Check against delivery
May 27, 2015
Thank you for that warm welcome.
It’s always a pleasure to speak at your annual symposium.
This is my fifth time here since my appointment as President of the Treasury Board back in 2011.
It’s hard to believe five years have already gone by.
Back then, the country was still dealing with and recovering from the 2008 global recession.
And while the world economy remains fragile today, it’s clear that Canada is on the right path.
As stated in last month’s Economic Action Plan, Canada has demonstrated one of the best economic performances among G-7 countries over the recovery.
Over 1.2 million more Canadians are working now than at the end of the recession.
And, of course, we have balanced the federal budget.
We are now in a position to fulfill our promise to help Canadians balance theirs.
We’re in this enviable position for many reasons.
One of the biggest is due to the incredible work we have achieved here in the federal public service.
This year’s APEX symposium is a perfect example of the renewal that is taking place across all departments and agencies.
By leveraging new technologies, the organizers have succeeded in connecting participants like never before across four Canadian cities.
So, allow me to congratulate APEX for its vision and leadership.
You obviously take the theme of this year’s symposium seriously, which is that renewal is only possible when we move “from ideas to action.”
Because what is a good idea if nobody is there to implement it?
Not much at all.
I am certainly a fan of bold action.
And I have been very pleased to see the concrete measures public servants have been implementing to renew their organizations and better serve Canadians.
People management
It was just over a year ago that we introduced the first government-wide system for performance management, and learning and development.
I know that this online system was a big change for many organizations.
But I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it has added much-needed rigour to the way we set out the work expectations of employees and then evaluate their performance.
We have also recently simplified and streamlined the annual performance exercise for executives.
We did that by bringing together executive performance and talent management into one simple system – a measure that I’m pleased to say will reduce your paperwork burden.
My department also recently redefined the key leadership competencies for executives and senior leaders.
They have an increased focus on innovation and collaboration, and set out the expectations for hiring, performance management, and learning and development for most of you in this room.
Why have we taken these actions?
Because our employees are our strongest asset.
And I promise you that I will continue to support measures that will ensure that we are employing the public service to its fullest potential.
This includes measures that place a greater importance on employee health and wellness.
I know that this is an issue that is very important to APEX and its members.
It’s also an issue that has been top of my mind.
As it stands, about $51 billion is lost every year to the Canadian economy because of mental illness.
In the federal government alone, about half of disability claims are related to mental health issues.
These are striking statistics.
And any organization or company that ignores them does so at their own peril.
Today, the Government of Canada already has a number of policies and programs to support employee health and well-being.
Just last year, for example, we doubled the coverage for psychological services for federal workers and retirees.
But we can do more.
Which is why I was thrilled to reach an agreement with the largest bargaining agent in the public service this past March to improve mental health in the federal workplace.
As you know, we have set up a joint task force for that purpose.
APEX is engaged in this work and is represented on the task force's technical committee.
This joint task force has a robust mandate. It will review practices from other jurisdictions and identify ways to better communicate mental health issues in the workplace.
It will also review the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, which your association keenly supports.
So, I look forward to the task force’s recommendations, including how the Standard’s objectives can best be achieved in the public service.
I also remain very committed to working with bargaining agents on another important issue affecting employee well-being – disability and sick leave.
As I’m sure you’ve heard me say, the existing system is antiquated and failing both employees and taxpayers.
The facts are clear.
Today, over 60% of employees in the core public administration do not have enough banked sick leave to cover a full period of short-term disability.
And 25% have fewer than 10 days of banked sick leave.
So, we need to take action. The sooner the better.
As stated in the budget, I can assure you that the Government is committed to making every effort to reach an agreement with bargaining agents within a reasonable timeframe.
For me, the status quo is simply no longer acceptable.
It’s worth recalling that the existing long-term disability plan was designed in the 1970s.
That was over 40 years ago.
And it has not kept pace with changing industry practices.
Today, many employees need support to return to the workplace.
This is why we’re proposing a system that would seamlessly connect sick leave with disability benefits and support.
It focuses on early and active case management, including rehabilitation and return-to-work support.
In this way, employees could return to work healthy and productive.
In turn, this will lead to a healthier and more effective workforce serving Canadians.
And that is something we can all get behind.
Because whenever we can do something that enables public servants to better serve Canadians, everybody wins.
Clearly, the public service is in an important period of renewal.
And I call on all of you, as the leaders of this great institution, to build on the momentum that has been created.
We all know what needs to be done.
Initiatives such as Blueprint 2020 have set a clear course for the future.
So, now is the time to move from ideas to action – as the theme of this symposium reminds us.
Technology
In areas such as technology, public servants want tools that help them connect and work with each other.
They also need the means to better connect with Canadians.
We have already achieved a great deal.
