25 Years: The Forum Way by Canada's Public Policy Forum

25 years: The forum way { 1987 to 2012 }

25 Years: The Forum Way

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS 2 3 4

11 16 22 27 41

Messages from the Chair and President

Introduction

In the begining: the Ehrenworth years 1987 to 1998

5 6 7 7

A new model for policy making Finding its feet A special kind of meeting The take-off point

The Zussman years, 1998 to 2003

12 13

The Forum way Influencing policy

The Jodi White years, 2004 to 2009

The age of minority

The David Mitchell years, 2009 to present

New priorities

Board Members, 1988-2012

Sponsors of the 25TH anniversary

message from the FORUM’S CHAIR

message from the FORUM’S pRESiDENT

As the Public Policy Forum

I’m honoured to lead the

turns 25, we want to mark

Public Policy Forum past the

the occasion with a brief

quarter century mark and into

account explaining why we

a new era where our future

are in business and how we

quality of life will depend

have gotten to where we are

more than ever on sound

today. Instead of cataloguing

public policy and innovative

events, reports and programs

public institutions.

produced through the years, we asked our current and former presidents to reflect on their time at the helm and the measures they took to keep the Forum relevant and viable in a changing political and policy environment. The following pages present their recollections and those of others who have worked in and around the Forum since its inception.

I n orde r for Canadia ns to effectively address issues like population aging, climate change and the need to build a stronger culture of innovation, we cannot rely on past practices or approaches. Nor can we expect governments to solve complex problems on their own. More than ever, we require cross-sector collaboration and imaginative partnerships.

We have also included some thumbnail sketches of

And we need a means to encourage understanding

projects that the Forum has launched through the years.

and trust across all sectors in order to ensure the good

Far from exhaustive, this list illustrates the rich variety of

governance Canadians expect. Canada’s Public Policy

work we do in our efforts to improve the quality of public

Forum stands prepared to continue using its convening

policy and public sector management at all levels of

ability for these important purposes.

government across Canada.

The Forum is grateful to Geoff Poapst, a founder and

We trust this account will encourage people who share our

Vice-President of the Forum from 1987 to 1992, who

goal of building better governments to think about issues

helped put this history together. As we celebrate our

and ideas that we might pursue together in the years ahead.

silver anniversary, we also want to thank the hundreds

Finally, on behalf of my predecessors and all current and former directors of the PPF Board, I would like to commend and thank presidents David Mitchell, Jodi White, David Zussman and Shelly Ehrenworth and their dedicated

of directors, members, staff and friends who have had a hand in our success so far. David J. Mitchell President & CEO

staff over the years, as well as all the members and supporters of the Forum without whom the significant public policy contribution to Canada outlined in this brief history would not have been possible. Larry Murray Chair, Board of Directors 25 Years: The Forum Way

introduction Who’s in charge and how do you get things done? That’s what governance means to President David Mitchell. He believes the Forum has always been good at putting the right people into a room to ask and answer the right questions about the key issues of the day. David saw this process play out for the first time in 1992. He was House Leader for the Liberal Opposition in the British Columbia legislature when the newly minted NDP Premier Mike Harcourt invited him to take part in a two-day Summit on Trade and Economic Opportunity. If he felt a little odd as an Opposition MLA to be given a seat at the table, he would soon find himself in a conference room full of strange bedfellows. The Summit would air out all sides of the issues facing the province

Honouring Canada’s living former Prime Ministers at the 25th Annual Testimonial Dinner (2012)

from the ‘war in the forests’ to the aspirations of First Nations and give every group with something to say a chance to explain why they felt the way they did.

Nobody thought the Summit would come up with a blueprint for prosperity in B.C., but there are dozens of people who remember it to this day. David is convinced

“

that relationships built around that table have helped to

The Summit showed us that people with different views can still have an intelligent discussion. We used the same model to get talks going on issues like workforce training, public-private partnerships and welfare reform. — Mike Harcourt

move the province forward regardless of the government in power. He took his hat off to the Premier for having the courage to stage the event and recalls Mr. Harcourt thanking a group called the Public Policy Forum for planning the Summit and helping him to pull it off.

