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'Evaluation of policy analysis lags behind that in Europe and the United States.... Again, Canada lags behind in evaluating its various training programs, and in implementing reforms that will enhance [...]

Ontario's recent Postsecondary Review, led by former premier Bob Rae, was dramatically more successful than previous reviews by special-purpose advisory commissions on postsecondary education conducted in Ontario. The authors argue that the success of special-purpose advisory commissions--defined as the extent to which a commission's recommendations are implemented in a timely way--is dependent on environmental variables (such as the economy, fiscal situation and political cycle), process variables (such as reporting relationships, characteristics of the commissioners and stakeholder strategies) and the political acuity with which the commission develops recommendations that can command broad public support. The Rae review benefited from political conditions that favoured stronger investments in postsecondary education, despite a difficult fiscal situation. The report also benefited from a stakeholder community that was able to put aside most internal differences for the sake of a perceived common good. Within this environment, the review created a highly focused process that involved extensive consultation, the support of expert panel members and frequent interaction with decision-makers. The review developed recommendations that were sensitive to long-standing patterns of public opinion, articulated new public goals, recognized the important role to be played by each major stakeholder and proposed a new institution to entrench positive change in the long term. This experience offers lessons for governments, stakeholders and future commissions on how to manage special-purpose advisory commissions in a way that maximizes their policy impact. La recente etude de l'education post-secondaire en l'Ontario, menee par l'ancien premier ministre provincial Bob Rae, a remporte beaucoup plus de succes que les etudes anterieures entreprises en Ontario par des commissions consultatives specialisees en education post-secondaire. Les auteurs pretendent que le succes des commissions consultatives specialisees--defini par la mesure dans laquelle les recommandations d'une commission sont mises en oeuvre de facon adequate--depend de parametres environnementaux (tels que l'economie, la situation financiere et le cycle politique), de parametres de traitement (tels que les rapports hierarchiques, les caracteristiques des commissaires et les strategies des intervenants) et de l'acuite politique avec laquelle la commission elabore des recommandations qui peuvent susciter une forte adhesion du public. L'etude Rae a beneficie d'un contexte politique favorable a de solides investissements dans l'education post-secondaire, malgre une situation financiere difficile. Le rapport a egalement tire parti d'une communaute d'intervenants qui ont pu mettre de cote la plupart de leurs differences internes au profit de l'interet commun. Dans ce contexte, l'etude a donne lieu a un processus hautement focalise qui a comporte de nombreuses consultations, l'appui des membres d'une commission d'experts, et de frequentes interactions avec les decisionnaires. L'etude a mis au point des recommandations sensibles aux tendances ancrees dans l'opinion publique, a formule de nouveaux objectifs publics, a reconnu l'importance du role a jouer par les principaux intervenants et a propose qu'une nouvelle institution garantisse des changements positifs a long terme. Cette experience offre des lecons aux gouvernements, aux intervenants et aux futures commissions sur la maniere de gerer les commissions consultatives specialisees afin de maximiser l'impact de leurs politiques., Introduction Ontario's recent Postsecondary Review (Rae review), led by former premier Bob Rae, was dramatically more successful than any of the nine previous reviews of special-purpose advisory commissions on postsecondary [...]

The authors believe that management reform initiatives can be jeopardized by the government-wide application of idealized management frameworks. They suggest that, according to what they call 'the law of mandated utopias,' the resultant management requirements become surreal in the eyes of departmental managers. The authors explore the ethical and practical dilemmas caused by the conflict between a public servant's duty to comply with centrally imposed requirements and the duty to manage people and public monies in a sensible way. The recent management improvement initiatives in the Government of Canada are used to demonstrate the practical limitations of the conceptual frameworks associated with performance measurement, performance audit, modern comptrollership, and human resources development. Suggestions are offered on how to improve management in departments while dealing with the surreal requirements generated by government-wide reforms based on utopian frameworks. Sommaire: Les auteurs estiment que l'application de cadres de gestion purement theoriques, a l'echelle de l'appareil gouvernemental, pourrait compromettre les initiatives de reforme de la gestion. Ils sont d'avis que, sous les effets de ce qu'ils appellent la <>, les exigences que les gestionnaires de ministeres sont tenus de prendre en compte peuvent leur paraitre surrealistes. Les auteurs analysent les dilemmes concrets et deontologiques que pose l'obligation faite aux gestionnaires de se conformer aux exigences des organismes centraux tout en gerant des fonctionnaires et des fonds publics de facon judicieuse. Les initiatives actuelles d'ame1ioration de la gestion au gouvernement du Canada permettent de constater les limites concretes des cadres conceptuels lies a la mesure et verification du rendement, a la modernisation de la fonction de contro1eur et a la modernisation des ressources humaines. Les auteurs formulent, a l'intention des equipes de direction, des suggestions pour ame1iorer la gestion au sein de leurs ministeres tout en faisant face aux exigences surrealistes engendrees par des reformes inspirees par des cadres utopistes l'echelle de l'appareil gouvernemental., We have both served in various capacities in central agencies and line departments and recall the debates we had as deputy ministers over the most effective way to design centrally-generated [...]

The paper identifies the main differences between the decision-making environments of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Canadian governments, with a view to comparing administrative practices in the IMF with those in government policy-making organizations. Many of the IMF's distinguishing features arise from its international character and the need to solve 'collaboration problems.' They include a detachment from electoral politics and external agencies, a heavy reliance on rules, universal membership, weighted voting, a specialized and technical subject-matter with broad doctrinal consensus, a comparative availability of resources and continuity in leadership. The paper then reviews the features of the administrative practices in the IMF that tend to distinguish it from policy-making organizations in the Canadian federal and provincial governments. These include top-down organizational discipline, numerous and well-staffed review procedures, elite recruitment, high pay and an internally generated and incremental approach to administrative reform. Conclusions are made about the extent to which the IMF's distinguishing administrative features are linked to its particular decision-making environment and about the lessons that might be drawn for the management of Canadian policy-making organizations. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The Public Service 2000 exercise and the June 1993 government reorganization are reviewed in the context of a decade of centrally driven initiatives to improve the management and productivity of the federal public service. The work of the Treasury Board Secretariat during these initiatives is described and the changes in its modus operandi and structure are outlined. It is suggested that the most important shortcoming in the PS 2000 exercise was the failure to reconcile the renewal theme with the continuing requirement for reductions in operating budgets, and to set out the implications of expenditure restraint for the size and nature of the public service in the 1990s. What is needed for the next stage of public service renewal is not a high-profile, service-wide initiative, but a 'realistic management posture' that takes adequate account of continuing fiscal restraint, arbitrariness in expenditure reduction, impact on services, technological change, limited applicability of private sector techniques, efficacy of centrally imposed controls, relationship between employment security and renewal, and finally, compensation determination. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

The decision-making system used by cabinet officials in the Mulroney government of Canada is outlined, and showing how this system differs from that of previous governments. The history of the cabinet system in Canada, including political and constitutional influences, is given. There has been much reorganization since 1984 to the end that decisions be made efficiently, in line with the government's priorities.

Comments on the article 'The challenge of change: Canadian universities in the twenty-first century,' by David M. Cameron, which appeared in the 'Canadian Public Administration' journal. Nature and extent of the challenge of change at Canada's universities; Validity of the assertion that universities have been slow to adapt and become more entrepreneurial; Universal perspective on provincial funding.

Discusses global economic trends and pressures on government, with regards to Canada and the United States. Categories which global pressures on governments are reviewed; Descriptions of the categories; Implication of global pressures for Canadian governments.