Score cards for public servants among new tools to re-build public service: Brian Pallister

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has unveiled his government’s transformation strategy,  a plan to improve public service.

On Wednesday, Pallister said, “accountability requires measurement.”

Speaking along side Finance Minister Cameron Friesen and Fred Meier, clerk of the executive council, Pallister said Manitoba’s public service needs to evolve and that traditional approaches used in the past are no longer effective.

Pallister said he wants to build “a highly engaged public service that embraces challenges and places innovation at the heart of its work to improve outcomes for Manitobans”.

RELATED: Manitoba government releases its agenda for 2018 with focus on cutting costs, health care

A printed transformation strategy report explains the how the score cards will work:

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Beginning in early 2018, Manitoba will build a system of cascading balanced scorecards throughout
all departments. These scorecards will align the work of public servants to government priorities,
and will identify key measures of performance to help keep the work of the public service
on track and focused on outcomes.

The complete document is available on the provincial government’s website. Click here to see it.

Last June, the government brought in a two year wage freeze affecting 120,000 public-sector jobs.

At the time, Pallister said the wage freeze was needed to bring the deficit under control, and his Progressive Conservative government was elected to get the province’s finances in order.

READ MORE: Manitoba government pushes new law to freeze public sector wages for 2 years

Finance Minister Friesen called the plan a “fundamental change, a shift from outputs to outcomes”, adding they are “committed to making Manitoba the most improved province in many ways.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: Finance Minister Friesen called the plan a "fundamental change, a shift from outputs to outcomes", adding they are "committed to making Manitoba the most improved province in many ways."

Meier said public servants were consulted in the development of the plan and are excited about the transformation strategy.

He said there are two key aspects to the changes being implemented:

1 – transform work:

• score cards
• progress reports
• centralized citizen engagement portal

2 – transform culture:

• clients – shift focus
• harness talent
• foster innovation
• transparency

Meier said the strategy is aimed to “get that maximum sense of buy-in from the public service” which will lead to a maximum sense of accountability.

-with files from the Canadian Press