”

Years later, the Forum was searching for a new president and David got a call from a head hunter to gauge his interest in the job. He thought back to that first encounter and said “I’ll kick myself if I don’t pursue this” because he saw the opportunity to make a contribution and to do something special.

TIMELINE Managing Change in Large Organizations: CEOs share experiences in reshaping companies with federal Deputy Ministers and the group assess possible lessons for the public sector.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 1990 }

in the beginning: the

ehrenworth years 1987 to 199 8

That’s how Shelly Ehrenworth saw it too when the concept first percolated in his mind. The Forum would offer a chance to do something special, but a clear notion of that special thing had yet to take shape. Fresh from finishing his MBA, Shelly joined the Department of Industry Trade and Commerce in Ottawa, in 1972. Even as a junior officer, he was puzzled at the gulf between the public and the private sectors. Despite the obvious impact of government on the economy, civil servants and business leaders worked in different worlds and would meet to deal with crises rather than to prevent them. Later, Shelly would point to ill-conceived policy initiatives like the National Energy Program and Allan MacEachen’s failed attempt at tax reforms in his 1981 budget as telling proof of the need to close this

Founder, Public Policy Forum, Sheldon Ehrenworth

“understanding gap.” While on secondment to the Niagara Institute in 1978, he saw how this could be done. The Niagara Institute was an exclusive executive development facility whose programs brought together leaders from different sectors to learn from each other, about each other. The Institute created opportunities for CEOs, labour leaders, deputy ministers and others to see the world through a different set of eyes and build connections that would help them do their jobs better. After four years, Shelly left Niagara with a rolodex that stretched from coast to coast and a knack for designing meetings that work. These assets would later help propel the Public Policy Forum, but it would take Shelly a second tour with the federal government for the final pieces to fall into place.

{ 1991 }

Shelly became Director of Public Affairs at the federal Department of Labour with the task of managing the government’s relationship with Canada’s trade unions. The job took on a new dimension when a former labour lawyer, Brian Mulroney, became Prime Minister in 1984. Suddenly, trade union leaders wanted to be players on the federal policy scene and senior officials wanted to know what the labour movement could bring to the table. Taking a page from his Niagara playbook, he began to bring union and government people together for high-level talks on issues like technological change, skills training and labour adjustment. However, for Shelly, a more important and formative achievement was planting the seeds for a venture called the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC), Canada’s first Sector Council.

Managing Companies and Unions in the 1990s: Union and company leaders brief federal and provincial Deputy Ministers on the challenges facing the BC forest sector and give an insider’s look at the collective bargaining process.

25 Years: The Forum Way

CSTEC brought together union and company leaders

between government and the broad private sector. This

to develop a common data-base and speak with a

new creation would not take a stand on policy issues, but

common voice about federal policies affecting their

rather stoke policy discussions with a range of viewpoints.

industry. For years, governments had been urging unions

If the Forum has founding fathers, it was the group around

and companies to collaborate more effectively. Now

that table who blessed the concept and sent Shelly off

they had taken up the challenge and were coming to

with a cheque for $5,000 and the promise of $100,000

Ottawa together to talk about trade, investment, training,

more if he could put together a critical mass of support.

unemployment insurance, and a host of other issues. Suddenly, there was a new player on the scene that could breach the bureaucratic barricades with a flood of good ideas. Ministers were impressed, and a number of clumsy policies and regulations that were costing the steel industry jobs and profits, and threatening access to the vital U.S. market, were eliminated.

As Shelly made the rounds back in Ottawa, reaction to the idea was mixed. Some senior people were offended at the suggestion that the public service was out of touch or in any need of help from outsiders. However, when a director general at the Department of Industry claimed “We don’t have time to consult with companies and unions because we are too busy making policy,” Shelly knew the Forum was an idea whose time had come. Fortunately, he was not

A NEW MODEL FOR POLICY MAKING With CSTEC, Shelly saw what could happen when control over the agenda and process for policy discussions moved

alone and when a small group of deputy ministers stepped up with resources and moral support, the stage was set.

away from government officials and more into the hands of industry leaders. Here was proof that a more open policy process with stakeholders bringing constructive, well-informed positions to the table could pay dividends all around. Soon, the Public Policy Forum would be Shelly’s bet that this new policy model could work on a broader scale.

