Bragging rights: innovative leadership in Canada’s public service 

By nature, Canadians tend to be both humble and self-deprecating. As a nation, we are often our own worst critics and the least likely to toot our own horns. But this year’s Public Sector Leadership Award winners leave no doubt that innovation and leadership in Canada’s public service is worth talking about.

These initiatives demonstrate an enduring passion to address serious challenges and an innovative, often autonomous spirit necessary to overcome hurdles of all kinds. They showcase Canada as a ground-breaking leader in many areas: education, governance, healthcare, infrastructure, technology, research and others. They also highlight our ability to think big: to anticipate and get ahead of change; to create innovations that can be reproduced throughout the country and the world; to break down common boundaries and create wholly new solutions from which all Canadians can benefit.

Take a moment to read about these award winners: it’ll give you something to brag about!

Ministry of the Attorney General, Ontario Justice on Target Strategy Federal/Provincial – Gold winner

By June 2008, criminal court delay had been steadily increasing for nearly two decades. With an average 600,000 criminal charges every year, the upward trend in delay was not sustainable. The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General took action by launching the Justice on Target Strategy, which involves the collaborative efforts of all justice participant groups. The Justice on Target Strategy is a bold new approach that engages local leaders to identify challenges and develop and implement local solutions on the ground in criminal courts to achieve a four-year target to reduce by 30 percent both the provincial average number of days and appearances needed to complete a criminal case. As part of the strategy, criminal court statistics were made available for the public to follow the progress and see the impact in their local communities. Today, exciting and innovative work is under way in every criminal court across Ontario to change the system from within. For the first time in nearly two decades, the average number of appearances needed to complete a criminal charge is decreasing. Justice on Target is finding sustainable solutions to an issue that has continually challenged Ontario. It brings together a diverse group of justice participants to work in collaboration and find solutions at the local level – all while safeguarding the integrity of the justice system and constitutionally protected independence of the participants.

“The overriding objective of any criminal justice system is the fair and timely disposition of each and every case that comes before it. This is the guiding principle of the Justice on Target Strategy. With the participation of all justice participants, we are creating a faster, more effective criminal justice system for the people of Ontario.” — Murray Segal, Deputy Attorney General of Ontario

Ministry of Citizens’ Services Ministry of Environment, Climate Action Secretariat GeoBC Apps 4 Climate Action Federal/Provincial – Silver winner

The Apps 4 Climate Action (A4CA) contest was launched in March 2010 under the leadership of two ministries in the British Columbia Provincial Government and in partnership with eight private sponsors. The contest broke ground in several key areas. It was the first Canadian computer application development (“app”) contest by a provincial or federal government; it sparked the development of innovative citizen-developed web and mobile applications to help combat climate change; it prototyped the adoption of open data practices by the province; and, it created a new model for public and private partnerships and collaborative leadership between provincial organizations. The contest leveraged social media, online groups and university outreach to promote, connect with citizens and inform registrants of contest developments. The contest worked to educate and empower the public to take action and create a platform for long-term public dialogue on and awareness of climate change. By the end of the contest, the A4CA website received more than 15,000 visitors and 16 eligible apps, establishing a repeatable and novel model of public engagement for British Columbia.

“The A4CA contest harnessed new technologies with social media tools to help government, citizens and businesses address one of the most pressing societal challenges: climate change. The team showed an incredible amount of commitment to the success of the project, which galvanized real collaboration between government and local, national and international businesses. It opened the door to future Gov 2.0 projects where government data, knowledge and resources become a platform for citizen and private sector innovation in solving big public policy issues.” — Kevin Jardine, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Citizens' Services

Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group, Ontario Ministry of Transportation Windsor Gateway Initiatives Federal/Provincial – Bronze winner

With one third of the value of Canada’s gross domestic product – and 40 percent of Ontario’s – crossing the Windsor-Detroit gateway, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) took a lead role to improve this vital transportation link. The goal was to connect Highway 401 with Interstate 75 before the existing constrained gateway choked off investment and threatened jobs. Taking a multidisciplinary approach combined with innovation and strong collaborative relationships with a variety of partners, the leadership team (dubbed Windsor BIIG) successfully reconciled and aligned the many interests and stakeholders on both sides of the border, including economic, regulatory, environmental and community agendas. The project’s environmental assessment and unique highway design will benefit other infrastructure projects by contributing to a broader understanding of how to mitigate adverse environmental impacts while balancing financial concerns. In a particularly innovative arrangement, the MTO joined with a local community group in a unique salvage partnership that has diverted 150 tons of waste from landfills. The project also successfully adopted creative ways to communicate complex information in meaningful ways to the communities and stakeholders. Other municipalities on both sides of the border have expressed interest in learning from Windsor BIIG’s leadership.

