2012 Ethics in Public Administration: Speaking Truth to Power 12 th Atlantic Conference on Public Administration 10th February 2012 Halifax, Nova Scotia Presented by the School of Public Administration, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University
Acknowledgements The organizers of the conference gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided for this event by: the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency; Province of Nova Scotia; Nova Scotia Federal Council; The Institute of Public Administration Canada; Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University; the Office of the President, Dalhousie University; the Public Administration Student Society (PASS), and the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University. We would also like to thank the Westin Nova Scotian for providing exceptional food and venue services during the event. On Behalf of the 2012 Atlantic Conference on Public Administration Organizing Committee: Ben Bisset Nichole Bush Laura Campbell David Caplan Peter Carr Eamonn Gaffney Karyn Hemsworth Colin MacDonald Katherine LaFortune Brian LeBlanc Laura Lewis Sarah Maher Melissa Oldrieve Katie Olthuis Rhia Perkins Lisa Perkins Joseph O Brien Karan Riarh Candice Smith Matthew Scott-Moncrieff Kate Somers Sara Strickland Fiona Wang Shangqing Wang Faculty Advisor Dr. Robert Moody Student Paper Adjudicators Dr. Paul Brown Dr. Robert Moody SPA Administrative Assistant Krista Cullymore Masters of Ceremonies Melissa Oldrieve Brett Taylor 1
Conference Abstract On February 10th, 2012 The School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University hosted the 12th Annual Atlantic Conference on Public Administration. Programming for this year s conference focused on the topic of Ethics: Speaking Truth to Power. Speakers highlighted many of the ethical issues faced by public servants in an era of complex and multidisciplinary problems. Keynote speakers included Douglas Keefe, former Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Nova Scotia; Daphne Meredith, Chief Human Resources Officer for the Government of Canada; and Kelliann Dean, Public Service Commissioner for Nova Scotia. Presentations were also be made by faculty members of the Dalhousie School of Public Administration and students who have participated in the annual paper competition. Private sector perspectives were represented through panel discussion on how the public sector can cooperate and innovate through work with their private sector counterparts. This was our largest and most successful conference to date with a total of 175 attendees. In addition to the 17 speakers and panelists (including several senior private sector participations), there were 78 public servants from all three levels of government, 68 graduate students, and 12 Dalhousie Faculty of Management faculty members. Outlined below is detailed conference program, biographies of keynote speakers and panelists, summaries of Faculty led sessions, and abstracts of the papers submitted and presented for competition for the David MacDonald Memorial Award. Agenda 8:15 REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST BUFFET Lobby 9:00 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Dr. Kevin Quigley, Acting Director, Dalhousie School of Public Administration Commonwealth 9:10 OPENING KEYNOTE Douglas Keefe, Doug Keefe Consulting Inc. Commonwealth 10:00 BREAK 10:15 FACULTY LED SESSIONS SESSION A: PUBLIC SERVICE AS TRUE NORTH Dr. Paul Brown, Professor, Dalhousie University SESSION B: MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT AND ENGAGING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR RESEARCH AND CASE STUDY Dr. Mark Gilbert, Professor, Dalhousie University Dr. Robert Moody, Adjunct Professor, Dalhousie University Dr. Robert Blunden, Professor, Dalhousie University Commonwealth Lunenburg 2
SESSION C: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT WORK Dr. Marguerite Cassin s Diversity Class 11:15 SESSION A: MUNICIPAL SPEAKER Anna Allen, Deputy Mayor, Bridgetown SESSION B: FEDERAL SPEAKER Dr. Jean-François Tremblay, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada 12:00 LUNCH AND KEYNOTE Daphne Meredith, Chief Human Resource Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada 1:45 PANEL: ENGAGING ETHICALLY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR Moderator: Dr. Peggy Cunningham, Dean, Dalhousie Faculty of Management Panelists: Wadih Fares, President and CEO, WM Fares Group Thelma Costello, Partner, Costello Fitt Limited Gordon Stewart, Executive Director, Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia Larry E. Munroe, Auditor General, Halifax Regional Municipality Maritime Lunenburg Commonwealth Commonwealth Commonwealth 2:45 BREAK 3:00 STUDENT PRESENTATIONS G8 Legacy Fund: Ethical Considerations for Public Administration Keira Hanrahan, Meaghan McClurg, Siobhan Shears and Laura Swain Democratizing the Constitution: Evaluating the Proposal to Allow Caucus to Remove a Party Leader Brett Taylor Managing Current Complexity: Critical Energy Infrastructure Failures in North America Colin MacDonald, Melissa Oldreive and Eric Pegolo Relationship between NDP Votes and Income, Age, Education and Immigration in Nova Scotia Constituencies Ben Bisset, David Kruch, Katie Mercier and Connor Thompson Canadian Health Care Budgetary Process and Financial Structure Fiona Wang The Combined Influences of a Feeling and an Idea in Policy-Making: The Case of French Management of Influenza A Adrien Hugerot Assessment of Progressive s Dilemma, Islamophobia, and Immigrant Integration with Regard to Canada Michael Cestnik Commonwealth Lunenberg Maritime 4:00 BREAK 3
4:15 PANEL: ETHICS IN HEALTH CARE AND COMMUNITY PLANNING Moderator: William Lahey, Director, Dalhousie Health Law Institute Panelists: Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Public Health Officer, Department of Health and Wellness Nova Scotia Dr. Christy Simpson, Head of the Department of Bioethics at Dalhousie University Pam Cooley, Founder, CarShareHFX Austin French, Manager of Planning, Halifax Department of Planning and Infrastructure Commonwealth 5:15 NETWORKING RECEPTION Atlantic Mezzanine 6:00 DINNER AND EVENING KEYNOTE Kelliann Dean, Nova Scotia Public Service Commissioner and Deputy Minister of Seniors YOUNG PROFESSIONALS PANEL Moderators: Katie Olthuis, Candidate, MPA/MLIS 2013; Peter Carr, Candidate, MPA 2013 Panelists: Natalia Chenier, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Daniel Adams, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Anna Crouse, Nova Scotia Department of Community Services Gabryel Joseph, Municipality of East Hants Atlantic Ballroom 4
Welcoming Address Dr. Kevin Quigley, Acting Director, School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University On behalf of the School of Public Administration, I would like to take this opportunity to thank sponsors and participants in the 12th Atlantic Conference on Public Administration. This year s conference once again will provide the unique opportunity for public servants, academics and students to gather in a forum for learning through expert insights, workshops and discussions. We are honoured to have such an outstanding and distinguished group of presenters who agreed to share their knowledge and points of view on a range of important topics in public sector management. The theme of this year s conference - Ethics: Speaking Truth to Power allows participants the opportunity to expand their understanding of this public sector topic, which continues to prompt debate and controversy. We would like to thank the many students of the conference committee, Dalhousie s School of Public Administration faculty and the public servants who worked extremely hard to make this event a reality. We could not have put a conference of this level together without the collective efforts of everyone involved. In particular, Bob Moody deserves a special word of thanks for providing excellent leadership as Faculty Advisor. As well, we would like to thank the organizations that financially supported this year s conference as duly noted in your program. We hope you will enjoy the opportunity to listen, discuss and engage in the events throughout the day. Welcome and thank you! Sincerely, Kevin Quigley,Ph.D. Acting Director, School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University Opening Keynote Mr. Douglas Keefe, QC Former Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Nova Scotia In his keynote presentation Mr. Keefe began his speech by discussing the concept of truth. As mentioned by Mr. Keefe, it is impossible to know the entire truth as a public servant, and often there is no single truth, but multiple truths, some which are contradictory. He also discussed that there four type of knowns: known knowns, known unknowns, unknown unknowns, and unknown knowns. This is why in the public service it is necessary to bring everything together for discussion to create good public policy. 5