The Forum’s initial champions in the public service were Deputy Ministers Mark Daniels, Ray Hession, Gaëtan Lussier and Huguette Labelle.

By the fall of 1986, he was in Toronto pitching ideas to old friends from his Niagara days. With their help, he

Next, a Board of Directors came together that would establish

would create a non-partisan organization with the sole

the Forum as a non-partisan organization. Peter White, from

objective of making government work better. It would

Argus Corporation, a former Appointments Secretary and

nurture a more outward-looking federal public service

future Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Mulroney, was

and promote understanding and two-way communication

the founding Chair. Liberal Party strategist Bill Lee became

“

Vice-Chair, and to complete the spectrum, people such as

Whether we believe government is too big, too small or just about right, we can all agree that it ought to work better.

former Saskatchewan Premier Allan Blakeney would soon come on board. As Peter White would put it to the founding

”

board meeting: “Whether we believe government is too big, too small or just about right, we can all agree that it ought to work better.”

Literacy Roundtables: business and labour leaders convene regional conferences to study the impact of illiteracy in the workplace and build a common strategy for combating this problem.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 1992 to 1994 }

In the early days, Shelly recalls: “We could do just about anything we wanted as long as it brought in some revenue and helped to build a core group of senior people who embraced our concept of excellence in government.” From day one, the Forum was bringing CEOs, deputy ministers and other leaders together in “Senior Executive Roundtables” to compare notes on key policy and management issues. Another stream of programs put government departments, companies, unions and other organizations “under the microscope” to give outsiders a close-up look at how they managed their business and a chance to form valuable relationships with their key decision-makers. In the end, Senior leaders attend one of the first Public Policy Forum meetings (Fall 1988)

the Forum was offering a mix of programs, some aimed at problem solving, others simply at education.

Several deputy ministers, as well as prominent business, labour leaders and academics, would fill out the 12-member Board. Before the doors were open, Shelly had put together an organization that could not be dismissed. The final piece of the puzzle was staff. Geoff Poapst, Shelly’s colleague from Labour Canada, arrived via Executive Interchange and would help craft the Forum’s message in speeches, opinion pieces, programs and reports. An administrative dynamo named Barbara Cotterill was the final addition. With 400 square feet of office space and $15,000 in the bank, the Forum took flight on April 2, 1987.

Microscope Programs – Olympia and York and its key subsidiaries Gulf Canada Resources and Abitibi hosted the first “under the microscope” seminar for 30 Deputy Ministers from Ottawa and the provinces who explored the company’s internal processes for planning major capital investments such an arctic pipeline. The corporate leaders also explained how tax, environmental, labour market and other regulatory policies affected their decisions.

FINDING ITS FEET The environment could not have been kinder to the fledgling organization. The country was digesting big

Government departments also took part in Microscope

ideas like free trade and tax reform, and there were

Programs. In May 1989, 30 senior business executives came

discussions going on about health care, labour adjustment,

to Ottawa to learn about the procurement process and discuss

immigration, education and training. People outside of

ways of making the Department of Supply and Services work

government wanted to be heard and many senior officials

more effectively. Next in line, Communications Canada and

were ready to listen to new ideas, especially if the Forum

Industry Canada opened up to their clients mainly to discuss

were there to do the work of bringing them together.

improved communications. These microscope sessions have been a mainstay of Forum offerings throughout the years.

{ 1996 }

CEO Summit on Health Care: two dozen CEOs of major corporations meet with federal and provincial government officials to explore the ways of strengthening Canada’s single-payer public health care system as a cornerstone of our competitiveness and quality of life.