“The Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) project proves that, with the right leadership and innovation, it is possible to secure our prosperity as a province and a nation while also improving communities and protecting the environment. We’re providing a modern international gateway that is vital to Ontario’s and Canada’s economy while at the same time improving the quality of life for the residents in Windsor and Essex.” — Fausto Natarelli, Director, Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group, MTO

Regional Municipality of Niagara Protocol for Electronic Clinic Systems Municipal – Gold winner

The Niagara Region set a new standard for public health community vaccination delivery with an innovative new software application that is now being used throughout the province of Ontario. The Protocol for Electronic Clinic Systems (PECS) software, which the Niagara Region developed using in-house resources, provides mass immunization clinics with automated client records, streamlined client throughput, data analysis and reporting. Use of the software during the H1N1 pandemic vaccination campaign shortened client processing times by 41 percent and minimized clinic wait times. The resulting improvements in efficiencies saved Niagara $100,000 in nursing staff time, and $3.5 million across the province. With the software managing clinic throughput, the number of fully staffed mass vaccination clinics can be reduced by nearly 30 percent, representing significant cost savings for the public healthcare system. The system also provides business intelligence about staffing models, clinic optimization, vaccine access and more, giving senior management the tools required to make well informed, evidence-based decisions in a timely manner. The Niagara Region is now working with 18 Ontario public health partners who are using the software for the 2010/2011 seasonal influenza vaccination campaign.

“Canadians are known for our top-notch healthcare system, and innovation like PECS helps to keep us at the front of the pack. This project also demonstrates how dedicated, creative and innovative public service personnel can have significant positive impacts on improving the efficiency of operations.” — Mike Trojan, Chief Administrative Officer, Regional Municipality of Niagara

South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority TransLink’s Olympic Story Municipal – Silver winner

TransLink, Vancouver’s public transportation authority, plans and manages the transportation system as a strategic whole, including major roads, integrated transit systems, cycling and transportation demand programs. To ensure that hundreds of thousands of Winter Olympics staff, athletes and attendees – as well as Vancouver’s citizens – could efficiently and easily navigate the city during the Olympic Games, TransLink developed innovative new approaches, collaborations and implementations for urban transportation, in addition to providing significantly increased levels of service. A pillar of the transportation plan was a campaign to spur a major shift in the public’s travel behaviour. During the Olympics, TransLink’s strategy resulted in a 30 percent reduction in vehicle traffic in the downtown core during peak hours. Months later, public transportation ridership remained higher than pre-Olympic trends and is expected to exceed the goal of a sustained ridership increase of 2 to 5 percent. The project has also given municipalities throughout Canada and the world a vision for the future of sustainable urban transportation.

“TransLink’s integrated public transportation initiatives for the 2010 Winter Olympics gave the city of Vancouver – and the world – a glimpse of what is possible in terms of sustainable urban transportation. It demonstrated to Canadians that it is possible, efficient and fun to engage in more sustainable travel behaviour, provided that all partners collaboratively plan and implement public transit.” — Michael Madill, Vice-President, Enterprise Initiatives, South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink)

Region of Peel, Ontario Human Services Transition and Integration Project Municipal – Bronze winner

Peel is one of the first municipalities in Canada to bring its Human Services into a single integrated department, including child care, financial assistance, housing, community and employment supports, among others. That’s no small feat, particularly considering that Peel is Ontario’s second largest municipality, serving 1.3 million residents, has the second-highest proportion of immigrants (49 percent) of all large Canadian municipalities and is recording the second-highest growth rate (17 percent) of large municipalities in Ontario. To transform its human services delivery into a one-touch, client-focused system, the region had to rethink and challenge many complex systems and existing relationships. After a year of consultation and review, its first three-year Human Services plan was released in February 2009. Already, Peel has seen concrete examples of the benefits of one-stop access to seamlessly delivered and integrated human services. Customer satisfaction is improving, employee engagement is on the rise and services now are delivered more efficiently. Peel has been asked by other municipalities to share its best practices and lessons learned and to support other municipalities through integration.