Mr. Keefe also provided advice for future and current public servants. He noted that managers and future managers in the public service should pick one thing for someone to improve on, and not attempt to tell someone the whole truth at once. He noted that this is better strategy in order to improve a person's skills, as opposed to 'fixing' them all at once. Additionally, Mr. Keefe mentioned that telling the truth can hurt your credibility, if it doesn't fit into the dominant narrative, the truth isn't always persuasive. He also spoke about situations when public servants need to deal with a crisis. His approach to crisis is to ask three important questions: what, so what, and now what. Step one, the what identifies what is going on. Step two, the so what identifies what it means and the significance. Finally, step three, the now what determines where to go from here? Finally, Mr. Keefe discussed the conference s theme of speaking truth to power. He specifically noted that throughout his career he has aimed to always follow this value and that it has in fact helped his career. He noted that as a public servant the point is not to have the truth it is to figure out the best, or least bad, thing to do, and convince powerful people to do that. Faculty-led Sessions Dr. Paul Brown: Public Service as True North Public services at all levels in Canada are in the midst of what might be called the great recruitment, as many senior public servants retire, and a younger generation is brought in to replace them. This process of renewal is taking place against a similar trend in other organizations, including the private and not-for-profit sectors. To date, the emphasis has been on demand, as the public sector competes, or feels a need to compete, for the brightest and best. This presentation views the great recruitment from the supply side, represented by those who profess to find in public service a calling on, or true north for, their lives. The nature of this call has been little discussed in the literature, and almost not at all in Canada, yet has profound implications for both the individuals and public services involved. This presentation delves into the nature of the calling to public service, drawing on recent insights from psychology and other disciplines. It identifies the pushes and pulls that those trying to live out their calling will find in the crucible of public service bureaucracies, particularly in the Westminster model, and reflects on the challenges and opportunities that they present to public services, in terms of both achieving both effectiveness and high integrity. Dr. Robert Moody, Dr. Mark Gilbert and Dr. Robert Blunden: Municipal Government and Engaging with the Private Sector Using the recent cash for concerts experiences within the Halifax Regional Municipality as the context, several faculty members of Dalhousie s Faculty of Management are undertaking team research to develop one of more case studies for the benefit of students at Dalhousie and beyond. Representing the various schools of management with the Faculty of Management, this 6
interdisciplinary work will explore, via the case study method, such topics as good business and good municipal government processes and practices, information management, partnerships with the private sector and ethics. The presentation focused on the process being undertaken and the areas of interest of the faculty undertaking this research project. As this project is a work in progress, no findings were available as part of the presentation. Dr. Marguerite Cassin s class (Karyn Hemsworth, Shangqing Wang, Allison Fraser, and Shira Babins): Diversity and Inclusion at Work Welcome: Karyn introduced the members of the class who were present and gave an overview of some of the requirements of the class and the activities. Some of the requirements included: participating in five activities that push you outside of your comfort zone and reporting back to the group on these experiences; reading a novel related to diversity or the idea of difference; and preparing a research paper based on a topic suggested by the professor. Karyn then read an introduction by Dr Cassin. Canadian Citizenship test: Shangqing presented the group with an actual Canadian Citizenship test. She asked them to answer as many questions as they could on their own and then she went over each answer with the group. The participants eagerly shouted out answers to questions, but found that they were not as familiar with Canada as they had expected. There was some good-natured teasing and the test was well received. Experiences activity: Allison led the group in an interesting thought experiment. She had the participants break into three groups and gave them an envelope with bookmarks. These bookmarks each had suggestions such as What if I went skydiving? What if I asked a stranger for money? The participants were directed to imagine that they were going to do the activity and were given prompting questions such as: What is your initial impression from the activity listed on the card? Under what circumstances would you try the activity on the card? Would you try it by yourself? The goal of this exercise was to make the audience realize the importance of diversity, and guide them out of their comfort zones. Members of the class who were present facilitated discussion and provided insight to the conversations through their own experiences and those that had been shared with the class in the fall. Spaces Discussion: Shira spoke about how buildings and public spaces communicate inclusive or exclusive messages and meanings. She introduced a framework for analysis of the built environment. She then engaged the participants in a discussion and analysis of the Westin compared to the Halifax Brewery Farmer s the Seaport Farmer s markets. 7
Closing: Karyn thanked the participants for attending and asked them to challenge themselves to push their comfort level to help them to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of difference first their own and then the differences of others. Participants were invited to take one of the bookmarks as a reminder of their experience and were encouraged to read one of the books on display (from class reading list). The session seemed well received by everyone present. Participants were deeply engaged in conversation during the experience activity and the conversation was reciprocal between facilitators and presenters throughout the session. Session A: Municipal Speaker Anna Allen, Deputy Mayor, Town of Bridgetown Anna Allen, the Deputy Mayor of Bridgetown began by giving an overview of the town. She noted the following items: The town is responsible for: municipal services, recreation, population, and other general statistics. The population is in decline. An Integrated Sustainability Community Plan has been developed. She then discussed the recent resignation of the Bridgetown Council. Ms Allen noted, that this was the first time in municipal history that a full council has resigned, and possibly the first time in Canada. She then highlighted what went wrong in Bridgetown, including: Misappropriation of funds dating back 6 years. 79K write-off in misappropriated funds, $118K in interest, $24K in miscellaneous. Cash flow issues due to unpaid accounts. Hand-written receipts and adjustments to accounts. Since then new internal controls have been put in place, which include segregation of duties and more transparent methods of accounting. The town is now on a five-year repayment plan of $58K/year. There will also be a $0.16 tax rate hike. In order to stay connected to the individuals of Bridgetown Council has been encouraging citizen participation in all meetings. There has also been strong local media attends as well, to keep public informed. Ms. Allen used the rest of her time to answer questions from the group. This question and answer period facilitated questions on citizen engagement and education, the mayoral recruitment process, new financial procedures and safeguards, what qualities would you look for in a MPA or MPA (M) candidate, and her personal experience as a municipal public servant. Session B: Federal Speaker Dr. Jean-François Tremblay, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy & 8
Strategic Direction, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Dr. Tremblay discussed the theme of fearless advice. He noted that it s often a buxom match between public servants and the government. If you are the public servant you think you are the little guy. But if you are the government and the minister they think the opposite, that you are the big guy trying to stop them. He noted that this situation isn t necessarily true, and that his vision is that it is often public servants and the government are going the same direction, but not the same way or maybe even to the same place. Dr. Tremblay also noted that there is always competition for advice, and ministers and politicians are more exposed than anyone to that advice. As current and future public servants individuals need to ask themselves how they fit into this competition of advice, and how you position yourself accordingly. He then discussed what constitutes fearless advice. He defined this as talking someone out of a course of action they ve already begun or been set on, or talking someone into a course of action that they are already averse or resistant to. As part of this process he noted it is important for public servants to focus on the value added. There is nothing worse than going to minister with exactly what they can get elsewhere. Public servants have to come with something more. He encouraged the room to unveil their hidden agenda. Everyone believes that the public service has a hidden agenda so public servants need to be open in terms of what they want, and be careful. Additional advice provided by Dr. Tremblay included: Shape your advice. Don t dictate solutions. Offer options. The option of not having the minister s preferred option in your list of options is not an option. If you think it is not preferred you have to bring additional options. Provide policy advice that is politically sensitive, and expect the politicians to bring political advice that is policy sensitive. Don t overwhelm them be clear. If your minister is new don t give them everything. Only come with what is important, what needs a political discussion, and what is essential for them to focus on. Be a travel agent. Find out why they want to go somewhere and what are the reasons for it. In this way you can better guide them to their destination, and give the appropriate advice. Be opportunistic. You only have so many no cards you can use. When it is too big, go small. Approach problems piecemeal if they are too large. Be modest. At the end if they don t follow your advice, you know what? It s democracy. 9