25 Years: The Forum Way

A SPECIAL KIND OF MEETING

THE TAKE-OFF POINT

From a string of very successful events, the Forum earned

Over the next 10 years, the staff would grow along with

a reputation for convening meetings where you met people

the annual budget. By 1998, Shelly had enlisted roughly

you wouldn’t otherwise come across, or certainly wouldn’t be

180 private and public sector organizations as Forum

sitting across from at a boardroom table. Add to that a topical

members, with the largest share of revenues coming from

issue and the ground rule that discussions were on the record,

outside government. There were hundreds of events, large

but not for attribution without permission, and you got a very

and small, during the Forum’s first decade. Looking back,

frank exchange that was not only stimulating, but often highly

however, Shelly points to three that put the Public Policy

entertaining. Another key ingredient was facilitation. The

Forum on the path to where it is today.

Forum would usually recruit a high-profile business, labour or right people into the room. But after brief opening remarks,

The Chief Executive Forum on Excellence in Government – Calgary, February 1988

he or she would sit as a participant and a skilled facilitator

Calgary might have seemed an unusual location for eight

would take over to run the discussion.

federal deputy ministers and a dozen CEOs to meet for a

not-for- profit sector leader to chair a meeting and help get the

For an organization whose mission was still taking shape, the Public Policy Forum, by the end of 1987, was attracting a lot of attention. Shelly recalls: “We sold the

brainstorming session on making the federal bureaucracy work better. As things turned out, however, the venue and participants could not have been better chosen.

Forum on the strength of meetings that nobody else could

With the National Energy Program fresh in their minds, oil

offer and it was rare that one or two participants would

patch veterans were only too aware of what can happen

not enrol their company, department, union or not-for-profit

when a distant government makes policies based on

organization as a sponsor. That’s how we managed to log

questionable assumptions about their industry. They saw

our first year-end with a $15,000 surplus, and $140,000

the meeting as an opportunity to learn how Ottawa works

in sponsorship funding.”

and how better communication with the Finance, Energy and other departments could ensure that policy makers had

The Forum owes enormous thanks to the late Max Clarkson, who was Dean of the University of Toronto Faculty of Management and an early benefactor of the Forum. Max was one of the finest facilitators in the country. He could bring the most diverse groups if not to consensus, then to an amicable understanding of each other’s views. Max shared his talents with the Forum staff, and to this day, his approach is used at Forum events.

the information required for sound decisions. For the deputy ministers who made the trip from Ottawa, the meeting would offer a chance to explain the sometimes arcane world of policy making and public sector management, and reach out to influential leaders who might be able to help them address some of the challenges they faced. For two days, a very thoughtful conversation unfolded and the unlikely partners came to some interesting conclusions. First, they stood up for Canada’s non-partisan tradition in the public service and rejected the sentiment that was growing in some government circles to politicize

Blood, Fish and Tears: leaders from government and the private sector discuss strategies for improving the credibility and acceptability of science-based advice in regulatory policy and decision-making.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 1998 }

“

In all my years of meeting with Canadian business leaders, this was the first time anyone from the private sector asked me about the challenges I faced in running my department. — Arthur Kroeger, Deputy Minister, Energy Mines and Resources

”

the federal bureaucracy. Surprisingly, the CEOs were adamant on this point. Most had logged parts of their careers in the United States and wanted no part of an American-style spoils system. Their second conclusion was that key management fundamentals, essential in any public or private sector organization, had been neglected in the public service; it was as if good management was simply not a priority! The CEO contingent was not only concerned about the state of affairs in the public service, they thought the government ought to do something about it and vowed to get this message across to their friends in Cabinet. Over the following months, they made good on this promise. Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski would later recall that his first exposure to the Public Policy Forum came from CEOs who had attended the Calgary meeting and would corner him in airports to give him an earful about the problems in the public service. Calgary was a watershed because, as Shelly Ehrenworth says, “That’s where the Forum got its marching orders… The CEOs looked at us and said ‘OK, you have raised our consciousness, now what are you going to do about it?’ That’s when we started advocating for changing the management culture in Ottawa and that was our top priority for the next ten years.”

