Women's ministerial careers in cabinet, 1921–2010: A look at socio‐demographic traits and career experiences

This article probes two aspects of women's ministerial careers in federal, provincial, and territorial cabinets from 1921 to December 2010. First, we examine whether the socio‐demographic profile of women ministers differ from female legislators of the governing party. Logistic regression analysis shows that women holding cabinet portfolios differ from female legislators with no ministerial responsibilities with respect to education, parliamentary experience, and age when first elected. Women legislators elected in Quebec, and more so at the federal level, were less likely to become ministers than women legislators nominated in other provinces. Second, we consider what portfolios women had over time, and how many different portfolios they were assigned to. The results are sobering: women ministers are still largely concentrated in socio‐cultural and socio‐economic portfolios, and most only occupy one or two of these portfolios. We conclude by identifying avenues for further research.     

我国公共政策制定的弊端及改善建议

本文通过分析我国公共政策制定中的特点,基于公共选择理论对人的基本假设,采用方法论个人主义,尝试对我国公共政策制定过程中的弊端进行分析,并且提出了相应的建议。     

Public and private health‐care systems: what the literature says

Abstract: Since policy‐makers and health‐care administrators across Canada are currently interested in using privatization as a method of health‐system reform, an analysis of public‐private health systems and privatization initiatives is relevant, if not critical, at this time. The widespread and long‐standing popularity and considerable successes of the Canadian health‐care system demand such an analysis. The many investigations and other evaluative reports describing the performance of health systems and privatization make this analysis possible. The author conducted an extensive review of research and other literature on health‐sector privatization and private‐ or public‐health systems. Three themes depicting various public‐private relationships were found: 1) public or private delivery, payment, and administration of health care; 2) integration or separation of public‐ and private‐health sectors; and 3) the conceptualization of health care as a commodity or a right. These themes are examined through the prism of the Canadian health‐care system and recent developments in Alberta. A discussion of their operational successes, failures, limitations and other issues follows. The literature review shows that privatization, particularly if undertaken in what has been an essentially “public” health system such as Canada's, needs to be approached ‐ if at all ‐ with caution. Increased controls such as new forms of legislation and regulation would clearly be necessary. Research to monitor the effect of privatization initiatives would also be needed. Sommaire:EAtant donné que les décideurs et administrateurs de soins de santé Canadiens s'intéressent actuellement à la privatisation comme méthode de réforme du système de santé, une analyse des systèmes de santé public et privé et des initiatives de privatisation est par conséquent pertinente sinon essentielle. La vaste popularité de longue date et le succès considérable du système de soins de santé canadien exigent une telle analyse. Cette analyse a été rendue possible grâce aux nombreuses enquêtes et autres rapports d'évaluation décrivant le rendement des systèmes de santé et la privatisation. L'auteur a mené un examen approfondi des documents de recherche et autres écrits concernant la privatisation du secteur de la santé et les systèmes de santé public et privé. Trois thèmes dépeignant diverses relations entreles systèmes public et privé sont ressortis de cet examen: 1) la prestation, le paiement et l'administration des soins de santé, publics ou privés. 2) l'intégration ou la séparation des secteurs de santé public et privé; et 3) la conceptualisation des soins de santé, en tant que produit ou droit. Ces thèmes sont examinés à travers le système canadien de soins de santé et certains faits récents survenus et Alberta. Un débat s'ensuit sur les succès opérationnels, les échecs, les limitations de ces systèmes respectifs et sur d'autres questions. L'analyse documentaire montre que la privatisation ‐ en particulier si elle est entreprise dans un systeme de santé essentiellement public °Comme c'est le cas au Canada ‐ doit être abordée avec prudence ou pas du tout. Il serait absolument nécessaire d'instaurer des contrôles accrus par le biais de nouvelles lois et de nouveaux règlements. Il serait également nécessaire de contrôler les répercussions des initiatives de privatisation.     

Federal policy ideas and involvement in Canadian urban transit, 2002‐2017

Although provincial and local governments bear primary responsibility for urban transit projects and operations in Canada, the Government of Canada engages intermittently in this policy field, mainly through research and short‐term funding programs. This article analyzes federal policy concerning urban transit over the period 2002‐2017, with a substantive focus on policy ideas—the cognitive and normative concepts that provide direction for, and shape the perceived legitimacy of, policy choices. Through a thematic content analysis of policy documents, this article explicates the paradigms, programmatic foci, frames and public sentiments that have underpinned federal urban transit policy over this 15‐year period.     