He then opened the floor for questions. Questions included: how do you balance loyalty as a public servant, and what innovations have developed out of mistakes. Thematic Discussion Daphne Meredith, Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Broad Secretariat of Canada Ms. Meredith began her address by noting that government is currently in a process of dramatic change and transformation. Due to this current climate, public servants need to be agile in their responses to change, and new public servants need to be a positive creative force. As part of this discussion, she noted that values and ethics are not just about good intentions, but they are principles needed to create a good framework. She discussed that when creating a new values and ethics code it was important to consult heavily with public (who we serve) and public servants. It was important to have the code that would be relevant and alive rather than a piece of paper that is discarded. Through this process the team tried to focus on the behaviors they wanted which included: respect for democracy, respect for people, integrity, and stewardship. Finally, she stated that moving to a value and ethics regime changes everything for government. The old values and ethics process was rules based and often held over managers by human resources professionals. The new method removes these rules and lets public servants make their own decisions using common sense through common values. Panel: Engaging Ethically with the Private Sector Panelists for this session included Wadih Fares, President and CEO, WM Fares Group, Thelma Costello: Partner, Costello Fitt Limited, Gordon Stewart: Executive Director, Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, and Larry E. Munroe: Auditor General, Halifax Regional Municipality. Dr. Peggy Cunningham, Dean of the Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, moderated this panel. Panelists drew upon their varied experiences and perspectives in a discussion of ethical issues relevant in collaboration and coordination among various sectors. Topics discussed included land/building zoning, timing of response to RFP applications and heritage preservation vs. business/economic development. 10
Student Presentations G8 Legacy Fund: Ethical Considerations for Public Administration - Keira Hanrahan, Meaghan McClurg, Siobhan Shears, Laura Swain The group provided an overview of the G8 summit, including its history in Canada, security and infrastructure concerns. This presentation also addressed the controversy over site locations and infrastructure developed in some questionable areas. As a result, of G8 spending concerns developed that there were some unethical arrangements for spending authority. As noted by the group, this speculation resulted in an intervention by Auditor General. The Auditor General found that the G8 fund was inappropriately managed, both in the location of the funds within the budget and the approvals process. The Auditor General also found that departments were involved too late in the process or not at all, so there was no bureaucratic screening of spending. Ministers involved claimed that there was no intent to mislead the bureaucracy, but rather to streamline process to ensure projects on time and on budget. The group s research question was how and why were accountability structures breached? Findings by the group included: Appropriations - Information in the supplementary estimates was inaccurately given so this did not provide the standard month to review. Elected / Unelected Officials there was a lack of public consultation, and decisions were made through Minister Clement s constituency office rather than his bureaucratic office, which contravenes policy. Treasury Board Accountability Measures - Supplementary estimates failed to break down the spending which contravened the aim of the public reporting of financial documents. Standing Committee There was a move to implement more detailed screening. However, the committee was tasked with specifically investigating the improper supplementary estimates, but voted against doing so despite the recommendations of the Auditor General. Transfer Payments - The lack of paper work does not meet standards for distributing transfer payments, particularly in terms of the lack of transparency in it s spending. Recommendations presented by the group included: Re-evaluate the power of a committee majority on relevant standing committees. Provide orientation for new and returning MPs on creation of estimates and roles and responsibilities. Enforce the consequences outlined in existing policies. 11
Democratizing the Constitution: Evaluating the Proposal to Allow Caucus to Remove a Party Leader - Brett Taylor Mr. Talyor s presentation began by providing a brief overview of the book written by Dr. Peter Aucoin, Dr. Lori Turnbull, and Dr. Mark Jarvis Democratizing the Constitution, of which is paper is partly based on. As part of their book the authors provide a number of proposals including should caucus be allowed to remove a party leader? As described by Mr. Taylor the current practice positions the Prime Minister as first among equals and does not allow this individual to be held to account by the House of Commons. He further noted that this undermines responsible government. However, as part of his research Mr. Taylor rejects the recommendation by Aucoin et al. which states that reforming the political party structure to allow caucus to remove party leader would return accountability to Members of Parliament and restrain the executive powers of the Prime Minister. As part of his evaluation, Mr. Taylor applied four tests to evaluate this proposal: unambiguous objective, not reliant on good faith by the Prime Minister, clear mechanism, and does this work in a majority and minority situation. Based on his evaluation the proposal fails in each of these situations. He also noted other issues related to this proposal including that is could further legitimization of political parties, which are extra-constitutional, and that it will not make the Prime Minister accountable to House of Commons, but rather to caucus. He concluded by starting that the problem of inflated Prime Minister power is real and severe, but the proposed reform does not effectively address it. Based on his research he reiterated that it wouldn t enhance robust democracy and would rely on public opinion for enforcement. Finally, he praised the book for bringing the idea to the forefront and stated that several of the other proposals are more useful. Managing Current Complexity: Critical Energy Infrastructure Failures in North America - Colin MacDonald, Melissa Oldreive, Eric Pegolo As stated by the group, energy is part of the Golden Triangle of services interconnected with other essential areas like water. Their paper looked at the 2003 blackout and the 1998 ice storm. Both of these events identified issues with transmission systems that can be caused by many factors that are controllable or not (human error, terrorism, etc.). In addition, the group defined High Reliability Organization (HRO) versus Normal Accident Theory (NAT). HRO redundancy is a safety method, we learn more from our failures, and has an optimistic point of view. NAT redundancy makes a system more complex and thus more vulnerable, failure is inevitable, and has a pessimistic (or realistic) point of view. In the situation of the 1998 Ice Storm there was both a grid failure and a major infrastructure failure. The HRO model found that failures stemmed from insufficient planning and were preventable. The NAT Model found that failures were from complex interdependencies and tight coupling. 12
In the situation of the 2003 black out (the largest power outage in North America s history) a joint US/Canada Committee was created and found that human/technical error both occurred, a fallen trees in Ohio had a cascade effect, and that new corporate energy policy needed. This situation demonstrates the need for highly regulated environment and effective sharing of information. As examined by the group under NAT the failure was inevitable. Under HRO there was mismanagement of resources was present, need a more reliable grid (achieved through better standards) and better information sharing. Lessons learned as described by the group included: Our power systems are open to systemic risks. 1998 Ice Storm: uncertain risks (not common to have such a severe storm severity was unpredictable) 2003 Blackout: complex risks hard to identify the real cause (was it really just a tree in Ohio?) Our systems should not be vulnerable when so much societal dependence is placed on them and because of their position in the Golden Triangle Relationship Between NDP Votes and Income, Age, Education, and Immigrants in Nova Scotia Constituencies in 2006 - Ben Bisset, David Kruch, Katie Mercier, Connor Thompson Through their research the group concluded that income, immigrant status, and median age not correlated to NDP votes. Education was slightly correlated to NDP votes. Based on correlation the independent variables were relatively highly correlated, for example residents with higher income may have attained higher levels of education. This model was valid, but barely. The group also ran a simple linear regression of education versus votes for NDP. This model was found to be significant. There were some limitations identified by the group which include the following: Used riding s median age, proportion of immigrants. The research does not catch outliers extremely wealthy, older, etc Finally, the group conducted a second linear regression model using post-secondary education and proportion of votes valid. Through this model the group found that the factors of how and why people vote is not quantifiable. Individuals don t vote for a party just based on party s merits and for no other factors. Further areas of research proposed by the group included: Increasing sample size. Including more elections to provide information on trends across time, especially considering increased viability of NDP over the years. Including other parties in the analysis. Examining these considerations at a provincial level 13
