A REPORT ABOUT THE STUDY MISSION AND NEW PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE HELD AT DELTA CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO, CANADA FROM 26 TH FEBRUARY TO 2ND MARCH 2007.

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1 A REPORT ABOUT THE STUDY MISSION AND NEW PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE HELD AT DELTA CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO, CANADA FROM 26 TH FEBRUARY TO 2ND MARCH Introduction Three delegates from the Association of African Public Administrators and Managers (AAPAM), David Roger J.Walugembe (myself) from Uganda, Suzanna Joachim Magoti, from Tanzania and Andrew Monoke Epule from Cameroon were sponsored under the Association of African Public Administrators and Management and Institute of Public Administration of Canada (AAPAM-IPAC) partnership for a study mission and New Professionals Conference that was held at Delta Chelsea Hotel Toronto, Canada from Monday 26th February 2007 to March 2 nd Unfortunately, the third delegate from Cameroon, Andrew Monoke Epule did not make it due to failure to acquire the visa in time. 1.1 Conference Theme The theme of the conference was Mind the Gap: The Changing Face of the Public Service. It had several informative sessions that support the objectives of the AAPAM- IPAC partnership under the CIDA funded Good Governance Program. 1.2 Objectives of the Study Mission and Conference The main objective of the study mission and conference was to provide an opportunity for the AAPAM new professionals to meet with their counterparts, share ideas and best practices and network with other new professionals and senior management from across Canada's public sector. Among the other objectives, the study mission and conference aimed at: i. Bringing together emerging leaders in the public service to generate ideas for a new public service, ii. Building professional networks by providing an opportunity for new public servants to share experiences and best practices and knowledge. iii. Enabling new professionals participants in Good Governance Program activities to demonstrate their increased knowledge and capacity in the areas of leadership, decision-making skills, and managerial skills as well as effective and efficient performance of duties. 1

2 2.0 PROGRESS OF THE STUDY MISSION: EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING POINTS 2.1 DAY ONE The study mission began with a briefing session by the IPAC contact person, Ms. Colette Malo on Monday February 26 th Together we reviewed the objectives of the study mission and had a brief overview of the program. We were requested to forward any other matters of interest before embarking on the rest of the program. We went on to meet with Ms. Pia Bruni at the IPAC Offices (1075 Bay Street, Suite 401). Ms. Pia was the IPAC official who was in charge of the administrative issues pertaining to our travel arrangements, accommodation and upkeep. She handled us very briefly and very chivalrously Conversation One - New Professionals Session and Lunch Chaired by the Director of Research at IPAC- Ms. Wendy Feldman, the new professionals session and lunch began with introductions, education backgrounds and current jobs of the eight members present. We had an interesting conversation and a comparative exchange of experiences regarding our choices for joining the public service, our aspirations and the challenges we face in our respective systems. We talked about the non-financial factors that motivate us as public servants. Our conversations also ventured more into the issues of mentoring within the public services. - Choices for Joining the Public Service i. Public service is a real avenue for practicing the theories of public administration and management ii. Opportunities for career development and growth- training opportunities iii. iv. Job security and supportive colleagues who can sit in for others Opportunities to deliver services to the citizens (deal with many people) i. Bureaucracy and resistance to change- ICT era versus protocol ii. Information communication sharing iii. Less streamlined mentoring and coaching systems especially in the African Public Services iv. Motivation and attitudes of public servants versus pay and other incentives v. Induction of new professionals vi. Reward and recognition of staff vii. Branding- the image of public services 2

3 C. Non-financial factors that motivate public servants (new professionals) i. Engagement which gives people a feeling of belongingness (It is an Outcome of proper induction) ii. Reward and recognition for innovativeness and creative ideas iii. Open communication and frequent feedback iv. Supportive management v. An enabling work environment (well facilitated with tools and equipment) vi. vii. Teamwork- supportive colleagues with shared values and purpose Clear systems, structures and policies that allow for career growth (certainty about the future) Conversation Two Overview of IPAC The Executive Director of IPAC, Mr. Gabriel Sekaly gave us a brief overview of IPAC, its vision, objectives and IPAC activities. He informed us that IPAC and AAPAM have a partnership aimed at supporting public sector management research and excellence in both the developed and developing countries. He also informed us about the IPAC structure and Awards as well as IPAC s role in developing new professionals. i. IPAC and AAPAM share a similar vision and conviction of advancing the theory and practice of public administration and management. ii. The Institute s scope covers governance issues from the global to the local level and we were beneficiaries of the Good Governance Program designed and committed to incorporate new professionals. iii. IPAC like AAPAM has regional groups. iv. The Public Service Reforms in Canada are strongly supported by the legislature, which facilitates the speedy discussion of and passing of some relevant Acts (Legal framework. that governs the reforms). v. IPAC pursues its vision of excellence by - Encouraging highest standards of professional practice and service to the public - Enhancing an understanding of the public sector - Advocating the values and ideals of public service - Exchanging knowledge about public administration - Contributing to the resolution of key issues in public administration and - Promoting education and professional development of public administrators and managers During the same session, we shared more about IPAC and its research function with the Director of Research- Ms. Wendy Feldman. We shared more about the public sector management publications that contain very thought provoking research findings, literature and ideas for practitioners researchers and the academia. These can be accessed online at I was very much impressed by the idea of conducting a 3