{ 2000 }

Arthur Kroeger, Deputy Minister

Following up on the Calgary meeting, the Forum held similar sessions in cities across Canada and assembled a team of CEOs, former deputy ministers, trade union leaders, academics and a former premier to lead the Make Government Work Project. The team called for a blue-ribbon task force operating out of the Public Policy Forum to implement recommendations needed to bring public service management practices into the modern age. Throughout 1989, personal calls to Cabinet ministers, radio, TV and print media coverage, and a letter to the Prime Minister proved quite persuasive. In 1990, the government unveiled the PS2000 Program, billed as the most sweeping overhaul of the federal bureaucracy since the 1960s. In the announcement, the government embraced all of the Forum’s major prescriptions for change, save for one: they would not leave implementation in the hands of outsiders. Instead, PS2000 evolved as an internal exercise that, in the eyes of most public service observers, did not significantly move the yardsticks on management reform.

Amendments to the Competition Act and the Competition Tribunal Act: the PPF collects ideas and opinions from 2000 organizations and individuals and reports their views on proposed legislation to the Competition Tribunal.

25 Years: The Forum Way

Marshall Cohen (right), former President, Olympic & York Enterprises Limited presents Paul Tellier (left), Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Québec Cabinet, with the inaugural Testimonial Dinner Award (1988)

The First Public Policy Forum Dinner – Toronto, April 1988

“We knew we would get a good turn-out of public

Two months later, the Forum was put to the test again.

servants,” Shelly recalls. “But there were CEOs at half of

Would private sector leaders, with an already crowded

the tables, which was more than we could have hoped

calendar, turn out for an evening celebrating contributions

for. The dinner was a great way to get our message

to government and public policy? In the end, more than

across to the right people and raise some money. With

500 were on hand as TD Bank Chair Allan Lambert,

help from our new colleagues in Calgary, we worked

Nova Chemicals CEO Ted Newall and current and former

very hard to get the Deputy PM Don Mazankowski as

clerks of the Privy Council Paul Tellier and Robert Bryce

our keynote speaker, and when he responded to our

became the first Public Policy Forum honourees.

issues in his remarks, we knew we were making an

“

impression back in Ottawa.”

We were looking for a way to differentiate our dinner from all the others, so I said let’s wrap up by 9:15 p.m. That’s my enduring service to Canada, the testimonial dinner that ends at a decent hour. — Geoff Poapst, Founding VP

Attendance at the Testimonial Dinner has topped 1,400 over the past decade making it one of the largest and most diverse events of its kind in Canada.

”

The British Columbia Citizens’ Forum on Clean Air: citizens from across BC learn about clean air issues, deliberate on policy choices and advise the Minister of the Environment.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2001 }

was the 1996 CEO Summit on Health Care where

The Testimonial Awards – At the annual dinner in Toronto, the Forum has honoured over 100 leaders from all sectors for their contributions to good governance in Canada. In 1992, the Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism was created in memory of Hyman Solomon who covered the public sector for the Financial Post. Since 2006, the Emerging Leader Award has put a spotlight on the next generation of decision-makers.

business leaders stood up for the Canadian single-payer model; the labour-business strategy for tackling illiteracy; the annual gatherings of business school deans and federal deputy ministers where the Forum would inject a larger public policy element into Canadian MBA programs; and the list goes on. There is no doubt in Shelly’s mind that the Forum broke important ground: “We introduced leaders in all quarters to new ideas and to a new way of getting together to talk about the issues of the day. We were able to convince hundreds, maybe thousands of senior people in the private sector, that the quality of government is important and worth fighting for.” But to Shelly, the Forum was still only a qualified