Canadian Health Care: Budgetary Process and Financial Structure Fiona Wang This project was intended to try and determine if the funding pattern for health care is consistent throughout the country. Ms. Wang s research found that the funding patterns are consistent in the provinces but not in the territories for reasons such as geographic distribution. She noted that provinces must follow set principles in order to qualify for health transfers, and that after a province receives federal transfers the majority of money will be allocated to regional health institutions. Ms. Wang used the United Kingdom (UK) health system (England in particular) as a comparison. She found that the UK collects funding from both private and public sources. Furthermore, in the UK for contributions for health care comes from both general taxation and national insurance contribution. Through this comparison she also identified similarities between the UK and Canada. However, a fundamental difference is that in the UK the national government administers the health care system while in Canada each province administers health services, and does so in slightly different ways. The Combined Influences of a Feeling and an Idea in Policy-Making: The Case of French Management of Influenza A Adrien Hugerot The paper examined to what extent can fear change the design and development and implementation of public policy, is rationality absolutely essential in public policy, and is it really possible to develop a satisfactory policy response in the very short term. The paper examined situations in both France and Canada. In Canada, the research found that Canadians expressed little concern regarding Influenza A despite feeling of not being properly prepared. In Canada, there were twenty-five deaths due to Influenza A. In France, individuals were also not worried despite feeling of being well prepared. In France, there were no deaths. As part of the response to Influenza A there was a change in the definition of pandemic crisis, which occurred during the crisis itself. This required it to go to alert level 6 and affected the decisions of numerous countries including France. The research determined that this happened due to a lack of scientific knowledge about the virus, excess zeal in terms of doses, and bypassing of pharmacists and hospital practitioners. Assessment of Progressive s Dilemma, Islamophobia, and Immigrant Integration with regard to Canada Michael Cestnik This presentation focused on the decline of individuals born in Canada and issues surrounding immigration. It specially focused on progressives dilemma which examines the tension between diversity and solidarity. As part of this theory many progressives fear that they face a tradeoff between support for multiculturalism and support for redistribution. 14
Mr. Cestnik s research found that compared to its peers Canada does not face progressives dilemma in the same manner as other places in the world do. Examples stated included Australia, which faced islamaphobic riots, and Europe where they are dealing with a wave of islamaphobia. Reasons proposed for why Canada has not had to deal with this issue of progressive s dilemma included that Canada does not integrate immigrants well and that this lack of integration lessens possibilities for conflict. Panel: Ethics in Health and Community Planning Panelists for this session included Dr. Robert Strang: Chief Public Health Officer, Province of Nova Scotia, Pam Cooley: Founder and President, CarShare Halifax, Dr. Christy Simpson: Department Head, Bioethics, Dalhousie University, and Austin French: Halifax Regional Municipality, Planning and Infrastructure. William Lahey, Director of the Dalhousie Law Institute, moderated the panel. Panelists drew upon their varied experiences and perspectives in a discussion of ethical issues relevant in health promotion and community planning and engagement. Issues discussed included: social determinants of health, municipal public policy related to active transportation, and zoning by-laws. Closing Keynote Kelliann Dean, Nova Scotia Public Service Commissioner and Deputy Minister of Seniors Ms. Dean delivered the keynote address on the topic of leadership and ethics in the Nova Scotia public service. She outlined the eight qualifications identified in a recent review by the Nova Scotia Public Service as necessary for leadership. These included: Inspirational Leadership; Ability to connect with people; Self awareness; Strong communication skills; Ability to create partnerships; Courageous decisiveness; Being able to lead and adapt to change; and Outcome focused Ms. Dean also highlighted that in order to be a leader in this environment individuals require a strong ethical compass. Her advice was to be true to yourself because if you can t be true to your own values, you can t lead effectively. Finally, Ms. Dean concluded that this is an exciting time to be in the public service, and there is tremendous opportunity for the future. She noted that the public service is a fast-paced, 15
changing environment, with plenty of challenges, and also provides an opportunity to serve the greater good and make a difference. Young Professionals Panel Panelists for this session included Natalia Chenier, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Daniel Adams, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Anna Crouse, Nova Scotia Department of Community Services, and Gabryel Joseph, Municipality of East Hants. Peter Carr and Katie Olthuis, Dalhousie Master of Public Administration students, moderated the panel. Panelists drew upon recent experience as young professionals in the public service. They provided an overview of their experience to date, provided advice to current and future public servants, and provided advice on ways to secure a position in government. Advice provided to those in attendance included: work in interview skills, apply to all available positions, work constantly on your own professional development, use networking opportunities, get a mentor, and have an open mind. Awards David MacDonald Memorial Award David Alexander Joseph MacDonald was born and raised in Creignish, Nova Scotia. He earned a BA and a Masters in Public Administration at Dalhousie, a Masters in Political Studies at Queen s University and worked on a doctorate for three years at Dalhousie. David started working with the federal government in Ottawa in January 1992 as a policy analyst in the Federal-Provincial Relations Office, where he worked on the Charlottetown Accord, federal-provincial issues and constitutional reform. At the time of his death in the summer of 2010, he had risen high in the ranks of the public service as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy and Research Branch of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). In between, he worked in various policy secretariats at the Privy Council Office, including in Government Renewal; at the Canadian Centre for Management Development (now Canada School of Public Service) doing leading research in governance issues; and various positions at HRSDC including federal-provincial labour market issues, skills and learning. David was highly respected by his superiors, colleagues and staff as a consummate public servant. He was passionate about the role and importance of the public service in a wellfunctioning democracy, and a deep pride of Canada. He had an incisive policy mind, a love of learning and a sharp wit. All of these qualities served him well in the many important files he contributed to over the course of his career. His love of learning and debate; the searching out ideas and other perspectives; and his love of Canada make him an ideal example to public servants and to those who study the complex issues of public administration and public policy. In recognition of David MacDonald's commitment to government innovation, an award is presented in his honour to the best submission by a Dalhousie student of the MPA program. 16
This year the recipient was Brett Taylor for his paper titled Democratizing the Constitution: Evaluating the Proposal to Allow Caucus to Remove a Party Leader. Inspiration Award Created in 2003, the Inspiration Award recognizes the outstanding positive contributions of public servants to the personal and/or professional lives of their colleagues. It is presented annually at the conference to a public servant who has demonstrated a superior dedication and commitment to mentoring, coaching, and inspiring other public servants over the course of their career. The Inspiration award is unique because the winner is being recognized by students and new professionals. The submissions not only result in the recognition of inspiring public servants, but also serve to inspire both future and seasoned public servants. The award is a prime opportunity to pass along the positive experiences of public servants, bridging the present and the future public service. This year the recipient of the award was Linda Lefebvre, Director of Operations within the Centre of Program Excellence in the Farm Financial Programs Branch at Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada. Linda was nominated by David Aaron, a second year Dalhousie Master of Public Administration (MPA) student. 17
Appendix I: Student Abstracts G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund: Accountability Issues from a Modern Comptrollership Perspective - Keira Hanrahan, Meaghan McClurg, Siobhan Shears, Laura Swain The purpose of the report is to address the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund through a modern comptrollership lens. Namely, our paper analyzes appropriations, the role of the elected and unelected officials, and the Treasury Board Secretariat s (TBS) structures and policies. Our report aims to answer the following research question: How and why were accountability structures breached during the administration of the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund? Research began with the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund section of the Spring 2011 Report of the Auditor General, followed by a targeted media scan. As the legal and comptrollership issues became clear, we began to research and analyze information from government documents, legislation, and public administration academic literature. We find that the administration of the G8 Legacy Infrastructure Fund failed to meet the legislated appropriations requirements found in the Constitution Act, Financial Administration Act, and Appropriations Acts. We find that relationships between elected and unelected officials hampered, rather than enhanced, accountability in the administration of the fund. And finally, we find that the structural reporting methods via TBS failed to effectively present the Fund and its administration in a transparent manner. Our analysis leads to three recommendations: Agreeing with Peter Aucoin regarding the Standing Committee on Operations and Estimates, to re-evaluate the political power of a committee majority. Currently the partisan committee majority hampers authentic accountability investigations. To enhance TBS training on the Estimates process and guidelines, to newly elected Members of Parliament. To strengthen accountability measures promised in the 2003 Guide for Ministers and Ministers of State where an emphasis on informative and balanced reports to Parliament was highlighted. Accountability and comptrollership cannot be victims of the electoral cycle; commitments to strengthening the transparency of government reporting must be carried through as an objective of all MPs and unelected officials. 18
