About the Centre

Improving management and policy development in Canada's public sector

The Opportunity

Canada, at all levels of government, is recognized as having one of the best public services in the world. However, globalization, technology and demographics are putting great strains on our governments. They must adapt to the complexity of policy-making and to the changing demands of citizens for better levels of personal service.

In a competitive global economy and in a country that relies extensively on government for a wide array of programs and services, it is increasingly urgent that the next generation of public managers be effective, productive and flexible in their new tasks.

In November 2005, the Jarislowsky Foundation and the University of Ottawa launched the Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management. The rapid growth of the Chair’s programming and the high level of interest in its research and training opportunities demonstrates the great appetite in the National Capital Region for instruction and engagement of this kind. Building on the success of the Jarislowsky Chair, the University established the Centre on Public Management and Policy.

The Vision

The first of its kind in Canada, the Centre on Public Management and Policy will help make Canada’s public service more resilient and more competitive. A focal point for translating theory into practice, it will broaden the range of leadership development programs and offerings in public sector management, education, research and publishing. It will also offer premier executive learning and professional training services for all levels of government.

The Fit

The University of Ottawa is an ideal home for a centre recognized for its leading-edge multidisciplinary expertise in public sector management. Our bilingual tradition, extensive research and collaboration efforts, privileged link to the federal government and location in the heart of the nation’s capital provide us with a unique opportunity to contribute to the national agenda. In addition, the recent renewal of faculty in the Telfer School of Management and in our Graduate School of Public and International Affairs will help to ensure the Centre has both a national and international impact.

The Mission

The aim of the Centre on Public Management and Policy is to study and make recommendations to Canada’s public sector, helping Canada become a more prosperous and innovative nation.

To achieve this goal, the Centre will recruit individuals recognized as Canadian and international experts, committed innovators and strong researchers from universities and from the public and private sectors. Together they will design new approaches to management, accountability and public-private partnerships in a number of key areas, building credibility and expertise.

These areas include international public management innovation (especially in Westminster-style jurisdictions); public management in Canada (at all three levels of government); organizational design and behaviour; program delivery; and human resource management.