The federal government’s internal accountability regime has become a dense web of rules, sign-offs and reporting requirements that slows the public service down far more than it holds it to account for results. In a new study for the Institute for Research on Public Policy’s Rebuilding State Capacity series, Étienne Charbonneau and I trace how this regime grew to its current dysfunctional state, and set out how to fix it without diluting democratic accountability. Our recommendations include simplifying the existing rule set, transparently reporting on the costs and impacts of internal red tape, and evaluating public servants on the rules they remove and the services they deliver. This study is the first output of a larger SSHRC-funded project we’re leading on the costs Canadians bear for the ineffective rules, processes and oversight functions imposed on federal public servants. More to come!
