At the Apex of Public Service

Notwithstanding government policies that can shape, raise or lessen nationalism, globalization, or glocalization, civil servants allegiance and loyalty to serve their country with pride in public service remains an unshakeable expectation. While change brought by reforms, modernization and renewals is the norm, there remains a well entrenched overarching set of principles at the apex of public institutions that guide decisions and actions serving a nation’s people. Typically, civil servants are called to understand and respect the rule of law and good governance in public services. Integrity, objectivity, impartiality, trust, respect, quality, office secrecy, equality, professionalism and honesty – are some of the principles and values that are embraced by civil servants, public officers and public servants whether in Canada or abroad.

Some of the most critically acclaimed strengths contributing to the endurance of civil service management principles include:

1. A civil service code of conduct with solid implementation and reporting mechanisms
2. Legislation that enables the application of values (e.g. Human Rights)
3. Institutions with powers to investigate and resolve conflicts pertaining to value-based legislation
4. Institution of government specializing in ethics and anti-corruption
5. Institution of government responsible for conducting performance and financial audits reporting directly to the legislative branch of government
6. Ad-hoc and permanent institutions of government with investigatory powers reporting directly to the legislative branch of government
7. Decentralized accountability frameworks and performance measurement systems that produce public reports containing the right information, at the right time and in the right format.
8. Reward and recognition systems that celebrate exemplary performance in public service.

Photo: Rock of Gibraltar, UK, June, 2006

Fearless Inspiration

Fear of change, fear of failure or fear of loosing a job can immobilize us; reduce productivity, innovation and the quality of our relationships. Fear is part of life but it can be managed in the workplace to reduce its impact. Here is fuel for thought:

· Seek information and clarity from credible sources to reduce uncertainty
· Examine fears from other’s perspective to understand the emotional interplay
· Encourage dialogue to help reflect and deflect issues
· Identify root causes of fear with daily journaling
· Find strength by establishing trusting relationships
· Promote confidentiality but minimize secrecy
· Resist filling information gaps with speculations
· Practice a healthy lifestyle - faithfully
· Value feedback and practice laughter
· Help others manage their fear and learn from it
· Empower people to find solutions to bring control and comfort

I found several of these to be quite powerful.

Photos: Construction workers in Kampala, Uganda 12.06

A Daily Regimen of Vitamins

Organizations require a high quality, simple, low cost daily regimen of vitamins to inject stamina and sparkle throughout. Here is a recommended cocktail to be administered daily by leaders:

Vitamin A: Acknowledge good work. Always be on the lookout for the person with the behaviour that will boost performance and improve morale if repeated frequently. Although performance appraisals and reward ceremonies serve organizations well, feedback is always most effective when provided immediately following a praiseworthy performance.

Vitamin B: Bare it. Good governance calls for transparency. Take time in the day to uncover information that will help someone better understand a business decision. This will help people curb their cravings for rumours while sharpening their appetite for authenticity.

Vitamin C: Communicate. Central to a healthy organization is communication: a two-way vertical and horizontal dialogue that creates role models driven by the dictum "Don't trust us, track us." Doing something daily that motivates people to communicate with honesty and follow through will build trusting relationships and yield positive results for the organization.

Vitamin D: Develop. Cultivating a capacity for sustainability allows us to persist and improve – especially during periods of great change. Seizing opportunities throughout the day to share know-how and experience with employees, clients and stakeholders will sow seeds of confidence, innovation and strength.

Vitamin E : Evaluate. At least once a day, ask why. It provides an opportunity for introspection, assessment and ultimately incites change for improved performance.

Photo: Shopkeeper of dry goods in Afghanistan 2005

To Conceive a Vision

Before returning to Canada, I visited the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates located on the Persian Gulf. I had often overnighted in this city on my way to other destinations but this time my flight connections were several days apart, allowing me to explore life beyond the window of my hotel room.

I was amazed by the growth in Dubai. The master minds behind this city's architectural prowess, the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), and the growing tourism industry have worked in harmony to produce one of the world’s fastest growing cities. Emerging as a municipality that thinks like a nation and a monument that belongs to the world, the city of Dubai features more than 120 nationalities (1 in 4 being a national resident) and holds between 15% and 25% of the world’s cranes. Imagine achieving a vision with such diversification and prosperity.

In very little time I found myself secretly deliberating the power of a vision. I remembered a dear friend of mine from the US telling me repeatedly: “Conceive, believe and you will achieve.” To work, a good vision should be born from ideas that will facilitate belief and achievement – namely, a mixture of these principal ingredients:

• A tabula rasa that minces preconceived notions, groupthink, quid pro quos and conflicts to a pulp;
• A seductive courage where ideas are allowed to escape from comfort zones while barriers are reduced to dust;
• A level of engagement and commitment that bounds the unlikely, releases the detached and celebrates the heroes;
• A learning gateway that sparks dialogue, channels thought and opens the mind to new possibilities.

