It's okay, all you hard-working bureaucrats who think
politicians don't recognize the effort that has gone into
streamlining and integrating the provision of government
services.
They really do appreciate it, says John Milloy, a member of the
Ontario Legislature and a former political assistant on Parliament
Hill. They just don't see the need to say so.
"Politicians are interested in outcomes, not mechanics," Milloy
pointed out in an interview after appearing on a panel at the Lac
Carling Congress. "It's likely a lot of them aren't aware of how
far information technology has come and how it can be used. What
they want are ways to deal with problems.
"They are looking for better ways to engage with citizens," he
added. "That means public servants need to demonstrate to the
public and the politicians what service integration can do."
The bureaucrats may also have to learn that the Harper
government and, increasingly, its provincial counterparts are far
more IT savvy than their immediate political predecessors, as can
be seen in their growing use of Web sites and blogs by federal
politicians and their supporters.
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, the new co-chair of the
Crossing Boundaries National Council, is one of those young federal
ministers who are considered extremely comfortable with computers,
the Internet and IT.
Former Ontario education minister John Snobelen suggested on the
panel that politicians may not demonstrate a lot of enthusiasm for
the potential of citizen-centred service delivery because the
bureaucrats involved in service transformation development don't
express much excitement about its potential."You need to show a
little more passion when you talk to politicians about these
matters," he told the conference. "You need to craft a compelling
story because a lot of them, including ministers, don't really
understand the role of public servants."
Integrating services also doesn't mean a lot to a public that
feels remote and disconnected from government, a sentiment
reinforced by most encounters with the health care system, he
continued. "They feel powerless. This is not a question of
technology but attitudes in government (toward dealing with
citizens)."
Elected representatives also don't think they can interact with
the public and other governments in a meaningful way, Snobelen
added. "You need to demonstrate to the politicians how you can use
the technology to raise the bar on service delivery."
He praised participants in the Lac Carling Congress as "the
people who are willing to show the way" to better government.
Don Lenihan, president and CEO of the Crossing Boundaries
council, said the Harper government has started with a clear
intention of respecting provincial and municipal jurisdictions and
if it sticks to that position, it could boost the notion of
collaborative government.
An encouraging sign, he said, was a discussion paper on the
fiscal imbalance between the federal and provincial governments
that was released with the May budget. Among other items, it
highlighted "the ongoing areas of collaborative government and the
interdependence among jurisdictions." This is an important
acknowledgement for making service transformation work.
If the Harper government sticks to its principles, it will help
change the assessment of the success of service transformation to
outcomes rather than jurisdiction, Lenihan said. It would also put
more emphasis on determining what citizens and interest groups
want. "That would get us out of a box we have been in for a long
time."
No segment of Canadian society needs better service delivery
than the aboriginal population, Tony Belcourt, president of the
Metis Nation of Ontario, told the conference. First nations want to
move to self-government but their leadership lacks any knowledge or
experience with information technology. "In fact we need help to
convince my people of the benefit of using it for better service
delivery."
On behalf of native leaders, Belcourt presented the conference
with a Crossing Boundaries report on recommendations for giving
aboriginals a voice in the service delivery debate. The report
looks at how information technology can help native bands "meet
critical social, economic and cultural needs."
Milloy said selling politicians on the merits of service
integration and the potential of current technology is a valuable
role for both Lac Carling and the Crossing Boundaries council.
Canada has become a modern, urban country, he added. More than
80 per cent of the population lives in cities and large
metropolitan centres and governments have to recognize this in
developing policies. "As well, service delivery must break down
barriers between levels of government. Citizens don't care about
which level of government provides the services; they want results.
As a result politicians need to focus on results not
jurisdictions."
The success stories in service transformation show it can be
done and how governments can respond to new problems, Milloy said.
"Still we see areas where governments are not working together. The
response is that 'we have always done it this way.'" Milloy
suggested that officials should be locked in a room at times until
they figure out how to work co-operatively.
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