Comparing accountability relationships between governments and non‐state actors in Canadian and European international development policy

This article examines the alignment of different governance arrangements and alternative accountability mechanisms in international development policy making in Canada and the European Union (EU), with a particular focus on relationships between governments and non‐governmental organizations. The Canadian case illustrates an entrepreneurial mode of governance that aligns with fiscal auditing and performance management mechanisms, while the networked governance model of the EU relies more heavily on accountability instruments of public reporting and deliberation. The article concludes that the European accountability regime likely provides policy makers with more opportunities for social policy learning but would be difficult to implement in Canada given the underlying action logic of the federal government.     

The governance of post‐secondary education systems in British Columbia and Ontario: Path dependence and provincial policy

Provincial governments retain an essentially unrestricted jurisdictional autonomy as regards the structuring and coordination of post‐secondary education (PSE) systems. It is at the provincial level that crucial balances must be struck between the competing demands placed on costly PSE systems. This article develops a comparative historical analysis of the British Columbia and Ontario cases in this relatively neglected area of provincial public management. Strong path‐dependent logics are identified in both cases, anchored in interconnected networks of institutional and local interests. Current developments in both provinces are assessed against the background of these longer‐term historical patterns and in relation to wider international trends.     

Enhancing government's policy management and decision‐making system: The case of Ghana's central governance reforms project

Countries around the world are investing in the improvement of policy capacity in their public services. Ghana has made similar investments during the last decade, in order to achieve the government's far‐reaching policy agenda of transforming Ghana's economy. The Ghana Central Governance Project was initiated during the year 2000 in order to develop a skilled civil service, capable of moving coherently and effectively from policy and strategy to detailed policy options, budgeted programs and concrete results. This reform was deemed essential to the realization of the government's ambitious agenda.     

Partners in clime: Public‐private partnerships and British Columbia's capacity to pursue climate policy objectives

Governments are increasingly using public‐private partnerships (P3s) to draw the private sector into more active participation in infrastructure development. Climate action initiatives have not typically yielded profitable results for the private sector, and might therefore constrain the placing of conditions by governments on P3 arrangements. This article investigates a major P3 infrastructure project in British Columbia – the Canada Line extension to Vancouver's urban rail transit network – and concludes that the P3 organization did not constrain the government's capacity to pursue policy objectives for climate action. This counterintuitive result occurred because public sector leadership enabled an effective engagement with environmental policy priorities.     

Official minority‐language education policy outside Quebec: The impact of Section 23 of the Charter and judicial decisions

Abstract: This article argues that Section 23 of the Charter, litigation and judicial decisions have played key roles in expanding and homogenizing official minority‐lanpage education (omle ) policy outside Quebec. The importance of looking beyond Charter jurisprudence to the broader policy impact of litigation and judicial decisions is revealed. The Supreme Court'sMahé decision was particularly important in putting omle policy on the agenda and for providing Francophone groups with important legal, political and symbolic resources that were effectively exploited to generate policy change. Sommaire: Ce texte soutient que les litiges et la jurisprudence déoulant de l'article 23 de la Charte ont joué un rôle essentiel dam l'élargissement et l'uniformisation de la politique relative à l'enseignement dans la langue de la minorité en dehors du Quebec. Il révèle l'importance de voir au‐delè de la Charte quelles ont été les répercussions des litiges et de la jurisprudence sur la politique dans son ensemble. La dkision rendue par la Cour suprême dans l'affaire Mahé a été particulierement importante en mettant à l'ordre du jour la politique de l'enseignement dans la langue de la minorité et en offrant aux groupes francophones d'importantes ressources juridiques, politiques et symboliques dont ils ont effedivement su tirer parti pour engendrer une modification de la politique.     

Local government,multilevel governance,and cluster‐based innovation policy: Economic cluster strategies in Canada’s city regions

This article examines the relationship between local government economic development policy and multilevel governance, and investigates whether multilevel governance can be effectively implemented in key sectors, using two case studies of the aerospace and fashion sectors. This article seeks to answer the following questions: What inhibits the formation of multilevel collaborative governance institutions in these sectors? What implications does this have for urban economic development policy for the City of Toronto, and by extension, other cities across Canada? The case study evidence suggests that these institutions are forming in other cities such as Montreal and contributing to their success. So why is Toronto different?     