“This project is just one example of how the Region of Peel is doing its best to provide efficient and effective services. We’ve shown that there is an opportunity for large, complex systems to actually support the needs of individuals and families. This project has the potential to be replicated in municipalities and jurisdictions across the province and throughout Canada.” — Gurpreet Malhotra, Director, Strategic Planning, Policy and Partnerships, Human Service Department, Region of Peel

Northern Ontario School of Medicine Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North Education – Gold winner

Since its official opening in 2005, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) has pioneered the development and delivery of Distributed Community Engaged Learning as a distinctive model of medical education and health research. Its fully-accredited MD program is the only one of its kind to focus recruitment and education on a student population that reflects the population distribution of Northern Ontario. Ninety percent of each class was born and raised in Northern Ontario, 40 to 50 percent are from rural and remote areas, 8 percent are Aboriginal and 20 percent are Francophone. This distribution has been achieved while maintaining academic excellence – NOSM’s mean grade point average (GPA) each year is comparable to that of other Canadian medical schools. The school’s innovative curriculum includes community-based clinical experiences and training throughout, beginning in week one of year one of study. Throughout their study, NOSM students spend many weeks living and learning in rural communities, Aboriginal communities, local family practices and community-based healthcare centres. This is made possible through NOSM’s powerful partnerships with community groups and organizations in Ontario’s North. The school’s unique model is already addressing the lack of MDs who practice in Northern or remote communities: 70 percent of NOSM graduates are training predominately in rural family medicine.

“NOSM is a success story both in terms of responding to local health needs and at the same time being recognized as a world leader in medical education innovation. The success of NOSM’s model is relevant to all Canadians, many of whom live outside of large metropolitan areas, including in remote communities throughout our vast geography.” — Dr. Roger Strasser, Dean and CEO, NOSM

Ryerson University First Nations Public Administration and Governance Education Education – Silver winner

As Canada’s First Nations communities take on greater responsibilities for governance and policy development, the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University sought to strengthen the governing capacities in those communities. The First Nations Public Administration Programme and Chair in Indigenous Governance were created to educate First Nations people in areas such as financial management, municipal government, program evaluation, report writing, public administration, human resource management and policy analysis. It is delivered in collaboration with the First Nations Technical Institute and with the support of First Nations Chiefs and Councils. More than 30 students have completed four-year degrees and more than 200 First Nations administrators from more than 33 communities have taken courses from the programme. Alumni include individuals who have progressed to leadership positions within their communities and in regional Aboriginal organizations. At least half of those who have graduated with a degree have moved on to law school or graduate programs. The program has resulted in a template that can be applied nationally, and the university has been asked to work with other communities across the country, as well as other universities, to implement similar programmes.

“The students in the programme are professionals – they work as administrators in First Nations organizations and communities. Yet, their motivation is not personal career enhancement, but rather how they can better serve their communities. It’s very inspiring to see people make such a huge commitment in time and effort because they want to serve their communities more effectively.” — Dr. Carla Cassidy, VP, Research & Innovation, Ryerson University

Memorial University of Newfoundland Technology in Education: Leading and Advancing Teaching and Learning, Distance Education and Learning Technologies Education – Bronze winner

Memorial University’s commitment to distance education began 40 years ago, and has since pioneered the adoption of innovative technology solutions for teaching and learning. Today, Distance Education and Learning Technologies (DELT) at Memorial impacts on-campus, as well as distance courses, and accounts for over 14 percent of the university’s registrations. Thanks to DELT, Memorial University has consistently been at the forefront of technology. In the early 1970s, video tape recordings (VTRs) were offered for adult education and community development; correspondence courses were offered in 1978; cablevision was used for course delivery as early as 1982; in 1988, email was first used in a course; and an Internet-based distance course was first offered in 1994. Today, DELT annually delivers over 450 online courses to every Canadian province and over 30 countries internationally. Students from Hong Kong, Peru, Columbia, the UAE, Turkey and others take Memorial’s distance-education courses, as do Newfoundlanders and Canadians whose professions – for example, mariners – or rural locations make it difficult to travel into the city to classrooms. In 2008, DELT became the first distance education unit in Canada (and quite likely in North America) to be certified to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Quality Management System designation.