4 Deputy Ministers (Permanent Secretaries) and Municipal CEOs (CAOs) survey about the most important management issues facing their organizations. This is because of the fact that the results of this survey facilitate policy making and give direction regarding the priority areas for action- delivery of services. i. Lack of thorough monitoring and evaluation of the public service reforms and other programs is a challenge to many public services including the Canadian Public Services. At the end of each day, we had debriefing sessions with Ms. Colette Malo with whom we exchanged views and opinions about the various conversations that we had through out the day. We always agreed upon the meeting time for the next day. 2.2 DAY TWO On day two of the study mission, we interacted and exchanged ideas with three groups of people namely; members of Tomorrow s Ontario Public Service (TOPS) Executive Committee, the manager of Policy Information at the Executive Council Office, Government of Ontario and the new professionals working with the office of the Chief Information and Privacy Office, Ministry of Government Services, Government of Ontario Conversation One - Tomorrow s Ontario Public Service (TOPS) Executive Members In a bid to establish the networking initiatives that exist in Canada and are run by the young professionals, how they work and the challenges they face, we met with Ms. Lucinda Theodore (Chair and Senior Business Consultant Ministry of Government Services) and Mr. Jeremy Cornier, (TOPS Communication and Marketing and Ag. Senior Economic Specialist) Tomorrow s Ontario Public Service (TOPS) is one of the young professionals networking initiatives in Ontario, Canada. It is a forum of young and new professionals in the Ontario Public Service. It is a key partner in the internal delivery of strategy as well as a conduit for identifying and implementing suitable learning and development opportunities. Canada25 is another networking initiative for new professionals operating at the federal level. It is a non-partisan organisation dedicated to engaging the perspectives of young Canadians living around the world in Canada s public policy debates. We were further informed that there other youth groups around Canada focused on providing a platform for sharing experiences, networking and exchanging ideas or mentoring new entrants. These include the Victoria New Professionals Network, Government of British Columbia, GoverNext, from Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan New Professionals Network and the Environment Canada Action Network. 4

5 i. The Young and New Professionals networks are not special needs groups but instead are voluntary efforts of youths to contribute towards good governance. ii. There is need for being passionate, committed and dedicated to the cause of running young professionals networks. iii. Engaging the senior management and top leadership (government) is very vital for the effective running of the young professionals networks. iv. Young professionals networks are very ideal in providing mentoring and leadership training, a strategy for effective succession planning v. Asking powerful questions is very vital in securing or holding interest of new members (what is it that young professionals want to, can or will do to influence or bring about positive change?) i. As in the African experience, there are challenges of securing commitment, active participation and sustainability of membership. However, this is instead looked at as an opportunity to always work hard to ensure that the networks are up and running with sound membership and relevant activities Conversation Two- Role of Information Management in Policy Planning and Management Accurate information facilitates effective policy, planning and management. Our session with Mr. Scott Bolton, the Manager, Policy Information, Executive Council Office, Government of Ontario, was a very empowering one. This is mostly attributed to the practical exposure he gave us while explaining to us how he manages information in the cabinet office. He took us through the MOSAIC Database, which helps in the management of all agenda items discussed during the Cabinet meetings. He also exposed us to the Commitment Tracking System that captures all undertakings (manifestos) by the Government. It facilitates the review, monitoring and evaluation processes. Using this tracking system, the Government is reminded of its promises to the citizens. He informed us about the Pink note, which is used to give advice to cabinet. i. Proper information management facilitates quick and easy decision making processes ii. The application of ICT in information management facilitates streamlined policy and planning processes iii. Regular review of the manifestos/ Government undertakings helps to improve delivery of services to the people. Hence the importance of ICTs in monitoring and evaluation processes. 5