Street‐level bureaucrats,policy learning,and refugee resettlement: The case of Syrian refugees in Saskatoon,Canada

In late 2015 and early 2016, the Canadian government resettled 25,000 Syrian refugees within roughly a three‐month period. This initiative brought a much higher number of refugees to Canada than are usually accepted in that time frame and put pressure on the resettlement system. This article focuses on policy learning on the part of street‐level bureaucrats—employees of the organizations that do the work of resettling Government Assisted Refugees at the community level—and how they dealt with the pressure created by this situation. The findings indicate that the Syrian initiative exposed weaknesses in the existing system and created new obstacles with which street‐level bureaucrats working for Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) had to contend. Presented with an overwhelming strain on the system, street‐level bureaucrats at Saskatoon SPOs performed a real‐time evaluation of the system in which they work and devised solutions to issues as they arose.     

荣辱观教育需要社会赏罚的支持

无论是从社会赏罚所具有的道德调控功用上看,还是从历史的启示和现实的要求上看,荣辱观教育必然、必定需要以法律、政策、制度等为载体的社会赏罚的支持,并且,还可以从荣辱观淡化、错位和丑恶现象大量涌现的严峻道德现实中见出这种需要十分迫切,见出荣辱观教育对健全赏善罚恶机制的急切期盼。     

Spheres of decision‐making in small and isolated municipalities: The Thompson‐Nicola Regional District

While there is extensive American literature that examines the interface between elected officials and administrators in cities and municipalities, there is virtually nothing written about Canada, particularly for small and isolated cities and villages. Based on a survey consisting of twenty‐one operational questions conducted in the Thompson‐Nicola Regional District (TNRD) of British Columbia, the study fills that void. We found varying degrees of shared decision‐making between the two parties, but the respondents also reported incursions from their counterparties in a number of areas.     

Advising for impact: lessons from the Rae review on the use of special‐purpose advisory commissions

Abstract: Ontario's recent Postsecondary Review, led by former premier Bob Rae, was dramatically more successful than previous reviews by special‐purpose advisory commissions on postsecondary education conducted in Ontario. The authors argue that the success of special‐purpose advisory commissions ‐ defined as the extent to which a commission's recommendations are implemented in a timely way ‐ is dependent on environmental variables (such as the economy, fiscal situation and political cycle), process variables (such as reporting relationships, characteristics of the commissioners and stakeholder strategies) and the political acuity with which the commission develops recommendations that can command broad public support. The Rae review benefited from political conditions that favoured stronger investments in postsecondary education, despite a difficult fiscal situation. The report also benefited from a stakeholder community that was able to put aside most internal differences for the sake of a perceived common good. Within this environment, the review created a highly focused process that involved extensive consultation, the support of expert panel members and frequent interaction with decision‐makers. The review developed recommendations that were sensitive to long‐standing patterns of public opinion, articulated new public goals, recognized the important role to be played by each major stakeholder and proposed a new institution to entrench positive change in the long term. This experience offers lessons for governments, stakeholders and future commissions on how to manage special‐purpose advisory commissions in a way that maximizes their policy impact. Sommaire: La récente étude de l'éducation post‐secondaire en l'Ontario, menée par l'ancien premier ministre provincial Bob Rae, a remporté beaucoup plus de succès que les études antérieures entreprises en Ontario par des commissions consultatives spécialisées en éducation post‐secondaire. Les auteurs prétendent que le succès des commissions consultatives spécialisées ‐ défini par la mesure dans laquelle les recommandations d'une commission sont mises en œuvre de façon adéquate ‐ dépend de paramètres environnementaux (tels que l'économie, la situation financière et le cycle politique), de paramèrres de traitement (tels que les rapports hiérarchiques, les caractéristiques des commissaires et les stratégies des intervenants) et de l'acuité politique avec laquelle la commission élabore des recommandations qui peuvent susciter une forte adhésion du public. l'étude Rae a bénéficié d'un contexte politique favorable à de solides investissements dans l'éducation post‐secondaire, malgré une situation financière difficile. Le rapport a également tiré parti d'une communauté d'intervenants qui ont pu mettre de côté la plupart de leurs différences internes au profit de l'intérêt commun. Dans ce contexte, l'étude a donné lieu à un processus hautement focalisé qui a comporté de nombreuses consultations, l'appui des membres d'une commission d'experts, et de fréquentes interactions avec les décisionnaires. l'étude a mis au point des recommandations sensibles aux tendances ancrées dans l'opinion publique, a formulé de nouveaux objectifs publics, a reconnu l'importance du rôle à jouer par les principaux intervenants et a proposé qu'une nouvelle institution garantisse des changements positifs à long terme. Cette expérience offre des leçons aux gouvernements, aux intervenants et aux futures commissions sur la manière de gérer les commissions consultatives spécialisées afin de maximiser l'impact de leurs politiques.     

