1. Part II: The Structure of Bureaucracy and the Canadian Political System The Political-Bureaucratic Interface (Cont’d) October 5th

2. Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship the individual minister demands from their senior bureaucrats... the individual minister demands from their senior bureaucrats... loyalty in service loyalty in service honesty in advice honesty in advice refrain from public comment refrain from public comment = public service neutrality

3. Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship the senior bureaucrats agree to public service neutrality in exchange for... the senior bureaucrats agree to public service neutrality in exchange for... official anonymity official anonymity promotion based on merit promotion based on merit security of tenure security of tenure

4. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the politics-administration dichotomy (conceptual) the politics-administration dichotomy (conceptual) policy – what should be done policy – what should be done administration – how it should be done administration – how it should be done – does this distinction seem workable? this is the ideal to strive toward even if impossible to achieve this is the ideal to strive toward even if impossible to achieve – the politics-administration distinction in reality Minister predominates in policy Minister predominates in policy Deputy Minister predominates in administration Deputy Minister predominates in administration

5. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the role of the Minister the role of the Minister – cabinet/departmental link minister represents department in cabinet (advocate) minister represents department in cabinet (advocate) minister represents cabinet to the department minister represents cabinet to the department – approves/initiates broad policy decisions ratifying solutions to problems identified by the civil service ratifying solutions to problems identified by the civil service referring policy problems to the civil service for solutions referring policy problems to the civil service for solutions – answers publicly for the actions of the department

6. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the role of the Deputy Minister the role of the Deputy Minister – appointed by PM but answers directly to Minister – administration staffing staffing financial control financial control – policy presenting policy options to the Minister in response to ministerial requests presenting policy options to the Minister in response to ministerial requests – accountability investigating and correcting problems at the behest of the Minister (with Minister reporting publicly) investigating and correcting problems at the behest of the Minister (with Minister reporting publicly)

7. PUBLIC SERVICE VALUES The “Swivel Service”?

8. Political-Bureaucratic Conflict – Potential Sources personal personal ideological ideological – bureaucracy developed under one partisan gov’t facing new government territorial territorial – e.g. defending bureaucratic turf against political intrusion – defending bureaucratic expansionism (esp. budgets) against retrenchment bureaucrats as “budget-maximizers” bureaucrats as “budget-maximizers” innovation (political) vs. stasis (bureaucratic) innovation (political) vs. stasis (bureaucratic) – fundamental conservatism of bureaucracy as an organizational form systemic systemic – the result of each of the different actors adequately performing their different roles

9. Subjective vs. Objective Responsibility Subjective Responsibility re: Friedrich Central Concept: Moral Responsibility Focus: ethics Objective Responsibility re: Finer Central Concept: Political Responsibility Focus: controls

10. Accountability/Responsibility of the Senior Public Service subjective vs. objective responsibility subjective vs. objective responsibility – explicit political controls are not enough if there is no sense of subjective responsibility (Friedrich) importance of public service values importance of public service values

11. Procedural vs. Substantive Public Service Values PROCEDURAL PROCEDURAL – neutrality – accountability – responsiveness (political) – integrity (ethics) – fairness and equity (procedural) SUBSTANTIVE SUBSTANTIVE – public interest – efficiency/effectiveness – responsiveness (public) – fairness and equity (substantive)

12. The Public Service... “The public service is a special calling. It is not for everyone. Those who devote themselves to it find meaning and satisfaction that are not to be found elsewhere. But the rewards are not material. They are moral and psychological, perhaps even spiritual. They are the intangible rewards that proceed from the sense of devoting one’s life to the service of the country, to the affairs of state, to public purposes, great or small, and to the public good.”The Tait Report “The public service is a special calling. It is not for everyone. Those who devote themselves to it find meaning and satisfaction that are not to be found elsewhere. But the rewards are not material. They are moral and psychological, perhaps even spiritual. They are the intangible rewards that proceed from the sense of devoting one’s life to the service of the country, to the affairs of state, to public purposes, great or small, and to the public good.”The Tait Report

13. The Public Service... “The notion of public interest is a touchstone of motivation for public servants. It is for the public service what justice and liberty are for the legal profession, or what healing and mercy are for the medical profession.” The Tait Report “The notion of public interest is a touchstone of motivation for public servants. It is for the public service what justice and liberty are for the legal profession, or what healing and mercy are for the medical profession.” The Tait Report “The public service is there to remind elected leaders to do those things we should do but for which there is no immediate political gain.” Former Ontario Premier Bob Rae “The public service is there to remind elected leaders to do those things we should do but for which there is no immediate political gain.” Former Ontario Premier Bob Rae

14. The Public Service... “Speaking truth to power” “Speaking truth to power” – the corollorary of “honesty in advice” What would be the characteristics of a senior bureaucracy likely (and able) to perform this type of function? What would be the characteristics of a senior bureaucracy likely (and able) to perform this type of function? – What type of person is likely to develop these types of values?

15. The Career Public Service benefits benefits – speaking truth to power/long-term view of the public good official anonymity & security of tenure official anonymity & security of tenure – expertise/capability performance based on merit performance based on merit drawbacks drawbacks – may not be politically responsive – may become ossified rigid adherence to accepted policies rigid adherence to accepted policies – may challenge political leadership

16. The Paradox of Public Service Values demand high ethical standards of public servants demand high ethical standards of public servants requires people devoted to public service requires people devoted to public service people with high ethical standards will have strong values/beliefs people with high ethical standards will have strong values/beliefs –may bring them into conflict with elected officials demand people who are highly capable demand people who are highly capable capable of challenging elected leadership capable of challenging elected leadership built-in tension between bureaucratic and elected officials built-in tension between bureaucratic and elected officials may generate considerable conflict between public service and elected officials may generate considerable conflict between public service and elected officials –systemic – e.g. the system operates this way by design may raise issues of democratic control may raise issues of democratic control

17. Bureaucratic-Political Conflict what if there is no evidence of conflict between bureaucratic and elected officials? what if there is no evidence of conflict between bureaucratic and elected officials? – are bureaucrats doing their job? i.e. “speaking truth to power” i.e. “speaking truth to power” “...reminding political officials of things they should do but for which there is no immediate political gain” “...reminding political officials of things they should do but for which there is no immediate political gain” – have elected officials been captured by the bureaucracy?

18. The Paradox of Public Service Values bureaucratic domination bureaucratic domination – how serious a problem?? depends on... depends on... –the model of democracy in question!! bureaucratic surrender bureaucratic surrender – how serious a problem?? depends on... depends on... –the model of democracy in question!!...on which side would you err??...on which side would you err??