional material to support a successful transition:

  • Plain language presentations with visuals to tell the story of each program area to brief a new minister. Include a general overview, legislative mandate; key facts and stats; stakeholder issues; and challenges and opportunities.
  • Interprovincial comparisons are important, and it can also be useful to look at other provinces with similar political views and become familiar with what they are doing. When the Progressive Conservative government came into power in Manitoba in 2015/16, we spent time exploring what Saskatchewan’s practices were at the time.
  • Track all parties’ campaign commitments, and also review question period themes, freedom of information requests, social media, etc. Look at what advocacy groups have written, too. Dive into campaign commitments, identify the steps involved to implement, such as staffing and legislation, and cost out wherever possible.
  • Contemplate what could realistically be rolled out in a new government’s “first 100 days” plan.

Government transitions involve processes that may not be familiar to many people. As senior civil servants, we need to carefully consider what we can and cannot do during the Caretaker Convention and ensure staff understand this. Reviewing past legal challenges is beneficial. The Access convention kicks in if there is a change in government, and significant records management is undertaken. Confidential advice to the previous government remains just that – advice for the previous government. Briefing notes, Treasury Board and Cabinet Submissions are not given to the new government.

When a different government is voted in, in addition to packing up the records of the previous government, there are sweeps of ministers’ offices for bug listening devices – a practice that takes place regardless of which party is exiting and entering government.

There are a few somewhat chaotic days in our provincial legislative building as the transition team for the incoming government decides which ministry will sit in which office and people start moving in and out.  There can also be logistical challenges when the size of Cabinet has changed, and the administrative support teams and deputy ministers shift as well. It may take a while for technical staff to be appointed, and find their permanent homes. While they settle in, it can be a hurry-up-and-wait situation for senior department staff who are anxious to get on with the transition.

A unique aspect of being a deputy minister in Manitoba is that deputy offices are physically located in the Legislature, adjacent to their Ministers’ offices (adjoining rooms). This has benefits and drawbacks – you can develop a strong working relationship with your minister and political staff, but you are also very accessible and may be too reachable, making it difficult to get your work done. It is important to establish boundaries between what is appropriate for the department and what is political. Although it would be beneficial to be situated with the department to have more opportunities to engage staff and promote alignment with the political direction, I find it positive to work closely with the minister. I also enjoy working in Manitoba’s beautiful Legislative building.

When a minister is appointed and moves in next door, the close proximity helps quickly develop a rapport and support them to get up to speed. It is good to spend time listening to the minister and  new technical staff on what they are interested in and ask the minister how they would prefer to be briefed. Scheduling briefings at a reasonable pace is important – there is a lot to cover. Building a relationship with the technical staff is important too – this helps in building trust and developing a positive and respectful environment for working together.

The public service should not assume that the minister is starting from scratch, as they may be well-versed in the subject matter of the department. Following the minister’s lead on how much detail they want in briefings is key. In going over the materials prepared and the formal transition binder, there is an opportunity to demonstrate that we are organized, prepared, and ready to support the new government. Identifying quick wins that can advance election commitments and maintaining a positive attitude go a long way.

As the transition happens, it is key to communicate frequently with the department so they can learn about the new areas of focus and ways of working. In addition to providing information on the priorities of the new minister and Cabinet, there may be a need to remind the department to be open, remember our role as public servants, and not become territorial. This is especially important if re-orgs are at play. It is also good to coach staff to be mindful of their language – it is best not to reference strategies of the former government as if they are enduring, as it is a new day. It may also be beneficial to caution senior department staff that they should not take any criticism of the previous government’s initiatives and programs personally.

Building trust with a new government can take time – using strong political acumen, bringing staff along to the new vision, and continuing to demonstrate that the public service can deliver on the new mandate will promote a smooth transition.