Photo 1: Wooden boat sitting at a pier in downtown Dubai, UAE, May 21, 2007.

A Simple Climb

Leaders responsible for the management of a civil service reform must bring about the ideal combination of makeup, order and pace of change to create a confidence level that will lead to desired results. Taking the time to build the stamina for change and reduce the amount of effort required to make the change is critical to a successful reform. I was again reminded of this while in Bali, Indonesia. Here is my story.

Early last Wednesday I climbed Mount Batur on the island of Bali, a volcano still smoldering at its peak, with pools of hot water and dangerous crevices. The trek uphill began at 3:00 am, synchronizing arrival time to the top with the onset of the day’s sunrise. A successful climb at a good steady pace takes a little more than an hour and a half. The climb requires a good grip on rocks and branches to move upward; a steady foothold on volcanic ashes and pebbles to prevent a backward drop and a watchful eye on the faint glimmer of light spewing from the small flashlight that guides the path.

Midway up the hill and to my astonishment, a shadow glided its way passed us. It was crowned by a tall woven basket, assisted by a long walking stick and followed by the clacking sound of flip flop sandals. I could feel my jaw drop on the volcanic floor of that mountain. Squinting across the darkness I recognized the figure of a woman. Here I was with the latest design in hiking boots and sportswear featuring waterproof breathable fabric with glow in the dark designs, carrying bottled springwater and panting like my dog in the middle of a thunderstorm, while with the simplest attire, this elegant Balinese woman had achieved a level of efficacy that left me motionless. I watched in complete admiration as the darkness melted her away.

When we arrived at the small cabin at the top of Mount Batur the Balinese woman had emptied her basket of cold drinks, eggs, bread and the like, had started a fire, made the coffee and was ready to greet her guests, as she did every day. I had sweat at my brow, a growling stomach, a face flushed from the strain and legs that were muttering unfamiliar crackles at the joints. Having reached a superbly tailored level of fitness she had teased her climb to a fine art; mastered the walking stick so as to relieve the pressure on her legs and balance her body weight; and developed an enchanting stride that connected with Mount Batur in a way that made it difficult to discern the lady from the mountain.

There are parallels between this experience and civil service reforms from which two important messages emerge:

1. Practice not only makes perfect but it also makes it easier.
2. Simplicity breeds great achievements.

Transforming years of standards, values, customs, routines and conventions into something new that produces high performing practices is a great challenge that governments undertake continuously. Consciously building capacity to reduce the amount of effort required to make the next change should be a built in requirement to any reform. Leaders should strive to simplify change and build stamina for future changes - at every opportunity.

Photo 1: View from Mnt Batur Volcano at sunrise 1,717 metres above sea level
Photo 2: Our Host: The Balinese Woman

A Tribute to Asians

The month of May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the rich history of Asian Canadians.

This entry is to acknowledge the cultural contributions of these people while sitting in front of my lap top in a quaint little restaurant overlooking the Badung Straight. Marveling at the shaded Penida Island anchoring the horizon I can see why the Balinese strongly believe in magic and the power of spirits. Their culture has grown from a mixture of long standing traditions, Hinduism, the Dutch who colonised the island and the development and modernization that has taken place since Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

Having been here only two days, I can hardly give the region the amount of descriptive admiration it deserves. Even so, I was fortunate enough to meet three young boys playing near a beach bordering the village of Candidasa, whose exuberance for the art of kite flying carried a glow that skated all the way to Canada – and captured quite well what words could never achieve.

Happy Asian Heritage Month!

Photo: Candidasa Beach, May 14, 2007

Mindful Resourcing

Resourcing is a fascinating concept.

Having enough of what is needed to do something is critical to achieving goals- whether it be a government goal or your own. All resources are consumable given sufficient time. Resource consumption could be charted as demonstrated here. To chart the y axis at 0 and the x axis at 0 = inactivity.

Some resources are renewable while others are not. It depends on the properties making up the resource and the way resources are managed by people and the environment. What is renewable may not necessarily resurface in the same form and what is none renewable is often the target of innovation – probably more out of necessity than economy.

The management of resources is critical to our ability to bring longevity and prosperity to this world. Here are a few suggestions on how we can contribute to this management:

CODE is a Canadian charitable organization that has been promoting education and literacy in the developing world for more than 40 years. It provides a handbook with both policy and practical information for donors and recipients of book donation projects. It is intended as an educational and training tool for those interested in such endeavour.

Ottawa Area Grandmother Group created from the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign is having Spring Garden Tour and Plant Sale Saturday May 12, 2007 between 1:00 and 4:00 at 25 Inuvik Cr., Kanata to raise funds for African grandmothers raising grandchildren who have lost their parents to AIDS.

