"These practical stories of experience, told by those who understand the complexity of working in the public sector, resonate nationally, regardless of jurisdiction, and help to accelerate the learning of those who strive to improve their managerial and policy skills as public servants."
Dr. David Zussman, IPSL MASTER MENTOR
Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria and a Senior Fellow in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa
Dr. David Zussman, IPSL MASTER MENTOR
Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria and a Senior Fellow in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa
IPSL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
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IPSL PROGRAM - OUTLINE:
SESSION #1: KEY ROLES - THE ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER & DEPUTY MINISTER
In this session, you will learn more about the essential attributes needed in order to be successful as a senior public servant. The differences between the job of the Executive Director, ADM and the DM will be discussed as well as the skill development and ongoing development journey for these roles especially with regard to their relationship with the political service. Expectations of the political service and the types of situations an ADM or DM faces will be explored.
This discussion will help you determine if this is really the type of work you aspire to or if you have already reached this level, the discussion will help you confirm the skills you already have and build your confidence in using them. At the end of this discussion you will have begun to describe the key skills and attributes you want to add to your learning plan and who you can look to for support.
In this session, you will learn more about the essential attributes needed in order to be successful as a senior public servant. The differences between the job of the Executive Director, ADM and the DM will be discussed as well as the skill development and ongoing development journey for these roles especially with regard to their relationship with the political service. Expectations of the political service and the types of situations an ADM or DM faces will be explored.
This discussion will help you determine if this is really the type of work you aspire to or if you have already reached this level, the discussion will help you confirm the skills you already have and build your confidence in using them. At the end of this discussion you will have begun to describe the key skills and attributes you want to add to your learning plan and who you can look to for support.
SESSION #2: FROM ELECTION PLATFORM TO OPERATIONAL REALITY
In this session Presenters will explore how ideas expressed in an election campaign, or arising afterwards, are developed and carried forward into governing. They will offer a glimpse into what happens at Cabinet Committees including Treasury Board and at the DM Committees that support them. They will describe their perspectives on the role of the political service including partisan advisors and Minister’s Staff, and discuss their experiences navigating relationships with politically active stakeholders and lobbyists.
You will gain a better understanding of:
● The process to install a new government
● What happens behind the scenes as a platform is developed
● The role of lobbyists and lobbying
● The perspective of a new Minister and how to gain their trust
● How to move forward on new initiatives while providing ongoing services to the public and managing ongoing dialogue with stakeholders
● What’s most important in supporting a Minister in Cabinet or at Treasury Board and hear about the protocol and the Minister's expectations for general briefings
● How to manage the expectations of those around you.
In this session Presenters will explore how ideas expressed in an election campaign, or arising afterwards, are developed and carried forward into governing. They will offer a glimpse into what happens at Cabinet Committees including Treasury Board and at the DM Committees that support them. They will describe their perspectives on the role of the political service including partisan advisors and Minister’s Staff, and discuss their experiences navigating relationships with politically active stakeholders and lobbyists.
You will gain a better understanding of:
● The process to install a new government
● What happens behind the scenes as a platform is developed
● The role of lobbyists and lobbying
● The perspective of a new Minister and how to gain their trust
● How to move forward on new initiatives while providing ongoing services to the public and managing ongoing dialogue with stakeholders
● What’s most important in supporting a Minister in Cabinet or at Treasury Board and hear about the protocol and the Minister's expectations for general briefings
● How to manage the expectations of those around you.
SESSION #3: NAVIGATING THE HALLS OF GOVERNMENT
In this session, Presenters will talk about the attributes and challenges of working in a Westminster System of Government. This more technical discussion will include a view into the mechanics between relationships and organizational structures that need to be considered such as Cabinet Committees, Treasury Board, Cabinet Operations, Offices of the Legislature, the Judiciary, oversight of Crown Agencies, and the Governor-General. The relationships between politicians, senior public servants, Crown Agencies and Boards will also be discussed as well as the connection between International, Federal, Provincial and Municipal Levels of government. Participants will gain insights into key roles in the Premier’s Office/PMO such as that of the Chief of Staff, political advisors, the DM to the Premier/Clerk of the Privy Council and other roles in his/her office, as well as the role of Ministerial Assistants.
You will gain a better understanding of:
In this session, Presenters will talk about the attributes and challenges of working in a Westminster System of Government. This more technical discussion will include a view into the mechanics between relationships and organizational structures that need to be considered such as Cabinet Committees, Treasury Board, Cabinet Operations, Offices of the Legislature, the Judiciary, oversight of Crown Agencies, and the Governor-General. The relationships between politicians, senior public servants, Crown Agencies and Boards will also be discussed as well as the connection between International, Federal, Provincial and Municipal Levels of government. Participants will gain insights into key roles in the Premier’s Office/PMO such as that of the Chief of Staff, political advisors, the DM to the Premier/Clerk of the Privy Council and other roles in his/her office, as well as the role of Ministerial Assistants.
