Posts Tagged: austerity

Creating an Evidence-Based Government

Policymakers are fixated on short-term budget austerity measures such as furloughs, pay freezes, and conference and travel spending. However, there is a small, but growing effort to take a longer, more strategic look at how to manage austerity by finding what works and targeting dollars there instead of to programs that cannot demonstrate effectiveness. ThisRead… Read more »

Why Constraints Actually Breed Innovation

It may sound odd, but constraints can and usually are a catalyst for innovation. Think back to the industrial age here in America, importing goods was costing too much money and taking too much time – insert the American Industrial Revolution. The industrial revolution was a time of extreme growth and innovation in our country.Read… Read more »

4 Years of Tech Challenges — Are We Really Moving Forward?

4 years in any technology cycle is a lifetime. Think about this – 4 years ago BYOD wasn’t even a possibility and tablets still seemed like a dream. So how can the government keep up? And more importantly how can the government utilize the latest and greatest technology to support its mission? Molly O’Neill isRead… Read more »

Absenteeism in the Public Sector – Is cutting jobs really the solution?

A recent report by the CBC has pegged the cost of federal public service absenteeism at $1B per year. According to the CBC story, the average public servant is taking 18 days a year in sick leave, double what their private sector counterpart does in that same year. While the story does discuss fairly obviousRead… Read more »

Job Losses and the Effect on Innovation

As the Canadian Public Service navigates through the recent job cuts as part of the 2012 budget, I’ve written about different skills that will help any public servant through cutbacks including survival tips for those who survive the job losses and a call to truly think if the public service is the right career forRead… Read more »

GovBytes: Surviving austerity – 4 tips to cope with the times

Doing more with less. I’ll bet that’s a phrase you’ve heard before, and have probably become skeptical of. As a matter of fact, in response to a recent GovLoop survey, most of you responded that being asked to do more with less is your biggest challenge. On Government Technology, GovLoop president Steve Ressler gave aRead… Read more »

So You Survived The Job Cuts – A Survivor’s Guide

What a rough past month it has been for public servants from across Canada. All told, around 12,000 notices have gone out to public servants represented by the Public Service Commission. Personally, I am unaffected by the recent job cuts. During these tough times, it is hard to not feel survivor’s guilt as the processRead… Read more »

A Budget of Austerity – A Public Servant’s Guide to Survival

Social Connect via: With the release of the federal budget on March 29, 2012, a sigh of relief could be heard all across Ottawa as the full extent of spending cuts and lay-offs were revealed. The cuts to Departments were lower than expected with most Departments being asked to find 5-6% in savings with variationsRead… Read more »

The Case for Teleworking

Teleworking is becoming an increasingly popular way of working for many people. The convenience of wearing pajamas while working aside, the home often offers freedom, privacy and a distraction free environment which lends itself to a more productive and functional workplace than the traditional cubicle office. For employees, teleworking offers reduced commute times and reducedRead… Read more »