“DELT showcases the general pioneering attitude that exists at Memorial University as well as in Newfoundland. We have found innovative ways to address the delivery challenges of a rural province. We are proving that learning can be facilitated at a distance and that people can be very successful at it.” — Ann Marie Vaughan, Director, DELT, Memorial University

JGH-LaSalle Surgical Collaboration Jewish General Hospital and LaSalle Hospital Health – Gold winner

The Jewish General Hospital (JGH) and the LaSalle Hospital, both of Montreal, have broken new ground with a solution that is substantially reduced waiting times for JGH surgical patients. Working closely with other organizations and with government leaders, the JGH forged a partnership with the LaSalle Hospital in which straightforward operations (such as hernia repairs) are performed by JGH surgeons in a once-underutilized operating room at LaSalle. From mid-2008 to late 2010, more than 1,500 surgical procedures were successfully performed in this way, freeing up precious time in JGH operating rooms for more complex operations (such as cancer-related surgery. This innovative solution has resulted in major reductions in waiting times at both hospitals, with minimal additional expense. The arrangement has also greatly improved patients’ access to health care during a period of tight budgetary restraint, while enabling LaSalle, a community hospital, to maximize the use of its facilities. This is a key reason why the JGH is now rated by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services as one of the rare hospitals in the province with acceptable waiting times for surgery. A further benefit of the partnership is that the JGH, a recognized leader in quality of care and risk management, is now actively helping LaSalle to raise its standards and upgrade its quality control program. Bolstered by the success of this initial collaboration, the JGH is extending its partnership with LaSalle to include surgery for certain orthopaedics cases. It is also working closely with other hospital, such as the Lakeshore General Hospital where six dialysis chairs have been opened.

“The JGH-LaSalle venture can be – and is meant to be – replicated. This collaboration shows that we can be creative and innovative to better utilize the facilities and expertise we have. New buildings are not always the answer – we can instead find the critical mass and partner with other hospitals to better serve patients.” — Bernard Stotland, FCA, President, Jewish General Hospital

Vancouver Coastal Health Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction Health – Silver winner

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) had embarked upon an initiative to integrate its mental health and addiction services when it recognized that one group of clients had been largely overlooked. These clients presented with a combination of chronic addiction, severe mental illness and significant physical health issues –a combination called Complex Current Disorders (CCD) – and were not benefitting from existing services programs. To address the needs of the CCD population, VCH advocated for a program that would have the capacity to treat multiple problems under a single roof. With support from the provincial government and working to a timeline of just four months, an existing 100 bed facility was identified and renovated, a clinical program was developed from scratch, a multidisciplinary staff was hired and trained and the BC Centre for Mental Health and Addiction (BCMHA) opened on July 1, 2008. Since its opening, more than 325 people have been admitted to the BCMHA. 128 clients have completed the program and transitioned to supportive housing. The centre operated at its full capacity of 100 beds and a lengthy waiting list exists. The centre has also participated in the development of an additional 44 beds for clients in need of further care. The integrated, holistic program provided by the centre provides effective treatment to the CCD population and provides an opportunity to ease the enormous costs to public safety, enforcement, emergency departments and public health that complex current disorders populations pose. The BCMHA model also has the potential to be transported to other settings where CCD clients are found.

“The BC Centre for Mental Health and Addiction provides comprehensive care to people with concurrent, severe, mental health, physical health, substance use and behavioural problems. It fills a large gap in the public health system and reaches a high-need population that normally fails to benefit from health care programs.” — Heather Hay, Director, Vancouver Coastal Health

Capital District Health Authority, Nova Scotia My Leadership – Transformational Leadership Development Health – Bronze winner

Recognizing that leadership is essential to its transformation into a world-leading haven for people-centred health, healing and learning, Capital Health invited leaders, innovators, academics and catalysts from around the world to come to Nova Scotia to take part in the creation of a vision and approach for transformational leadership. The result is My Leadership, an approach to leadership development that begins with self-discovery and reflection, and encompasses the leadership development, expectations and accountabilities to drive transformational change. All formal leaders are engaged in My Leadership and the capabilities of Being, Caring and Doing, which is now being rolled out to all 12,000 Capital Health employees, “because we believe everyone at Capital Health is a leader.”