The Bryce-Lambert Forum on Excellence in Government – Toronto, November 1988 With its credibility riding high, the Forum put 50 CEOs and a dozen federal and provincial deputy ministers around the boardroom table at TD Bank to hear former U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volker talk about the “quiet crisis in the American public service.” His message was that countries compete on the skills of their workers and managers, and also on the quality of their public officials. The audience could not have been more receptive, and from that point on, the idea of an effective public service as a factor in Canada’s competitiveness became part of the Forum’s mantra and marketing pitch. Now retired, Shelly looks back on the whole experience as a crazy idea that worked from the get go. Through a deep recession and sharp federal spending cuts, the Forum was able to raise the bar on policy discussions year after year. He thinks of the 1993 pre-budget consultations where business, trade union and social groups discussed fiscal trade-offs in front of Paul Martin and senior Finance officials who were about to attack the deficit. Then there

success at year ten. He was disappointed that “efforts to modernize the federal bureaucracy had borne little fruit; that the system was still struggling to deliver results that matter to Canadians; and was more isolated than ever from the mainstream.” He regrets that “The Forum was never able to move management reform to the centre of the government’s agenda and that was our number one objective. There is always something more important to do in Ottawa than making the system work better and we weren’t able to change that. When I left the Forum in 1998, the basic management problems, which had surprised that group of CEOs in Calgary, had scarcely been touched and many of these issues remain unresolved to this day.”

“

In 1900, Canada and Argentina had similar economies and prospects. Ninety years later, we are prosperous a n d t h e y a r e a m e s s . Yo u d o n ’ t think public policy is impor tant? — Participant, Bryce-Lambert Forum

{ 2003 }

”

Canada In Transition: a series of CEO-led workshops offer advice to the incoming Prime Minister on strengthening Canada’s public service, democratic institutions and place in the world.

25 Years: The Forum Way

The

zussman years 1 99 8 to 2 0 03

As former Assistant Secretary to Cabinet, then as Dean of the Faculty of Management at the University of Ottawa, David Zussman was attracted by the Forum’s core belief that policy discussions ought to begin with a rich mix of viewpoints coming to the table and that the management culture in Ottawa had to open up to new ideas. He also saw the Forum as a unique institution: “There was no other organization whose sole purpose was to improve the public sector, and that remains the case to this day.” So, in 1995, when the Public Policy Forum established the Centre for Public Service Management Research, he accepted Shelly’s invitation to be its part-time director while continuing his work at the university. The goal of the Centre’s research program was to drive innovation and throw light on emerging issues in the public service. Its studies in areas like alternative service delivery, talent management, benchmarking and recruitment of

“

Although I spent my entire career in the private sector, I have always had a keen, non-partisan interest in sound public policy and excellence in government. My involvement with the Public Policy Forum gave me a unique chance to enrich my understanding of the challenges involved in meeting both of these aims. I look back fondly on my experience at the Forum, which helped prepare me for my subsequent role as an advisor on human resource management in the federal public service, primarily as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Senior Level Retention and Compensation.

new university grads attracted a good deal of attention. With Shelly’s departure in 1998, the Board saw David Zussman as the logical successor. David’s academic interests and early experience at the Forum had focussed on management issues. This remained a pillar of the Forum’s work. When he became president, the Forum was invited to establish and run a panel of “external experts” to advise the Clerk of the Privy Council on public management issues that would lead to important reforms under the Public Service Modernization Act of 2003. At the same time, the Public Policy Forum launched its annual How Ottawa Governs symposium,

— Lawrence Strong, Former President of Unilever Canada and Chair of the PPF Board

which mobilized ministers, political staff and top public servants to give leaders from business, the not-for-profit sector and other groups an insider’s look at the machinery of the federal government. However, as these contributions continued, the real action was shifting to programs and events that brought experts, stakeholders and government officials together to look at specific policy challenges. This became the second pillar of the Forum’s work.

Bringing Employers into the Immigration Debate: leaders from all sectors distil survey data on the immigrant workforce into policy recommendations for the federal and provincial governments.

25 Years: The Forum Way

”

{ 2004 }

David Zussman, President, Public Policy Forum, the Hon. David Anderson, Minister of the Environment, Dr. Amory Lovins, Physicist and the Hon. Paul Martin, Minister of Finance (2000)

horizon for tomorrow’s policy issues. This meant we could

How Ottawa Governs remains a core program to this day and has been offered in cities outside of Ottawa like Calgary, Toronto and Washington.

be ready to go with a meeting or even have a report on the table when ministers and officials were starting to look for input on a policy issue.”