You will gain a better understanding of:
- How the Westminster Model of Government protects and supports the notion of public interest and responsible government
- Why the bureaucracy must provide fearless advice in a respectful way
- How to prepare a DM/ADM for a Treasury Board Meeting
- The relationship between all the players whose combined efforts support the Westminster Model
SESSION #4: THE MEDIA & ISSUES MANAGEMENT
In this session Presenters will discuss how to manage issues in a 24/7 news cycle and how to work effectively with media.
You will gain a better understanding of:
In this session Presenters will discuss how to manage issues in a 24/7 news cycle and how to work effectively with media.
You will gain a better understanding of:
- The impact of social media on public policy
- How the mainstream media works and how to anticipate their interests
- How to condense a complex story into a series of bullet points
- How to manage issues while continuing with the regular business of government
- The expectations of central communications offices
- What a Minister needs from the bureaucracy when dealing with the media and issues
- How to respond in a crisis
SESSION #5: POLITICAL PRESENCE - SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
Political Presence is as important as Executive Presence - skills in both are important to success as a senior public servant. In this session Presenters will explore how to navigate the impossible/impassable corner, where there are no easy answers and where your role requires you to tell your superiors that, in your professional opinion, the options to achieve their goals are slim or costly. In other words, what are the best ways to tell them what they may not want to hear? Presenters will share their experience to illustrate not only the strategies that can be considered but also the subtle ways - tone of voice, turn of phrase and body language - that are most effective.
You will gain a better understanding of:
Political Presence is as important as Executive Presence - skills in both are important to success as a senior public servant. In this session Presenters will explore how to navigate the impossible/impassable corner, where there are no easy answers and where your role requires you to tell your superiors that, in your professional opinion, the options to achieve their goals are slim or costly. In other words, what are the best ways to tell them what they may not want to hear? Presenters will share their experience to illustrate not only the strategies that can be considered but also the subtle ways - tone of voice, turn of phrase and body language - that are most effective.
You will gain a better understanding of:
- How to develop trust with the Minister and his/her staff
- Ways in which difficult or unpopular options can be presented to a Minister or DM
- How to create an environment in which staff at all levels can share the information they need to share with their superiors
- When to involve others such as the Chief of Staff or DM to the Premier?
- How to work with a difficult Minister or DM
SESSION #6: SITUATIONAL AWARENESS & SITUATIONAL INTELLIGENCE
In this session Presenters will share how they learned to anticipate and recognize the impact of political, bureaucratic or cultural themes that can have a direct or indirect impact on your ability to carry out your mandate.
Presenters will discuss the development and exercise of leadership judgment and provide examples that illustrate:
● Knowing when to act/contribute
● Knowing what to say and how to say it
● Knowing how to ‘socialize’ the idea
● Knowing your audience and knowing who can influence the outcomes positively or negatively
● Knowing how to distinguish between the urgent and the important without getting ‘snowed’ by your own staff or by other parts of government who have different agendas.
You will learn more about how and why it is important to develop a constant awareness of the strategic implications and downstream effects that a decision made in one Ministry/Sector can have on another. Discussion will offer perspectives on why cross sector collaboration is so important.
SESSION #7: ETHICS AND INTEGRITY
This session focuses on the subtleties of leading with authenticity, and decision making from the perspective of ethics, integrity and impartiality as defined below by the BC Office of the Auditor General (2017).
This session focuses on the subtleties of leading with authenticity, and decision making from the perspective of ethics, integrity and impartiality as defined below by the BC Office of the Auditor General (2017).
- “Ethics is fundamental to good governance and good government. Ethics are moral principles that inform and guide individual and group behaviour. It is about bringing people together to share a set of values. Ethical behaviour is about people knowing what is right and what is wrong and doing what is right - even when no one else is looking.”
- "Integrity – [To] put the interests of the public and the public service above your own personal interests and avoid all conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived.”
- “Impartiality – [To] provide advice and recommendations free from preference or prejudice.
- The role culture plays in ensuring ethical behaviour
- The value of having a checklist that sets out the steps to follow in the event of an investigation
- What to do with a brown envelope or other whistle-blower complaint
- The importance of putting aside personal interests in decision making
- The need to allow time for delayed reactions and healing after a significant event
- Who to involve in these situations and when.
SESSION #8: CAREER BLIND SPOTS
In this session Presenters will share thoughts on what behaviours and circumstances can interfere with a technically competent public servant’s ability to achieve peak performance and promotability.
You will gain a better understanding of:
- How to network with others
- How to bring attention to your work
- What Willful Blindness is and why it matters
- The value of a thick skin
- Key skills that successful public sector leaders need
- Your own blind spots and how to overcome them
- How to recover from career limiting mistakes
***Please note that the opinions expressed in Resource Room materials, or by any of the Mentor Presenters during the course of this program, do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of Ingrid Bergmann and Associates Inc., The Public Sector Leader, the Inside Public Sector Leadership: Practical Wisdom (IPSL) production team, or any other person(s) involved in the delivery, production or support of these programs. All materials and information on this website is intended for the sole use of registered attendees of IPSL only. © 2020 Ingrid Bergmann and Associates Inc.