The reciprocal dynamics of organizing and sense‐making in the implementation of major public‐sector reforms

Abstract: Drawing on a longitudinal study from the early years of implementation of health‐care networks in Quebec, this article describes how public‐sector managers deal with complex challenges when both organizational structures and organizational strategies are radically transformed simultaneously. The new organizations studied had to completely re‐shuffle roles and responsibilities of their management teams while making sense of their new mandate of developing a population‐focused approach to health problems – all the time maintaining day‐to‐day operations. The four health‐care networks studied proceeded somewhat differently to meet these reciprocal challenges. The study reveals the importance of balancing organizing initiatives (focused on structures) with “sense‐making” initiatives (focused on strategies), of developing capacities for sense‐making through the creation of key “sense‐maker/sense‐giver” positions whose occupants are able to ensure that conceptual activities engage people working at different levels, even as organizational structures are in flux, and of mobilizing external constraints and influences as opportunities and resources in sense‐making and organizing. Sommaire : Se fondant sur une étude longitudinale des premières années de la mise en œuvre des réseaux de soins de santé au Québec, cet article décrit la manière dont les gestionnaires du secteur public font face à des défis complexes, alors que les structures et les stratégies organisationnelles sont radicalement transformées simultanément. Les nouveaux organismes étudiés ont dû complètement remanier les rôles et les responsabilités de leurs équipes de gestion et comprendre leur nouveau mandat d'élaborer une approche axée sur la population pour ce qui est des problèmes de santé, tout en maintenant leurs activités au jour le jour. Les quatre réseaux de soins de santéétudiés ont travailléà relever ces défis réciproques d'une manière assez différente. L'étude révèle l'importance de trouver un équilibre entre les initiatives consistant à organiser (axées sur les structures) et les initiatives consistant à interpréter les faits (axées sur les stratégies) ; de perfectionner les capacités à interpréter les faits grâce à la création de postes clés d'«interpréteurs de faits», dont les titulaires veilleraient à ce que des activités conceptuelles fassent intervenir les gens travaillant à différents niveaux même lorsque les structures organisationnelles fluctuent continuellement; et enfin de tirer parti des contraintes et influences externes comme autant d'occasions et de ressources pour interpréter et organiser les faits.     

Health‐care reform and the dimensions of professional autonomy

Abstract: A “managed competition” model was introduced in the Canadian province of Ontario as part of the government's reform of home care. With this model, it was assumed that competitive forces would encourage quality while driving down costs. While such reforms often achieve cost controls by constraining the incomes and practices of health‐care workers, there has been relatively little analysis of the extent to which self‐governing health‐care professionals, particularly those outside of medicine and nursing, may experience a decline in their ability to control the content and context of their professional work. In this article, the authors analyse the results of thirty‐six in‐depth interviews with representatives of Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), the organizations that purchase and coordinate the delivery of home‐care services, and rehabilitation provider agencies to examine the impact of Ontario's managed competition reform on rehabilitation professionals. Findings suggest that the impact of the reform varied across the economic, political, and clinical dimensions of professional autonomy and that, despite a general loss of autonomy under the managed competition model, market forces also served to mitigate the loss of autonomy, thus contributing to a remarkable resilience of professional autonomy. Sommaire: Un modèle de « concurrence dirigée » a été introduit récemment dans la province canadienne de l'Ontario dans le cadre de la réforme gouvernementale des soins à domicile. Avec ce modèle, il était présumé que les forces de la concurrence encourageraient la qualité tout en faisant baisser les coûts. Alors que de telles réformes parviennent souvent à maîtriser les coûts en réduisant les revenus et les pratiques des travailleurs de la santé, il y a eu relativement peu d'analyses de faites sur la mesure dans laquelle les professionnels de la santé autonomes, particulièrement ceux qui exercent en dehors de la médecine et de la profession infirmière, connaissent une perte de contrôle sur le contenu et le contexte de leur travail professionnel. Dans le présent article, les auteurs analysent les résultats de trente‐six entrevues en profondeur menées auprès de représentants des Centres d'accès aux soins communautaires (CASC), organismes qui achètent et coordonnent la prestation des services de soins à domicile, et organismes de prestation de soins de réadaptation, afin d'examiner les conséquences de la réforme de la concurrence dirigée de l'Ontario sur les professionnels de la réadaptation. Les résultats laissent entendre que l'effet de la réforme a varié en fonction des dimensions économiques, politiques et cliniques de l'autonomie professionnelle et que, malgré une perte d'autonomie générale liée au modèle de concurrence dirigée, les forces du marché ont également permis d'atténuer la perte d'autonomie, contribuant ainsi à la remarquable résilience dont font preuve ces professionnels en la matiére.