The federal government has indicated it is not currently interested in measuring productivity within Canada's public service, despite a new report from a dedicated working group that issued a stark call for better data and 19 specific recommendations for improvement.
Report Highlights Critical Need for Data and Cultural Shift
The working group's report, released on December 12, identified five key areas requiring federal attention to enhance productivity. These areas encompass the measurement of productivity itself, supporting a productive workforce, deploying technology like artificial intelligence, reviewing programs and spending through a productivity lens, and improving internal government structures and processes.
A central theme of the report is the critical lack of reliable data. It argues that without solid metrics, it is nearly impossible to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of government services or to pinpoint where improvements are needed. The group called for the systematic collection of data to measure productivity across the entire public sector and for the establishment of clear metrics for federal services.
Recommendations Aim for Performance and New Talent
Beyond data, the report advocates for significant cultural shifts to foster innovation and excellence. Its 19 recommendations include several pointed suggestions for personnel management:
- Implementing rigorous performance reviews at the end of employee probation periods.
- Publicly reporting the number of public servants dismissed or deemed underperforming in the annual report on the public service.
- Providing enhanced performance management training for managers.
The report also emphasized the need to hire talent from outside the traditional public service pool, actively recruiting the best candidates from the private sector, academia, and non-profit organizations to bring in fresh perspectives and skills.
Government Response Cites Existing Initiatives
In its official response contained within the report, the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) acknowledged that several recommendations align with ongoing government actions. These include efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, review government programs and spending, and streamline internal processes.
TBS pointed to the existing Build Canada exchange program, which facilitates private-sector leaders gaining experience within the federal government, as an example of cross-sector collaboration. However, the response notably did not address the report's specific call to focus on hiring from academia or the non-profit sector. Most significantly, the government's position remains that measuring public service productivity is not a priority at this time, effectively sidelining the report's foundational recommendation.