6 i. Limited control over unofficial commitments by Cabinet Ministers to their electorate ii. Absence of a systematic mechanism to coordinate and document progress of the implementation of the various undertakings by Ministries or Government agencies iii. Frequency of reviews- Reviews used to be carried out annually during the four year term but initiatives are underway to make the reviews quarterly Conversation Three - New Professionals in Strategy and Policy Office Day two ended with a conversation with the new professionals working with the Office of the Chief Information and Privacy Officer, Government of Ontario. We shared experiences regarding some of the government policies and legislation relating to information management. We were informed about the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA), a non-profit society dedicated to advancing freedom of information and privacy rights in Canada. We also learnt more about the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). We shared experience about the challenges the new professionals encounter while working in the Office of the Chief Information and Privacy Officer. We shared some of the strategies they are embarking upon to deliver their expected outputs. i. Need for sensitizing people about the information management policy so as to get them motivated enough to comply. ii. Attitudes and behaviours are a great hindrance to best practices in information management at the work place- Some staff tend to think it is a responsibility of the professionals yet it is a collective responsibility. iii. The Government of Ontario like the Ministry of Public Service, Uganda is developing a communication plan/ strategy mainly aimed at giving compelling reasons as to why and how changing and adopting to the accepted information and communication management practices benefits them. (Social Marketing) iv. It is necessary to have champions of change to communicate and spread the information management efforts within the organisation and the country as a whole. v. It is important to have more than one strategy innovative ways to get people involved in information management i. Attitude of assuming that information management is a responsibility for some people (professionals) ii. Failure by colleagues to admit a skills gap in information management and getting assistance iii. Too much talk about integrating information management into daily operations and less practical efforts 6

7 iv. Monitoring and evaluation strategies of the impact of the distributed information v. The Freedom of Access to Information law versus privacy- With globalization, the world is moving away from ownership to access hence the need for increased access to information avenues- websites, blogs, intranets, s but also not forgetting the impact on Government objectives and values. 2.3 DAY THREE On day three of the study mission we interacted with Ms. Alison Loat the founder and former Executive director of Canada25, the Ontario Parliamentary interns, and members of Canada School of Public Service Conversation One: Attracting and Retaining Young Talent Ms Alison Loat a founder member and former executive Director of Canada25 took us through the evolution of Canada25. Canada25 is one of the networking initiatives for new professionals operating at the federal level. It is a non-partisan organisation dedicated to engaging the perspectives of young Canadians living around the world in Canada s public policy debates. It was fascinating to learn that only three people who had a vision and passion for civic engagement initiated Canada25. Their mission is to focus the attention, talent and ideas of young Canadians, living at home and abroad, on public policy debates in Canada. i) Being passionate about whatever you do is very important if you are to succeed ii) Sharing the vision with others helps to secure their input and interest iii) Consistency and commitment are vital elements- (Never Give Up Spirit) iv) As young professionals, we need to realize our impact and contribution to the communities that we live and work in. v) Dedication and desire to serve above self are very vital values leaders and members of professional networks need to keep in mind. i) Marketing of the network across the country and the entire world ii) Balancing between the day to day cores and the demands of the network Conversation Two: Overview of the Ontario Legislative Process and tour of the Legislature During the guided tour of the legislature, the Parliamentary Interns (young professionals), shared with us the facts and myths about the Ontario legislature, its history, the activities, and how business is conducted in the legislature. We had a round table discussion where we discussed interesting issues pertaining to how one becomes an intern in the 7

8 legislature, what they do during their internship and its impact on their choice of careers as well as the challenges they encounter. i) Existence of formal internship programmes which are non discriminatory targeting young graduates in Canada ii) I was challenged to know the basic facts about institutional systems and procedures iii) The need to have an objective mindset The interns work for both the government and the opposition this requires an objective mind and liberal system of governance i) Adapting to change in regard to the person you are working with was one of the challenges the interns face Conversation Three: Issues Faced By New Professionals in Canadian Public Service As a way of gearing up for the next day s conference, we had a conversation with the conference MCs who were also members of the Canadian School of Public Service. We discussed issues faced by New Professionals in the Canadian Public Service and how they are being combated. We also had a brief exchange about what we do in our respective countries as well as what we had been doing in Canada. i) Canada School of Public Service has a mandatory programme for all new professionals recruited into the Canadian Public Service. (Taken between the first six months upon recruitment) ii) Regular training and skills enhancement is vital for public servants i) Induction of new professionals was a big problem but with the mandatory programme, things are expected to get better. 8

