Doctors Phidd and Dwivedi present a detailed analysis
of Prime Ministerial Leadership, the Public Service and
Administrative Reform in Canada. The authors describe
the history of the public service and administrative
reform in Canada. While the role of the respective
prime ministers is central to their discussion, they carefully
describe legislation and institutional changes
which impacted the public service as well. Detail is
given concerning the role of the Privy Council, Treasury
Board, Civil Service Commission, and other agencies,
offices, task forces and commissions. Prime ministerial
initiatives are juxtaposed against environmental
challenges and government power blocks, suggesting a
need to pay greater attention to how public sector organizations
are managed. The authors go on to describe
how contemporary public administration studies
have pointed to the complexities involved in public
sector organizations. They further suggest that this
requires more analysis of what happens within public
sector organizations. They also call for greater study of
organizational development and change within the
public sector.
The Phidd & Dwivedi article presented in this issue
ends in the 1980’s with the administration of Prime
Minister Brian Mulroney. Part two will cover “Prime
Ministerial Leadership, the Public Service and Administrative
Reform in Canada: Public Sector Reforms
from the 1980’s to 2000 and Beyond”. Part two will
appear in the Summer 2007 issue of this review.