THE FORUM WAY Timing is critical in public policy development and the

Thinking back to his arrival at the Forum, David points out that: “The federal government was just coming out of program review. We were coming out of a salary freeze. The economy was booming and departments were looking for new things to do.” What’s more, departments had the flexibility to support the Forum through project fees as well as membership fees. This helped to underwrite a larger staff that was needed to keep up with the demand for new ideas in a wide range of policy areas. Some of these new people came from federal departments through the Interchange Canada program and were well plugged in to policy shops across the government. As a result, David recalls: “We were really good at looking over the

{ 2005 }

ability to offer constructive advice and recommendations early on in the process set the Forum apart from other think tanks who wanted to be influential in Ottawa. But equally important, in David’s view, was the Forum’s reputation as a skilled convener of policy discussions, its non-partisan make-up and its non-ideological approach. “We didn’t come at issues from the left or right, or business or labour perspective. Our pre-conference research would always reflect a range of relevant opinions, but we would not advocate for one policy position or another. In the end, we advocated for our reports and the conclusions reached by the people we put in the room. But the conclusions belonged to the group, not to the Forum.”

China’s Economic Growth – Do We Have a Game Plan?: government and industry leaders develop federal, provincial and private sector strategies for capitalizing on China’s economic revolution.

25 Years: The Forum Way

Plenary session at the Forum’s Economic Transformation in the West roundtable. Prof. Richard Harris, Simon Fraser University, Hugh MacDiarmid, Chairman, Public Policy Forum, Roslyn Kunin, Roslyn Kunin & Associates Inc and Oryssia Lennie, Western Economic Diversification Canada (2003)

David credits Max Clarkson for shaping the “Forum Way”

INFLUENCING POLICY

of organizing and executing policy discussions. “We

On David Zussman’s watch, the Forum was able to shed

learned to trust the process we inherited from Max and it has never let us down.” Key to the process are several cardinal rules. First and foremost, the Forum controls the agenda and invitation list for the discussions it convenes. This is not always easy when someone else is paying the bills and may want to shape the outcome by deciding who comes to the table and how questions are put to them. A second rule is to structure a roundtable discussion or even a large conference so that everyone who attends has a chance to get their oars in the water. This improves the chances of getting senior people to take part. And finally, write a report that is true to the discussion, notes dissenting opinions and gets into the hands of the people who ought to read it before policy directions become set in stone.”

light on a broad range of complex issues from managing government science to reforming the Competition Act to tackling youth unemployment. The idea was to give every issue a fair hearing and try to come up with recommendations that ministers and senior officials would find useful. If some people wonder whether a bunch of people talking around a table can actually influence the way governments think or act, David knows from experience the answer is often yes. Considering different options is what policy making is all about. “Of course,” he adds, “governments aren’t always prepared to listen. Sometimes policy comes straight from the election platform. It can also be a question of ideology, or they may believe they have all the answers. But you can still inject perspectives they may not have considered.”

Microscope on Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada: senior DFAIT officials brief business, academic and NGO leaders on Canada’s foreign policy challenges and exchange ideas on the department’s role and management practices.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2006 }

“

During my time as Minister of Health, we received all kinds of input on the future of health care in Canada, culminating in the Romanow Commission report. Then, the Forum made a very useful contribution with the “Moving From Debate to Action” conference. That discussion sorted through all the recommendations and gave us enhanced focus and confidence as we, in the federal government, moved forward to the First Ministers Meeting on Health, which culminated in an accord being signed in May 2003. — The Hon. Anne McLellan

Through small group and plenary discussions, participants reached a fairly good consensus on approaches to eight priority issues from governance and accountability to the underlying financial dimensions of Canadian health care. When the discussions wrapped up, a delegation from the conference presented their recommendations to the federal Minister of Health and top provincial representatives. Reporting out to the people in charge can be a powerful tool and participants took full advantage of their chance to tell the ministers that: “The time for action is now and that governments must put aside jurisdictional conflicts to effect change.” Then, they set out recommendations on the shape and substance of a federal-provincial accord on health care, which they were ready to advocate

”

publicly and press the two levels of government to sign. In other words, the meeting had not only identified the way forward on some key issues, but also built a credible constituency of support that would help federal and provincial ministers sell the concept around their

Some meetings are bound to have more influence than

cabinet tables and to the public. In David Zussman’s

others, but when you put on a couple of dozen top-flight

view, this was a key event which cleared the way for the

events each year, you are bound to hit some home runs.

