It has often been said that you can’t run government like a business. The purpose of government in society and in democracy exists to maintain order, protect rights and enable collective decision- making. Its purpose expands to ensure that power comes with the consent of the governed and that citizens can participate meaningfully in society.
Business and government differ in purpose, funding, accountability and decision-making: government serves the public interest, while business aims for profit. If government loses citizen support or faces a crisis, can business management principles help?
CCC is concerned about our province’s future. Ongoing deficit spending threatens the economy and future generations’ quality of life. We need a new approach—government should use business principles during crises.
A potential strategy involves appointing a Chief Operating Officer responsible for overseeing a $15-billion business (noted as Budget). To secure talent at this level, it is essential to offer compensation aligned with industry benchmarks. Below is a summary of proposed mandates:
- The COO requires all departments to create public, measurable plans and fosters collaboration province wide
- The COO creates communication plans for employees, cabinet, caucus and the public
- The COO oversees labor negotiations and sets key targets
- The COO reviews governance structures for proper alignment
- The COO works to reduce travel and purchasing expenses
- The COO manages staff recruitment, prioritizing experienced senior hires
- The COO evaluates provincial finances and suggests steps to balance the budget
AUTHORITY
- The COO reports to both the Premier and a special task group made up of respected business leaders and New Brunswick citizens
- The COO has authority to drive reforms, initiate changes in departments, make processes more efficient to cut costs, improve services, and ensure that government commitments are kept
- The COO can utilize community resources, including the CCC, consultants and business leaders
- Deputy Ministers report directly to the COO
- The COO is empowered to dismiss employees in the bureaucracy if their positions are redundant or their performance falls short of expectations
For this to work, “all hands need to be on deck,” including the Premier and Cabinet Ministers. In many ways, this could work to their advantage. As an example, when constituents are clamouring
for a project, the Premier or respective Minister can advise the applicant this was not approved by the special task force.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Premier and Caucus’ role would be to oversee policies, budget, financing, trade negotiations, immigrations and meeting with their constituents on a regular basis.
The compelling argument for doing this is to provide continuity between governments. Historically, governments have changed in New Brunswick every four years, which reeks havoc in policy-making and ideologies. We welcome your critique or comments.
Daryl K. Branscombe, President
Community of Creative Citizens