Democratizing the Constitution: Evaluating the Proposal to Allow Caucus to Remove a Party Leader - Brett Taylor In Democratizing the Constitution, Peter Aucoin, Mark Jarvis, and Lori Turnbull not only identify a democratic deficit within the Canadian parliamentary system, but propose a number of reforms aimed at correcting this deficit. The purpose of this paper is to examine and evaluate one of these proposals reinstating the ability of caucus to remove a party leader. Through evaluation, it will become clear that while this proposal is intended to address a problem that does exist and does require reform, this proposal is not an effective means of doing so. In order to effectively investigate the proposal, this paper will first explore the problem it is intended to address. The role of the Prime Minister, as designed by the constitution and the logic of responsible government, will be compared to the current functioning of the government to determine the scope of the problem identified by Aucoin, Jarvis and Turnbull. Once the problem has been established, the proposed reform will be evaluated in order to determine how effectively it addresses or corrects it. Through an evaluation on the basis of Aucoin s own criteria, it will become clear that the proposal is flawed in several critical respects. The paper s relevance to the conferences theme Ethics; Speaking Truth to Power is that it investigates the changes in structure which have led to inhibited accountability and the prevention, or at the very least discouragement, of MPs speaking truth to the power of the Prime Minister. More specifically the paper evaluates a proposed change to redress the imbalance of Prime Ministerial power over the House of Commons. Managing Current Complexity: Critical Energy Infrastructure Failures in North America - Colin MacDonald, Melissa Oldreive, Eric Pegolo High Reliability Organizations (HRO) and Normal Accidents Theory (NAT) are two competing views of risk management in highly-complex and tightly-coupled systems. These views are further examined and expanded upon using the concept of systemic risks, particularly those with a high level of uncertainty. This paper applies the competing theories of HRO and NAT in analyzing the 1998 Ice Storm and the 2003 Blackout to examine vulnerabilities in North America s critical energy infrastructure (CEI). These cases were selected for comparison because of their overt similarities; they were both mass failures in critical energy infrastructure within close geographic proximity and were separated by relatively short period of time five years. Inferences are then made by highlighting the similarities and differences in the two cases, which are then used to draw lessons for public managers regarding the protection of CEIs. As CEIs are highly-complex and tightly-coupled systems, failures stemming from complex and uncertain risks are inevitable. There is an increasingly low tolerance for failure in energy infrastructure because society s critical infrastructures have become increasingly interdependent; therefore, measures must be taken to lessen the impact of said failures. As such, public managers must regulate CEIs, in order to ensure an emphasis is placed on safety and security, while also finding ways to reduce unnecessary complexities within the interconnected systems. It is through the adoption of such measures that public managers will aid in minimizing the cascading effects of inevitable failures. This paper was produced through a collaborative effort between three Master of Public Administration students as part of their academic assessment for Strategic Management in the 19
Public Sector. Highlighting the cases of the 1998 Ice Storm and the 2003 Blackout through the lenses of HRO and NAT, this paper demonstrates the importance of strategic risk management plans in protecting Canada s critical energy infrastructure. Relationship Between NDP Votes and Income, Age, Education, and Immigrants in Nova Scotia Constituencies in 2006 - Ben Bisset, David Kruch, Katie Mercier, Connor Thompson This paper explores the effect of median income, median age, educational achievement, and immigrant status on the likelihood of voting for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Nova Scotia constituencies in the 2006 federal general election. In doing so, it addresses the extent to which the party s ideology reflects its electoral base. By looking at the effects of the aforementioned socioeconomic indicators on the election of NDP candidates, the project seeks to identify the characteristics of the party s constituency. In short, do socioeconomic conditions explain the election of NDP MPs, or do voters choose the NDP for other reasons? The project applies a multiple regression model to study the data, which was compiled from Statistics Canada and Elections Canada. The regression output reveals that a constituency s median age, proportion of immigrants, and median income have a statistically insignificant effect on the number of votes received by the NDP. This appears to contradict the notion that the NDP relies on a constituency delineated by specific socioeconomic indicators (low income voters, for example). The paper concludes by offering alternative explanations for the source of NDP support. Canadian Health Care: Budgetary Process and Financial Structure - Fiona Wang Like most of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, Canada provides universal coverage for "medically necessary" hospital and medical care to all eligible residents. Canada s health care system is predominantly financed by public funding, which is mostly generated from taxation. A significant amount of national gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on health care in Canada, which makes it important to understand the flow of financial resources within Canadian health care system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the budgetary process and financial structure of the Canadian health care system in detail. A comparison study on the United Kingdom s health system budgetary process and financial structure is also included. In order to describe both systems in detail, government documents and reports as well as academic papers were carefully examined, analyzed and synthesized. The comparison between the two systems brought up a question on whether variations exist in health care resource distribution among provinces and territories across Canada due to the variations among health policies and insurance plans formulated by individual priovinces and territories. To answer this question, the data set of health system budget and expenditure by provinces and territories were examined and analyzed. Due to the time limits of this study, only data from the year 2009 was analyzed. The results show that in 2009 the territories had more variations in resource distribution patterns and per capita expenditures. However, no final conclusion can be drawn at this point, further studies and analysis on data from 1975 to 2011 will be needed in the future. 20
The Combined Influences of a Feeling and an Idea in Policy-Making: The Case of French Management of Influenza A - Adrien Hugerot This paper would aim not to focus in detail on the wastage of the French policy against influenza A but to support the hypothesis that ideas the precautionary principle and feelings fear have played a crucial and too important role in French public decisions. 2009 s influenza A pandemic crisis is thus a perfect case study because it deals with both. In which extent does collective fear change the design, the development and the implementation of a public policy? In which context of apprehension was the government at the outbreak of influenza A H1N1? We explain that fear was clearly present in France during the policy formulation of the problem to a particularly high level. Description is done of the roles played by many actors in the spread of this fear. We demonstrate then how it has biased the development of the government s response. Finally, we expose that it led to an inefficient response. Even if the government s communication was proactive, it suffered from the crisis of confidence it faced. As a result and culminating point, we point the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the vaccination campaign. The high number of governmental errors calls us. The government had plans and logic of action with the precautionary principle to face a pandemic. Thus, one may conclude that the significant number of errors is largely superior to what could have been expected. From this finding, the conclusion is drawn that fear played a significant role in these mistakes. As a result, a feeling, in addition to historical background and principles, is really an important determinant of policymaking. Assessment of Progressive s Dilemma, Islamophobia, and Immigrant Integration with regard to Canada - Michael Cestnik This paper discusses the problem that Canada and other western nations encounter in using immigration to maintain the status quo of economic output and standard of living. As documented in many such nations, this policy has jeopardized national unity and has academically been called progressive s dilemma. Through undertaking academic document searches and review of non-government organizational policy recommendations, the research indicated that historical integration issues were well identified decades previous but not significantly addressed. This continues to be the case. The paper hypothesizes that although recent academic literature has indicated that neither Islamophobia nor progressive s dilemma are lived in realities in Canada, this may no longer be the case with certain systematic Islamophobic regulations coming into effect by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and changing public sentiments. Canada may have avoided progressive s dilemma historically, but it has perhaps exposed itself to other issues equally complicated and sensitive. It is indeed experiencing what could be described as elements of Islamophobia and continued worsening symptoms of poor integration practice. 21