9 3.0 THE NEW PROFESSIONALS CONFERENCE (DAY FOUR AND FIVE) Mind the Gap: The Changing face of the Public Service Conference started on Thursday 1 st March 2007 and ended on Friday 2, March Very enjoyable, informative, interactive and insight provoking presentations were delivered by speakers representing industry, government policy makers as well as academic researchers from the talent management arena. The key themes of the conference were mainly aimed at: i) Highlighting how the professionals are being engaged in the public service ii) Discussing why talented employees join and leave organisations iii) Sharing and building upon retention strategies that go beyond pay, benefits and recognition programs to create a culture of commitment iv) Showcasing programs which focus on the attraction and retention of equity seeking groups (including people with disabilities) I presented a paper on Engaging Employees in the Public Services- Best Practices and Future Possibilities. My presentation was commended by many and in appreciation, a donation was made on my behalf to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The Stephen Lewis Foundation is a non-governmental organization that is contributing towards easing the pain of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Copies of my presentation and others will soon be uploaded on the conference website at A. Learning points There were several learning points from the conference but I will attempt to highlight a few of them; i) Public services need to change and go deeper by defining the specific services they offer ii) Public Service renewal should begin with a reflection of how concerned we are about the things we do, what motivates us to do them, why we are doing them and for whom are we doing them? iii) People management skills are an essential component of public service renewal iv) What we give to public service determines what public service gives back in return v) The need to recognize that new professionals are leaders and therefore should participate actively in the good governance programs. vi) Public Services need to refocus on recruiting talent, promoting innovation and investing further in talent management. vii) As new professionals we need to always stand by our values and always remain focused on contributing towards positive change wherever we work. viii) Public Services should take pride in having access to decision makers and should therefore use this advantage to deliver effective services that positively impact the lives of the citizens. 9

10 ix) There is need to have pronounced talent management strategies to effectively mind the gap caused by the changing face of public services. x) Formal talent management programs enable management to identify the exact outputs that management really needs out of the programme xi) There is always need to ask people what they want to do so as to retain their interest and commitment to the organizational values-retention strategy xii) Learning especially team learning, being community practitioners, relationships, creating space, being systems thinkers, accountability and effective communicators are the seven ideas that could change the public service leadership. i) Public Services world over suffer a brand problem there is need to rebrand the image of public services so as to improve the perception especially amongst the potential young and new professionals- attraction strategy ii) Change management processes amongst public servants are greatly hindered by the motivation factors that include among others: pay, unclear career development systems and processes, reward and recognition schemes and a bureaucratic culture due to fixed attitudes and rules and regulations that do not match the demands of the changing times. iii) As public services concentrate on developing the young and new the professionals, there is need to mind the mid-term career professionals so that they do not seem threatened or forgotten but instead integrated into the process of minding the gap. 4.0 OBSERVATIONS AND ACTION POINTS FROM THE STUDY MISSION AND CONFERENCE Following the study mission and conference conversations, I observed and appreciated the fact that the Canadian Young Professionals networks are more sound and proactive hence the need to benchmark from them. A. The Role of Young Professionals Networks in effective Delivery of Public Services i) Young Professionals networks create a safe space to demonstrate the skills and competencies that young professionals have to deliver change. ii) Young Professionals networks are an avenue for mentoring and coaching as well as leadership development. iii) The objectives of the Young Professionals network should be linked to the organizational and national objectives. iv) Young Professionals active engagement in community affairs positively impacts the image and perception of public services. v) Young Professionals have a big role to play in good governance and the effective delivery of public services. 10

11 B. The Need to Revamp the AAPAM Young Professionals Network With the above observations, I realize the need to revamp the AAPAM Young Professionals network as the major action points. The AAPAM Young Professionals network needs to be revamped to make it a network of dedicated, committed and supportive volunteers. This requires the support and understanding of our respective leaders at the places of work, the AAPAM Executive and Secretariat who have been very supportive and I request that they continue helping us to achieve this objective. I wish to suggest the following strategies in revamping the AAPAM Young Professionals Network: i) Integration of AAPAM Young Professionals into the AAPAM Local Chapters Identifying fellow young professionals in the respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies where we work would be an ideal strategy of securing and holding the interest of new members. ii) Streamlining the objective and marketing of the Young Professionals activities Streamlining and marketing (publicizing) the objectives and activities of the Young Professionals networks would be a sure way of sustaining the commitment and engagement of the new members as well as securing the support of the senior members. iii) Establishing sound collaborative efforts between or amongst outstanding local chapters. Upon integration of the young professionals into the local chapters, the next step would be to establish collaborative efforts between or amongst outstanding young professionals networks across the continent. The vibrant local networks would provide a basis for international networking and exchange of ideas. iv) The role of senior stakeholders Among the stakeholders that would guide, advise and support these initiatives are: i) AAPAM Executive and Secretariat ii) Senior Management Teams of the respective organizations- Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Commissioners Heads of Personnel 11

12 5.0 APPRECIATION Having had such an exposure to new ideas, new people, and a different world, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to AAPAM for nominating me to represent Africa, Uganda and the Ministry of Public Service. Thank you for the opportunity. I will remain indebted to the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) for the support and opportunities extended to us before, during and after the study mission To all the new professionals with whom we networked and exchanged ideas, thank you very much please. To the people of the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario and Canada, thank you so much for the hospitable ambiance. I enjoyed the snow. 12