Public service renewal: the weekly round-up

For the week of September 19 - 23, 2011

If you’re involved in public service renewal – or just a curious bystander – here's the run down of stuff you'll want to read and do this week.

To do:

Sign up (as soon as possible!) for an inexpensive (read: $5) opportunity to scheme virtuously and network at: Beyond the Kool-Aid: Open Government? Space is limited and conversation promises to be dynamic. Join experts from Google, other levels of government and Mediastyle to talk Government 2.0; while the ideas have been discussed over and over, for many it feels as if little progress is being made. Where do we go from here?

Join us: Now that school has started we’re gearing up for yet another #w2p mixer, this time with a different twist. Mark your calendars for September 28 where the #w2p community will be mixing it up with the Advanced Leadership Program.

To read:

• The Future of the Federal Workforce: can we apply the cloud model to the PS workforce?

• On cuts: Federal unions launch petition drive to call on Clement to put critical services and the long-term social safety first.

• Junk the jargon, cut the clichés and use plain English – a new tone of voice would help so many public organizations

• The U.S. is having a national dialogue on improving government web sites - and there are loads of fabulous ideas to be found on the site.

Have a great week!

This post has been a collaborative effort from Lee-Anne Peluk and Nicholas Charney.You can check out Lee-Anne's blog "In the Shuffle" at www.leeannepeluk.wordpress.com

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Round-Up: December 2nd

Keep your eyes peeled, we may have a new government...


News

1. Strike ban proposal 'atrocious,' unions say
2. PSAC calls on all members to back coalition
3. Public service under fire
4. Goodwill toward public servants - Nothing beats a display of non-denominational holiday spirit for lightening the mood in The System
5. PSAC denies report striking postal workers crossing picket lines
6. Critics slam plan for new pay equity legislation
7. Facebook isn't just for friends
8. Managers want tribes, not teams

Other interesting tidbits

1. Gen-Y workers are worth taking the time to understand
2. Three Ways to Beat Burnout c/o Harvard Business Journal

Blogs

The financial collapse and the unsaid thoughts of public servants c/o David Eaves.

Round-Up: November 26

News

1. No recession in Ottawa
2. How to land a job in Ottawa
3. 'Whistleblower' sues PSAC over dismissal
4. Advisers accuse PSAC of selling out rights claim
5. A tale of two contracts

Blogs

Etienne has a new domain name, update your RSS feeds accordingly.

Mike Kujawski thinks that Social Media will be hot during the recession. He lists a couple of compelling reasons, reasons that proponents could find support for by leveraging the recent speech from the throne's specific commitment to making government more effective (at least in my opinion):

Part of a solid economic and fiscal foundation is the sound management of government. To make Canada’s national government more effective, our Government is committed to reform and streamline the way it does business.

Our Government will pursue innovative reforms to the administration of programs and services, drawing on the successful experiences of other governments around the world. It will build partnerships with third parties and the private sector to deliver better services at a lower overall cost.

Other

Also, following PSAC's lead, CAPE has tentatively agreed to 6.8% over 4 years.

Round-Up: November 25

News

My director came by my office and dropped an article for me to read, entitled Digital Diplomacy: New Technologies, New Players . It is about DFAIT's use of Web 2.0 technologies. It's a great read, here is a small excerpt:

All of these initiatives are innovative and worthwhile, but they still fall far short of how opponents of Canadian policies use Web 2.0 technologies to get their messages out.

Here is a response from a fellow public servant to Randall Denley's article - Unions need to wake up to the reality of today's economy - that we linked to yesterday.

Regardless of where you sit on the issue, here is a small selection of the press coverage around PSAC's acceptance of the 6.8% over 4 years:

1. Economic woes temper public-sector wage demands
2. Federal employees agree to 'tough times' wage deal
3. Biggest government union trades money for job security

Apparently the Clerk of the Privy Council may be moving onto a diplomatic position, more info c/o the Toronto Star.

Blogs

Etienne has another hope filled post on his blog worth reading.


Happy Tuesday Everyone.

Round-Up October 6

Here is a small editorial from the Sault Star entitled, No need to clam up.

Jessica McDonald, BC's Premier Gordon Campbell's deputy minister and head of the public service gave an interview to the Vancouver Sun. Here is a great excerpt:

"The new generation of workers is less interested in a career with one organization for their whole career than they have been in the past," she said.

"We need to grab hold of these employees in their first year and let them design their career path, rather than just assuming -- the way it was in the past -- that where they started is where they want to be out into the long term."

To really change, she said, the public service needs to shift its attitude from within.

"We want people to feel like their jobs are rewarding, like they actually have some influence over their own work environment and how they can do their job the best," she said.

Frustrated federal prosecutors across Canada are quitting over poor pay coupled with increased work loads.

The National Post came out in favour of less government regulation citing the recent listeriosis outbreak while referencing the CFIA employee who sent a classified document to his union.

Meanwhile, a bureaucrat fighting the Public Service Commission has won the right to remain anonymous.

... and, PSAC has [an] opportunity to elect '[their] employer says Fitzpatrick (c/o Hill Times so a subscrption is required) [Aside: Given, how the party that assumes power will approach its relationship with the public service matters (to both public servants and Canadians in general) but union involvment in this issue makes me a bit uneasy. Does anyone else see this as a potential conflict of interest issue? I assume their is an official policy somewhere on this, if anyone could provide us with a link on we would be happy to share it.]

Government of Canada Offerings

Armchair discussions at the CSPS have resumed. Click here to see their Calendar.

PCO just released a great page on their website, The Role and Structure of the Privy Council Office 2008 -- one stop shop for understanding everything PCO does.


Finally - thanks for all your comments (on the blog) and your emails. It is great to hear from you, keep it up.

Round-Up July 7

Media Analysis

1. Canoe - Family issues overtake work issues for federal workers: survey
2. Hill Times - APEX finds negative impact of technology on PS executives' workload, stress

Blogs

1. David Eaves - What government embraces Facebook? (hint: it’s not ours)
2. David Eaves - Oh, to live in a country with an open government
3. Colin McKay - Making the argument for free government data

Government Publications

1. Public Service Agency - It's My Day published its latest edition.
2. APEX report referenced in the 2nd news article.

Other Notes

We added a search tool to the right hand bar and have added social bookmarking buttons courtesy of addthis.

Have a great week!