Sole Responsibility is a non-profit organization formed by a group of runners in Ottawa who want to donate gently used running and walking shoes of all shapes and sizes overseas to refugees in Africa. From now until May 31, bring your running or walking shoes and a twoonie (for shipping costs) to the following drop off sites in Ottawa:
All Bridgehead Coffeehouses Bushtukah -203 Richmond Road
Mountain Equipment Co-op - 366 Richmond Road
CBC Building – 181 Queen Street
Motionware – Hazendean Mall

A Spirit of Community

April 28 was the last Saturday of the month. In Rwanda the last Saturday of each month brings the Umuganda - a national communal labour system which has grown into a Rwandan tradition. On that day, everyone in Rwanda is expected to participate in community work.

From early in the morning till about noon no one is allowed to drive their vehicles and businesses are expected to stay closed. Police scan the streets to make sure everyone contributes to the country’s Umuganda. Citizens are given a card to be signed by the authorities to indicate their participation. For the most part, there are no sanctions imposed for absences – the community spirit and the comfort of being part of a larger team appears to be sufficient.

So, people bring their tools and do their share. They sweep the streets, cut the grass, plant the trees or repair the roads. Throughout Rwanda groups of people meet to do their community work. It is said that this practice promotes unity, pride, development and nationalism. On March 1st, residents of Nyankenke Sector in Gicumbi District have even converted their Thursday afternoons dedicated to their recently completed Gacaca

[1] (pronounced Ga-cha-cha) proceedings, into a Umuganda aimed at building shelters for Genocide survivors.[2]

But it’s not all about doing the work. Tuesday May 1st is International Labour Day; a day to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the working class and labor movement. In Rwanda, national celebrations will be held at the Amahoro Stadium[3] in Kigali. It begins at 8:00 o’clock with the arrival of the population and ends at noon with the presentation of certificates and speeches. Everybody is invited to this event. All national celebrations are well attended.

Rwandans value community involvement. It seeds new relationships, ideas and opportunities – concepts that are well understood by the agrarian society. This cultural mindset is well summarized in the country's national motto:

UBUMWE-UMURIMO-GUKUNDA IGIHUGU
Unity, Labour and Patriotism




[1] A form of volunteer based community justice system inspired by tradition to accelerate the adjudication of crimes against humanity arising from the Genocide.
[2] The Times News, Kigali, March 5, 2007.
[3] According to LGen Roméo Dallaire this Stadium held over 12,000 people under his protection during the Genocide.

Photo: Farmland just outside of Kigali, Rwanda. 11.06

Organizational Appetite

According to Webster’s Dictionary the word appetite refers to an inherent craving. We use it mostly to refer to a person’s desire for food but it is can also apply to an organization’s desire for change. Here are a few tasteful parallels about the food we eat and the changes organizations absorb.

.....As in the case of our own appetite for food, an appetite which is too big or too small can result in an unhealthy state or a slow and painful demise.

.....As with the grade of the food we eat, the higher the quality of input, the better the performance.

....As with the taste of the food we eat, the more satisfying the experience, the easier it is to bring others.

...As with the quality of prepared foods we eat, the more it is preprocessed, the higher the risk of crippling absorption.

....As with the timespan for food production, a faster completion cycle does not necessarily contribute to long term sustainability.

....As with the energy in the food we eat, without proper management, the likelihood of energies linking to desired results is next to nil, while the chances of unexpended energies appearing in unwanted places swell

up. Î

Happy Earth Day!

Picture: Shopping mom in Butare, Rwanda 04.04.07

More Rules - or not

Ivan Illich, an Austrian philosopher explains in his work Vernacular Values how society disabled the average person with the emergence of the profession. He argued that in the beginning, people did most on their own, from learning their language to giving birth. Results may have varied but people’s autonomy, empowerment and control saw their best moments.

Principles of quality control, integrity and the protection of individual rights are modern day contributors to the professional specializations. The work performed by about 20 per cent of Canadian professionals has been permanently anchored in a sea of rules.[1] The regulatory framework for professions such as nurses, veterinarian, teachers, electrician, plumber, physiotherapist, medical doctor, engineer including lawyers who write the rules has greatly contributed to the makings of the Canadian workforce, career choices, and human resources practices.

Similarly, legislative policy instruments have a fundamental impact on the way the civil service is organized, controlled and allowed to progress. Since legislation is central to civil service reforms it is absolutely critical that mindful consideration be given to the process, content and long term impact created by proposed changes.

Several elements of a legislative policy instrument are critical to producing desired results. Of importance are:

1. vision led: the rule is clearly linked with the achievement of broader long term outcomes;
2. value rich: the rule is based on values that inspire the implementers to make the change and those affected to support the change;
3. delegation: the framework for decision-makers and decision-making processes relating to interpretation and application of the rule is built to promote the desired change;
4. integration: there is harmony between the rule and what isn’t changed;
5. sustainability: there is sufficient absorption capacity to make the change proposed by the rule;
6. affordability: the cost without rules outweighs the cost with rules plus the cost to make the change proposed by the rule.

[1] Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials , Fact Sheet no. 2 http://www.cicic.ca/en/page.aspx?sortcode=2.17.20#2

Picture: Vientiane, Laos, 2005