“My Leadership was custom-built for the needs of Capital Health, and it is transferrable to anyone who wants to equip leaders to lead transformational change. It is profoundly impacting our culture and we already see our organization changing for the better.” — Chris Power, President and CEO, Capital District Health Authority

Investor Education Fund Leading Innovation in the Design and Delivery of Financial Literacy Programming Not-for-profit – Gold winner

To help individuals better manage their financial affairs, the Investor Education Fund (IEF) needed to meet challenges that financial literacy organizations have struggled with for decades: educating individuals who are not seeking the information they need; making financial education accessible and engaging; meeting the changing financial information needs of people throughout their lives; and raising public awareness of independent, unbiased financial information and education. The IEF undertook ground-breaking research into the financial learning needs, preferences and behaviours of key demographic groups ages 15 to 65. Based on the knowledge gained through that research, IEF created new online content and tools at GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca. Since 2007, online users of the IEF’s education resources have increased six-fold. In addition, The IEF’s Funny Money program now offers entertaining and educational basic financial information to more than 75,000 Ontario high school students. To ensure that its message and educational resources are well known to Ontarians, IEF undertook innovative partnerships, advertising and social media marketing campaigns. IEF’s efforts to deliver financial literacy messages and resources to people at different life stages in ways they find relevant and engaging has tremendously broadened and increased its reach. This year, the IEF will begin to research the financial literacy of adult Ontarians for a benchmark that will guide IEF’s work and against which it will measure success in future years.

“From low levels of retirement investment to high and rising household debt levels, the need for Canadians to become more educated about financial affairs is enormous and it affects every household. Through its ground-breaking research, IEF came to understand that effective, properly executed communication is the most important element in our mission to increase financial literacy. Our focus on providing financial literacy tools and resources in ways that engage our target audiences from adults and school children alike has resulted in a tremendous increase in the numbers of people we’re reaching and who are benefiting from our unbiased information.” — Tom Hamza, President, Investor Education Fund

Enterprise Saint John The Benefits Blueprint – Energizing Sustainable Communities Not-for-profit – Silver winner

Recognizing that the community of Saint John, New Brunswick, was about to enter a period of rapid and transformative growth, the region’s economic development agency, Enterprise Saint John, decided to take a proactive approach to growth. The goal was to circumvent the known risks of rapid growth – including increased crime, drug use and poverty – by bringing together all facets of the community to proactively plan for growth and ensure its potential benefits could be realized. The resulting plan, called Benefits Blueprint, is a community-led initiative that balances economic growth with social, cultural and environmental priorities. The planning team included representation from local community leaders, healthcare providers, business people, education experts, cultural, social and environmental advocates. Thanks to the plan, Saint John continues to prosper, even during a period when many communities experienced significant downturn. More than $10 billion in new investment is well under way: the Saint John Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Centre opened in 2009; the Centre of Excellence for Energy and Construction is currently under construction; the City of Saint John has taken the leadership role in developing priority (poverty) neighbourhoods; the Saint John Regional Hospital and the University of New Brunswick are undergoing significant expansion efforts; massive highway infrastructure investments are under way; and, the City of Saint John is undertaking a once-in-a-generation update to its municipal plan.

“We discovered that the more people you can have at the table representing all facets of your community as you plan for the future, the better a result you will get. Infrastructure, arts and culture, youth services, healthcare, social housing, environment – each of these facets of the community touches all the others. We have put the most optimal solution in place by having all of these people at the same table.” — Bob Manning, Past Chair, Benefits Blueprint Committee & Enterprise Saint John

  

Environics Institute Urban Aboriginal People Study Not-for-profit – Bronze winner

Over half of Canada’s aboriginal population now lives in urban centres. The Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study (UAPS) is a public opinion research project designed to better understand the values, experiences, identities and aspirations of this group. Among the survey’s findings: a substantial majority of urban Aboriginals consider their current city of residence to be home; they see the city as a venue for the creative development of Aboriginal culture; they seek to become a significant and visible part of the urban landscape; pursuing higher education is the leading life aspiration of urban Aboriginal peoples today; and the majority believe that they are consistently viewed in negative ways by non-Aboriginal peoples. Now in a public engagement phase that is unprecedented in public opinion research, the survey findings are serving as a catalyst for dialogue among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. In the communities where the research was conducted, survey respondents, municipal officials, businesses and community organizations are being engaged to discuss the findings and what they might mean for education, employment, urban identity, economic development and more.

“In some of the communities where we conducted this research, we are introducing groups and organizations to each other around these topics, in many cases for the first time. This survey project is step toward closing the aboriginal/non-aboriginal divide in Canada by opening conversations and introducing non-Aboriginals to their Aboriginal neighbours – not through stereotypes, but through their real experiences as Canadian citizens.” — Michael Adams, President, Environics Institute & Author