Appendix II: Conference Biographies Dr. Kevin Quigley, Acting Director, School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University Kevin Quigley is the Acting Director and teaches and publishes at the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University in the areas of public sector risk management, strategic management and critical infrastructure protection. He is the principal investigator for the research initiative, Critical Infrastructure Protection in Comparative Perspective, which is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). His work has also been supported by the Canadian Department of Defence and the UK s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). In 2008 he published Responding to Crises in the Modern Infrastructure: Policy Lessons from Y2K with Palgrave MacMillan. He is also a co-investigator for Dalhousie University s CIP Initiative, which is supported through the Canada School of Public Service s Innovative Public Management Fund, and editor of the newsletter, The CIP Exchange. He also reviews regularly for the journal Public Administration. Dr. Quigley obtained a Ph.D. from Queen s University, Belfast, and a Master of Science degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Governance at the University of Edinburgh and the American Political Science Association s Centennial Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to living in the UK, he had been a public servant in the Ontario Public Service (OPS). During his time at the OPS Dr. Quigley worked in human resources, business planning, finance and communications. Mr. Douglas Keefe, QC, Former Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Nova Scotia Douglas J. Keefe QC is a private consultant. Doug has extensive experience in leadership, negotiation, change management, and crisis response. Since 1996 Doug has been a frequent speaker on leadership and values. Experience teaches that helping people see how their daily activities embody values and contribute to abstract strategic goals is the best way to lead organizations. He retired from the Nova Scotia public service in March 2007 after nearly thirty years in various legal and management positions. In his last seven years he was the Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General. In these roles he was responsible for the justice system as a whole and in particular court administration, corrections, oversight of police, services to victims of crime, and legal services to government. As a consultant he has provided strategic advice to a Canadian natural resource company with significant international assets, advised on human resource issues served on a national panel reviewing correctional services, and lead the Nova Scotia government s ocean energy team. During the summer of 2011 he and John Furlong, co-chaired the Vancouver Riot Review. Since May 2009 he has been providing leadership and management support to the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), a not for profit corporation set up to develop and manage a facility to demonstrate tidal energy devices in Nova Scotia s Minas Passage. And in May 2010 22
he became its first executive director. He is married with three grown children and is a member of the Nova Scotia Barrister s Society. Dr. Paul Brown, Dalhousie University Paul received his BA Hons from Mount Allison University, and his MA from Dalhousie University. Paul earned his PhD from the University of Toronto. Professor Brown s articles have appeared in Canadian Public Administration, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Political Studies, Canadian Journal of Regional Science, Policy Options, Public Sector Management, Environments, and Forestry Chronicle. He was on Executive Interchange with Environment Canada in 1986-1987. Since 1999, he has served as chief technical advisor for numerous Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) capacitybuilding projects in countries of the FSU, particularly Ukraine and Georgia, and has been a trainer in public policy and ethics. He has also provided public policy training for the Open Society Institute and the World Bank. Paul has also been awarded the Faculty of Management Teaching Excellence Award and the Pierre de Celles Award for Teaching Excellence from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Dr. Mark Gilbert, Dalhousie University Mark received his MBA at Dalhousie, and PhD at Bradford University. Dr. Gilbert is interested in local government, city management, municipal finance, central-local government relations and public infrastructure financing. He has worked on local government capacity building and reform initiatives both in Canada and internationally. As a former practitioner his focus is on applied research. International project work has taken him to South Africa, Indonesia, Bosnia, Ghana and India. As a professor of Local Government Studies Mark Gilbert has developed and taught courses in city management, local government finance and the local government component in a public sector practicum. He also promotes careers in local government through internships, local government research and outreach. In 2008 and 2009 Mark received a Certificate of Appreciation for leading the Province of Nova Scotia s partnership with the Government of Indonesia and IPAC under the CIDA-funded Good Governance Program. Mark.Gilbert@dal.ca 23
Dr. Robert Moody, Dalhousie University In January 2003 Dr. Moody was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Pier 21, Canada s Immigration Museum, and continued in that position until Feb. 2011 when negotiations with Canada were successfully concluded to create a new federal crown corporation. Commencing in May 1998 until March 2001, Robert (Bob) P. Moody was Deputy Minister of the Department of Education for the new territory of Nunavut. Prior to his secondment to Nunavut, Dr. Moody served as Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Minister of Education and Culture for the Province of Nova Scotia. Bob established Aqsarniit Management Consulting, Inc. in 2001 and continues as the President and Chief Executive Officer and in that capacity has consulted both nationally and internationally. In his Nunavut position, Dr. Moody was part of a team charged with the setting up and implementing the public service for Nunavut. He constructed and developed a highly committed and creative team that led the education sector into the 21 st century. In addition to leading the development of the Department of Education, he participated on many central agency and interdepartmental committees that guided the new government. Dr. Moody holds a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Mary s University, Master of Public Administration from Dalhousie University and a PhD from the School of Management at the University of Bradford. Dr. Moody holds an Adjunct Professor appointment at Dalhousie s Faculty of Management, School of Public Administration and has lectured at Dalhousie in the graduate program in the fields of financial management, information systems management, equity and diversity management, and alternate service delivery. Dr. Robert Blunden, Dalhousie University Robert Blunden is an Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Dalhousie University. Robert completed his BComm at Dalhousie and then went on to do graduate work at Northwestern and doctoral work at Western. He is currently teaching strategy and competitiveness, strategy implementation and family business. Robert's research focuses on developing the common ground between Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Family Business and applying strategic management to entrepreneurial contexts, in particular, strategic exit strategies for firms, factors that impede the expeditious exit of owner-managers from failing businesses and the influence of life stage in family business succession processes. Dr. Blunden's consulting activities focus on strategic issues for various types and sizes of organizations including: o strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, and outsourcing for large organizations; o business planning and feasibility studies for new ventures; o acquisition assessment, business turnarounds, business exits for smaller firms; and o strategic planning, succession planning and mediation in family businesses. Dr. A. Marguerite Cassin, Dalhousie University Dr. Cassin is a specialist in public sector management with interests in gender relations and career advancement. She has authored reports for governments, commissions and task forces on these and other matters as well as contributed to the scholarly literature on these topics. 24
