Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

The <strong>Commission</strong> understands that the package of reforms recommended in this report amount
to a heroic challenge. To the fullest extent possible, we think ministers and their officials
should be given a great deal of discretion in deciding how to implement reform in a manner
that meets their objectives for their ministries and agencies. At the same time, there are
several government-wide issues that many ministers and ministries will face in common; some
that ripple through our report are:
� Labour issues. Compensation will doubtless be a contentious point, as will questions of
severance packages and moving people into other job categories, as priorities shift and
efficiencies take hold;
� Overlap and duplication across programs and services. Economic development programs,
for example, are delivered by nine separate ministries and there are several employment
services that can be consolidated and rationalized;
� The possibility that services can be delivered in more efficient ways. Recommendations to
this end are found in several areas; and
� Managing the province’s considerable assets more efficiently. Obviously, a common
approach to asset management is desirable.
Ministers and their officials can learn from each other and provide support to their colleagues
by coming together on such questions as they arise.
While all elements of the Ontario Public Service and BPS should have a certain degree of
discretion, the critical importance of the transformation we propose means that a vigilant watch
must be maintained on the individual reforms and how they are coming together.
It is with all this in mind that we recommend some internal processes to guide this work.
Any transformational process, especially one that involves major expenditure management,
must be led from the top. In the case of the Ontario government, this means that the centre
of government — the Premier’s Office and Cabinet Office — must be directly involved and
provide strong leadership to the process for as long as it takes to return the provincial budget
to balance. A steering committee should be established, with representation from the
Premier’s Office, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Finance. This committee, supported by a
secretariat within Cabinet Office, would be the focal point for the government-wide work
necessary to develop implementation proposals for specific reforms and for cross-cutting
measures addressing themes that touch on multiple sectors. Once reform processes are
underway, this committee would also monitor both the overall reform exercise and progress
on individual initiatives.
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