The members of our advisory committee had a clear view on what constitutes excellence in the public sector and how they felt this year’s submissions exemplified it. As the awards evolved during this second year, so, too, did the advisory committee, with new members bringing unique perspectives to an already accomplished group. Their balanced and thorough stewardship of the process helped enhance what was already a highly visible means of identifying and rewarding excellence – and validating Canadians’ collective investment – in public service.
Robert Fowler, Deputy Minister to the Premier of Nova Scotia and Head of the Public Service, says excellence that takes root in one sector must be actively recognized if it is to spread further. In many respects, he says the public sector is already taking cues from the private sector.
“Both business and business organizations have long recognized that celebrating the best and most progressive in their midst generates brand recognition and motivates employees to strive for excellence,” says Fowler, who also serves as his province’s Clerk of and Secretary to the Executive Council and Deputy Minister of Communications. “The public sector should be no different. Informing Canadians about progressive leadership in public sector organizations will help them understand the importance of public service in their everyday lives and instill pride in public servants as well.”
Fowler says the public and private sectors are more alike than dissimilar. He describes “service” as the public sector’s equivalent of the private sector’s “profit.” Whatever it’s called, measurable improvements drive greater results. It’s a perspective shared by fellow advisory committee member Paul Witz, who says recognition at this level matters deeply to Canadians. The founder and chairman of Witz Training, a behavioural-based leadership programs, says taking the time to reinforce the message is equally critical.
“The public sector really has the ability to step up to the plate when encouraged to do so,” says Witz, author of the best-selling book, One Powerful Mind, and an interactive CD series set, Taking Control of your Life, and Taking Control of your Communication. “When you hear of surgery result times being reduced so dramatically and homeless people being successfully transitioned into permanent housing, it makes you proud to be a Canadian.”
Witz says portability is a crucial benefit of the awards process. “Lessons learned in one sector inspire others to use some of the things they've seen you do or try their own advances,” he says. “As a person involved in leadership development, I find this incredibly exciting, because this is what drives excellence and growth. Real innovation makes a difference in the lives of everyday citizens.”
For David Fulford, this form of motivation is a key pillar for future public sector success.
“These awards recognize great public sector work that often goes unnoticed,” says Ontario’s Chief Administrative Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management and Services Division of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. “So much of what’s done in the public sector helps people in need, but it’s often in a sector that most people don’t interact with on a regular basis, if at all. Because of this, it’s really important to share success stories to motivate people, wherever they are, to keep innovating and raising the bar.”
While an actual award is always nice, Fulford says true victories are fully within the control of public sector leaders.
“The fact that you submit an application to an awards program like this is recognition in itself,” he says. “Victory or not, all leaders should make the effort to recognize the members of their teams. Think of what it means to your people, knowing that you took the time to research the awards program and fill out the forms. Of course your team will appreciate winning. But even a nomination can be sufficient to reinforce what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”
It’s a cycle of recognition that can help improve how Canadians appreciate the public sector. “There's perception, rightly or wrongly, that the public service isn't as innovative as the private sector,” says Fulford. “I strongly disagree, and will put any of these winners up against anybody. There are so many examples, here and elsewhere, where the public service has been innovative and effective in ways that have driven tangible results.”
“The public obviously wants the public service to have great leaders and they want it to be innovative,” he adds. “Nobody wants to pay taxes to get marginal results.”
Members of the public also want to know their public sector can sustain itself. And Fulford says rewarding excellence today serves as a powerful driver for recruitment, because “no one would want to work in public service unless it created opportunity and encouraged innovation. This is how we get the message across that this is a great place to build a rewarding career.”
It’s a process that’s becoming more urgent, according to Region of Peel Chief Administrative Officer David Szwarc, as rapidly changing external contexts drive the need for ever higher public sector performance.
“Communities are dynamic, especially in a world of global migration and economic interdependence,” says Szwarc. “Therefore, the public sector has to be dynamic too to ensure that public policies and goods remain relevant to the many and various communities – including business, cultural, geographic and interest – that they support.”
Szwarc, who, like fellow advisory committee member, Bridgepoint Health President and CEO Marian Walsh, represents an organization that was recognized during last year’s awards, says public sector performance affects private sector performance as well. This is in part why public sector leaders must continue improving performance – and rewarding it – to further strengthen the economy. Fowler concurs. “The world around us grows smaller by the day,” says Fowler. “While business success drives our economy, it is the quality of our public services, whether through our social safety net programs or our advocacy across the world, which sets us apart. Excellence in public service is what will preserve this standing in the world.”