Dr. Cassin received her PhD from the University of Toronto. Anna Allen, Deputy Mayor, Town of Bridgewater Anna Allen s roots are in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Born in Digby, raised in Hantsport, and now lives in Windsor with her husband David. They have three children, two daughter-inlaws and four grandchildren. Anna was elected as a town councilor in Windsor in 1991. She received her Certificate in Municipal Government from Henson College in 1993. That same year, she was elected as the Valley Regional Representative on the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM). As UNSM president in 2000, she sat on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Atlantic Mayor s Congress. In 2004, the Windsor Town Council encouraged Nova Scotian Municipalities to create a steering committee to provide support and encourage more participation by women in local government. Today, Anna continues to support the Women in Local Government project for the UNSM, and is a mentor to many people entering public life. In May, 2010, Mrs. Allen was recognized by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for her leadership in encouraging women to run for municipal office and her long-time public service and received the FCM s Ann MacLean Award for Outstanding Service by a Woman in Municipal Politics. Today, Anna is an appointed Municipal Representative for the Town of Bridgetown. Dr. Jean-François Tremblay, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy & Strategic Direction, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Jean-François Tremblay was appointed Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Policy and Strategic Direction at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANDC) in January 2010. Before joining the Department, Jean-François served as the Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Priorities and Planning, at the Privy Council Office from January 2008 to December 2009. Between 2006 and 2007, Jean-François worked in the Privy Council's Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat, where he held the positions of Director General, Sectoral Analysis, followed by Assistant Deputy Minister, Intergovernmental Operations. As part of his duties with the Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat, he worked on the everyday management of federalprovincial relations and on the development and implementation of the Government of Canada's federal-provincial strategy for priority sectoral issues. Between 2003 and 2006, Jean-François worked with Health Canada in various positions, in particular as Executive Director with the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. There, he was closely involved in organizing the three First Minister s meetings, which took place between 2003 and 2005. Jean-François joined the federal public service in 2000 as a policy analyst with the Privy Council Office. Between 2000 and 2002, he had a variety of responsibilities with Privy Council, in particular with the Social Development Policy Secretariat, where he worked in support of the 25
Reference Group of Ministers on Aboriginal policies and with the Intergovernmental Affairs, where he worked on issues relating to the management of the federation. Jean-François received a PhD in Political Science from Université Laval in 1999. His areas of interest included public policy, power relationships, Aboriginal issues, philosophy and political theory. Daphne Meredith, Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Broad Secretariat of Canada Ms. Daphne Meredith was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for the Government of Canada as of August 31, 2009. Prior to her appointment as CHRO, Ms. Meredith served as Associate Deputy Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) since August 2006. Ms. Meredith has also held senior executive positions at the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), as Assistant Secretary of the Economic Sector and then as Assistant Secretary of the newly-created Corporate Planning and Priorities Sector. Ms. Meredith began her career in the Public Service in 1983 as an economist at Natural Resources Canada and has held a number of positions within the federal government since that time. She has worked on financial sector policy and tax policy at the Department of Finance, on priorities and planning as well as cabinet business relating to social development policy at the Privy Council Office, and on strategic management at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She has also worked with the private sector as a government policy consultant. Dr. Peggy Cunningham, Dean of the Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University Dr. Cunningham graduated with a BA from Queen's, an MBA (Marketing) from Calgary and a PhD (Marketing) from Texas A & M University. She joined Dalhousie's Faculty of Management in 2009 as Director of the School of Business Administration, Associate Dean (Research) and the R. A. Jodrey Chair. She has been the Acting Dean since December. While at Queen s, she rose from Assistant to Full Professor, served as Director of the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility and founded the Accelerated MBA program. She has held Visiting Professorships in France, the UK, China and Germany. Dr. Cunningham has received seven awards for teaching excellence and is a prolific author and journal editor. She is a founding member of the Global Responsible Leadership Initiative. She serves on several boards including those of Concerned Children's Advertisers, Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., Queen s Board of Trustees, and the Sierra Club of Atlantic Canada. Wadih Fares, President and CEO, WM Fares Group Wadih Fares emigrated as a teenager from war-torn Lebanon to Canada in 1976. Over the past 26 years, his passion, unparalled work ethic and dedication has led him to earn a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the former Technical University of Nova Scotia, a Diploma in Engineering from Dalhousie University and an Honorary Degree from Saint Mary s University To Be Doctor of Commerce (Honoris Causa). Fares is CEO of W.M. Fares Group - a residential and commercial property management and development firm with building projects throughout Canada. Fares is involved in every aspect of 26
his buildings design, project management and development. As an immigrant, he believes in celebrating the unique talents and contributions everyone brings to the table. Fares exemplifies this by giving back through a wide-range of professional and volunteer roles, including his 14 year post as Honorary Consul of Lebanon for the Maritime Provinces. Among his many awards and accolades, Fares was inducted as Laureate of the Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in 2008 and was named Atlantic Business Magazine s Top CEO of the Year for 2011. His mantra: It was in my heart to help a little because I was helped much. Khalil Gibran (poet) Thelma Costello, Partner, Costello Fitt Limited Thelma is a widely respected leader whose expertise includes program and project management, change management, organizational and business development, evaluation, partnership development and systems implementation. For the past ten years, Ms. Costello has been a partner with Wilson Fitt in Costello Fitt Limited. She has worked with provincial and federal public sector clients, industry organizations and educational institutions on range of assignments. Current clients include the IWK Health Centre and the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, both of whom have embarked on major infrastructure renewal initiatives. On a volunteer basis, she recently managed the construction of Brigadoon Village, a camp facility in Nova Scotia for youth with chronic illness. In the public service, Ms. Costello was responsible for significant organizational reform and business re-engineering initiatives at the provincial Department of Justice and Service Nova Scotia. She was Executive Director of the Court Services Branch at Justice, and Provincial Tax Commissioner and Executive Director at Service Nova Scotia. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Law from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Saint Vincent University. Gordon Stewart, Executive Director, Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia Gordon has been active in the Tourism Industry for a number of years and has served in a variety of capacities some of which were: Founding President of TIANS Vice-Chair of The Tourism Association of Canada National Task Force on Tourism Data Systems Canadian Tourism Commission Director Director of Tourism ACOA for Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership Council Board of Directors Pier 21 Past Chair Tourism Vision Gordon has spoken across Canada and in the United States, is keenly interested in tourism longrange development, and writes articles and papers on Tourism. He has a special interest in the 27
evolution of the Internet and its impact on tourism and travel. He is active in a wide variety of tourism projects and government policy affecting the development and marketing of tourism. Gordon is currently contracted as the Executive Director of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia. Larry E. Munroe, Auditor General, Halifax Regional Municipality Mr. Larry Munroe, FCA, joined the Halifax Regional Municipality as the first Municipal Auditor General on September 28, 2009. Mr. Munroe brings to the position a wealth of experience in public and private sector accounting and a commitment to the principles of openness and service to his community. Mr. Munroe is a graduate of Acadia University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1976. He later graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Business Administration and achieved his Chartered Accountant designation in 1982. From 1990 to 2008 he was a partner with Grant Thornton LLP in New Brunswick. Throughout his over 20 year career with Grant Thornton and its predecessor firms, Mr. Munroe served in senior roles through which he managed and conducted financial statement audits, as well as compliance/controls, and value for money services for a variety of municipalities. He also provided professional services to the Province of New Brunswick. Mr. Munroe has delivered account services to a number of charities and not-for- profit organizations which include hospital fundraising, wildlife conservation, endowment fund development, care for the elderly and subsidized housing for seniors. He is a past Director and Treasurer of the Fredericton YMCA and more recently has served as a Director and Treasurer of Fredericton YMCA Endowment Fund Inc. He has been active in the development of the Fredericton Knowledge Park, has been a member of the Fredericton Sunrise Rotary Club and served on Campaign Cabinets of the United Way and Fredericton YMCA. In 2005, his contributions to his profession and his community were recognized when he was made a Fellow of the New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants, a professional body for which he also served as President and Council member as well as having served on a number of its committees. William Lahey, Director of the Dalhousie Law Institute William Lahey received his BA from Mount Alison University, and his BA (Juris) from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, followed by his Certificate of Foreign Accreditation from the University of Toronto in 1989. William gained his LLM from the University of Toronto in 2001. William began his career as Clerk to Mr. Justice La Forest, Supreme Court of Canada. He then worked in private practice before working as a Solicitor in the Nova Scotia Department of Justice from 1994-1996. Since 2007 William Lahey has been the Director of Dalhousie s Health Law Institute. An Associate Professor at Dalhousie Law School, he was awarded the Dalhousie Law Students Society and Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004. William also has extensive experience working in the provincial government. He was Executive Director and Assistant Deputy Minister in the Nova Scotia Department of Health from 1998-2001, and Deputy Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour from 2004-2007. 28