The creation of Shared Services Canada in 2011 was a big step forward.
But it’s clear that there is still much to do.
There are many aging back office systems that are still being maintained to varying standards of availability and security.
We’ve successfully transformed some, such as our 40 year old pension system – which was known as a “working museum.”
Today, our pension system is considered one of the most modern and innovative in the world.
In fact, it is now being replicated in the American and Australian pension industries.
What’s more, it has also resulted in annual savings of $23 million.
So, that’s just one great example of the excellence Canada’s public service brings to the table.
I know we can do even better.
We can do that by strengthening the ability of public servants to work smarter and solve problems more effectively.
By testing out new technologies, like crowdsourcing and cloud computing, we can enable employees to generate, shape and move forward on innovative ideas.
We must also continue to leverage Web 2.0 tools to engage our external stakeholders and partners in designing services and developing policy.
There are many great examples to inspire us.
As discussed in Blueprint 2020, many departments have been using virtual collaborative spaces to encourage constructive dialogue and frank and productive information sharing.
I encourage you and your teams to seek out those examples, learn from them, and develop your own.
Today, citizens expect a seamless user-experience.
In fact, many do not distinguish between the municipal, provincial, territorial or federal levels of government.
So, we must continue working with our counterparts in identifying and resolving issues that cut across jurisdictional boundaries.
Open Government
As a champion of Open Government, I firmly believe that public information – such as open data – is very fertile ground for collaboration and sharing.
Inside the federal government, we have done a great job of publishing a vast amount of data on our Open Government portal.
Our new Directive on Open Government takes things even further.
It applies to over 100 federal institutions and requires them to maximize the open and proactive release of their data.
But we can – and must – think even bigger.
This is exactly what we’re doing with our second action plan on Open Government, which I had the pleasure of releasing last fall.
The plan calls on us to work with the national and international communities to create greater transparency and accountability, increase citizen engagement, and drive innovation and economic opportunities.
It is in this spirit that we’re co-hosting the third International Open Data Conference this week here in Ottawa, which will help strengthen domestic and international collaboration on open data.
Our plan also calls on the government to reach out to the provinces and territories in developing a “No Wrong Door” approach.
The initiative will help in creating a single pan-Canadian open data community and environment.
These are exciting times for the public service.
We are taking a leading role in promoting innovative solutions to problems facing governments, communities, and individuals around the world.
And Canadians are clearly benefiting – which is the best part.
Red tape
Last month, I was very pleased to see the Red Tape Reduction Act receive Royal Assent.
This makes Canada the first country in the world to give a one-for-one rule the added muscle of legislation.
As you know, the one-for-one rule requires regulators to remove a regulation each time they introduce a new one that imposes an administrative burden on business.
So far, it has saved Canadian businesses over $22 million in net annual administrative burden.
And by enshrining it into law, we’re sending a strong signal about the culture change taking place in the government.
It says that we’re serious about reducing job-killing red tape.
And I would like to thank your community, in particular, for the progress we’ve made in eliminating unnecessary rules for Canadians and businesses.
We also can’t forget about internal red tape.
The last employee survey showed that nearly 75% of public servants feel their work suffers because approval processes are too complicated.
This is simply too high.
To address the situation, we launched an Initiative to reduce internal red tape.
It is a key part of the Blueprint 2020 vision. And it has my complete support.
I urge each one of you to get behind this important initiative.
And encourage your employees to get involved.
Because this can’t be a process that is driven from the top.
Conclusion
At this point, some of you may be thinking, “We’ve heard all this renewal talk before.”
This may be true.
But renewal is an ongoing process.
We can’t just check it off and then call it a day.
In today’s fast-paced world, renewal and change is simply part of our ongoing reality.
And as public service leaders, you all have a special responsibility to lead, to inspire and to motivate.
One of the great leaders of the 20th century once said:
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because they want to do it.”
Those words belong to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
And I believe they capture your jobs as executives perfectly.
Which is less about trying to do it all by yourselves, and much more about inspiring others to carry out the nation’s business with excellence – day in and day out.
This is never easy, especially in large and complex organizations like the public service.
But I am confident that we will get the best out of every single employee if we continue down the path of renewal we are on.
By reducing inefficiencies and unnecessary rules…
By making smart use of new technologies…
And by embracing better, more responsive ways of working…
… We can create an organization where every employee takes pride in their work.
… We can deliver to Canadians the high-quality, high-performing public service they expect and deserve.
… And we can transform this national institution for success in the 21st century.
I would like to thank the executive community for its leadership and dedication during this important period of renewal.
A lot has been asked of you.
But you have delivered.
As the Economic Action Plan 2015 makes clear, you have done your part in ensuring Canada’s future is secure.
And I know I can rely on you to continue delivering.
Thank you.