Dr. Robert Strang, Chief Public Health Officer, Province of Nova Scotia Dr. Robert Strang is Chief Public Health Officer in Nova Scotia appointed in August 2007. Rob received his medical degree from University of British Columbia and completed Family Practice and Community Medicine residencies at UBC. Dr. Strang was an Associate Medical Officer of Health in British Columbia from 1997-1999 and in 1999, he moved to Halifax to become Medical Officer of Health for Capital District Health Authority. He was Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health prior to his CPHO appointment. As CPHO, he has provided leadership around the renewal of the public health system in Nova Scotia as well as raising awareness around the importance of creating policies and environments that support better health for Nova Scotian families and communities. He is passionate about public health and has worked with non-government organizations such as Smoke Free Nova Scotia, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Public Health Association of Nova Scotia. Dr. Strang has an adjunct appointment with Dalhousie University, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology. Rob lives in Fall River with his wife Stephanie and three active children. Pam Cooley, Founder and President, CarShare Halifax Pam Cooley is a problem solver and innovator and has demonstrated this ability through a diversity of work assignments. She has worked in Guatemalan refugee camps and inner cities and is familiar with the inside of many national and international boardrooms both in the public and private sectors. Pam has advised CEOs she has chaired Federal Ministerial stakeholder tables she has been active in bringing ethics and values to business she has made a difference. Pam has established expertise in the areas of project development, organizational change, professional development coaching and facilitation. Her ethical approach to solving complex and controversial problems has positioned a number of her clients as the proud recipients and nominees for Vancouver's Ethics in Action Awards. Pam is the founder and president of Choosethical Ventures Inc., a consulting and facilitation services company that has been in operation since 1996. Choosethical Ventures Inc., under Pam's leadership, has worked with over 150 businesses, organizations, and various levels of government. She has assisted with strategic planning, organization, and community and business development which is all based on a strong platform of ethics. She is keenly interested in the growth potential of Canadian cities and in particular Halifax with a focus on infrastructure needs. She feels that Halifax, like other cities, has a need for a fabric of transportation services including car sharing. Pam is committed to the realization of a successful and thriving CarShareHFX in the Atlantic Canadian marketplace. 29
Dr. Christy Simpson, Department Head, Bioethics, Dalhousie University Christy Simpson is an associate professor in the Department of Bioethics at Dalhousie University. She is the coordinator for the ethics-based collaborations between the Department, Capital Health and the IWK Health Centre, as well as the newly formed Nova Scotia Health Ethics Network. Her primary responsibilities include ethics education and capacity-building, policy development and review, and support for clinical and organizational ethics consultations. Christy completed her doctorate in philosophy, specializing in bioethics, at the Department of Philosophy at Dalhousie University in 2001. During her doctoral studies, Christy also undertook two clinical practicums at local health care facilities, which stimulated her interest in the role of hope in health care. Her research in this area continued during a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Alberta (2000-2002) and is still strong today, in conjunction with health care ethics. Christy s research interests also include rural bioethics and organizational ethics. Austin French, Halifax Regional Municipality, Planning and Infrastructure Mr. French holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University as well as a Master of Environmental Design in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Calgary. He has worked in community planning and development in various parts of Canada and returned to Nova Scotia to work for the City of Halifax in 1990. Following the formation of the Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996, he has held several positions in land management and urban and regional planning. He was Project Manager for the adoption of the HRM Regional Plan and has held his current position of Manager of Planning Services with the Regional Municipality, since 2006. HRM Planning Services received the 2010 Award for Planning Excellence (City Planning Category) from the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Small or Medium Community Design Award: Urban Design(2010) from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners and a Charter Member of the Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia Kelliann Dean, Nova Scotia Public Service Commissioner and Deputy Ministers of Seniors Kelliann Dean holds the following portfolios as a member of government s senior public service team: Public Service Commissioner and the Deputy Minister of Seniors. She is also the deputy champion for GoverNEXT, a community of young Nova Scotia public servants. She served as Deputy Minister of Tourisum, Culture and Heritage from 2004 until January 2010. From 2001 to 2004, she was Vice President of business development for Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province s business development agency. Prior to joining the provincial government, Kelliann worked for 13 years at the Business Development Bank of Canada in Halifax and Montreal. She held positions in the areas of communications, public relations, human resources, marketing and business development. Kelliann holds a Bachelor of Public Relations degree from Mount Saint Vincent University and a master s degree in business administration from Saint Mary s University. Kelliann resides in Tantallon with her husband, Chris, two teenage children, Grace and Will, and their chocolate brown Labrador Ringo. 30
Natalia Chenier, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada Prior to her career with the Federal Government, Natalia completed an undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology at Bishops University and a Masters degree in sociology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She also spent some time working for the Auckland City Council before returning to Canada. Natalia currently works for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada as an Evaluation Officer, and also spent some time in Strategic Policy. Additionally, she is in her fifth year as coordinator for the AANDC Internship Program. Daniel Adams, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada After working at the International Program for Development Evaluation Training, Daniel was placed through the Carleton University Co-op program at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Develop Canada (AANDC). Following placements with the Department of Canadian Heritage in policy and program administration, he graduated and entered the public service through the Student Bridging Mechanism. Daniel has worked for the federal government for three years. His current role involves evaluating social programs with the Evaluation, Performance Measurement and Review Branch, AANDC. Anna Crouse, Nova Scotia Department of Community Services Anna Crouse, a native of Dartmouth, works in corporate policy for the Government of Nova Scotia. A graduate of St. Thomas University with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and human rights, Anna worked throughout her degree for various non-profits organizations. Along the way, Anna s path changed from social work to social policy, guiding her towards the Masters of Public Administration program at Dalhousie. Graduating in 2010, she began her career in Policy, Planning and Research at the Department of Community Services. Passionate about her community, Anna has volunteered with Bust a Move for Breast Health, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and Laing House. Anna is also a member of GoverNEXT, a group of young professionals, whose mission is to contribute to the future of the Government of Nova Scotia by providing avenues for young public servants to have their voices heard in the provincial public service and by creating opportunities for learning and dialogue for all members. Gabryel Joseph, Municipality of East Hants Gabryel began his public sector career before his MPA as a policy analyst for the BC Provincial Government with the Dept of Education and the Solicitor General. Since completing his MPA in the municipal stream, he has worked as the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator for the Town of Wolfville and the Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the District of Lunenburg, before accepting his current position as Municipal Clerk with the Municipality of East Hants. 31