First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal signed

David thinks back to three policy decisions where the

in May 2003.

Forum’s work clearly made a difference. Creation of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) The First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care

In 1998, the Forum convened a brainstorming session

Following the release of the Romanow Commission report

around health research issues and the role of the Medical

in 2002, the Forum hosted a conference called Moving

Research Council of Canada (MRC). Federal Health

from Debate to Action: Securing the Future for Canada’s

Minister Allan Rock was on hand to hear the group’s

Health System. Funded by 18 health sector organizations

conclusions and agreed in principle with their suggestion

from the Arthritis Society to the Victoria Order of Nurses,

that Canada follow the Americans and others in adopting

the program involved more than 100 participants from

a more strategic approach to allocating research funds.

government and the health care community. The goal

Mr. Rock cautioned, however, that any new funding

was to identify common ground and build momentum

institution would require an inclusive governance structure

toward a federal-provincial agreement for renewal of the

that could accommodate the needs of all legitimate

health care system.

stakeholders. For much of the next year, the Forum assisted

{ 2007 }

Ministerial Forum on Organized Crime: federal, provincial and territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers take stock of research and best practices in Canada and abroad to fight organized crime.

25 Years: The Forum Way

a stakeholder task force to reach a consensus on how

The next step was to repeat the process with top decision-

a new funding organization would be governed and

makers in Ottawa. This time, the Deputy Prime Minister,

captured their conclusions in a report to the Minister.

Finance Minister and key deputy ministers were on hand for

This, coupled with outstanding leadership from MRC

the discussion. The voluntary sector representatives made

President Dr. Henry Friesen, convinced the government to

the most of the opportunity: they avoided complaining

act. The MRC morphed into the Canadian Institutes for

about funding or institutional arrangements; instead they

Health Research (CIHR) and was officially unveiled in the

tabled ideas for increasing their impact on the quality of life

1999 budget with a substantial increase in its funding base.

in Canada in a cost-effective way. The federal leaders were impressed and the meeting led directly to the $150-million

“

Voluntary Sector Initiative. This unique undertaking was

The Public Policy Forum was instrumental i n b ui l d i n g a be t t e r re l ati o n s h i p between the federal government and voluntary sector organizations that lets us deliver better value to Canadians. — Al Hatton

intended to build stronger relations between the Government of Canada and the voluntary sector, and strengthen the sector’s ability to deliver services to Canadians. Now back at the University of Ottawa, David Zussman looks

”

President of United Way Canada

on his Forum years with great satisfaction. “We can trace a number of processes we initiated directly to important developments in policy, practices and institutions.” But he believes the influence goes beyond that because the process the Forum perfected for bringing many voices to the table is a contribution in and of itself. With thousands of people

Securing a Place for the Voluntary Sector Another area where the Forum had an enormous impact was in bringing the voluntary sector more fully into the federal policy process. This process started with a couple of groundbreaking

having seen how the Forum works and what it can do, David believes that as long as governments are interested in hearing from stakeholders and in honest debate of policy issues, the “Forum Way” will continue to serve Canadians.

meetings in Banff that brought together leaders from business, academe, the federal and provincial governments, and the heads of major voluntary organizations such as United Way Canada, the Community Foundations of Canada and the Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations. The meetings were set up to give the voluntary sector a chance to explain itself to the other groups. The discussion focussed on the economic and social impact of voluntary organizations and concluded with a call for high-level talks that could lead to stronger partnerships with government in developing policy and delivering services.

Canada’s Nuclear Renaissance: business, labour and government leaders meet with regulators to assess the policy and regulatory environment in light of trends in nuclear power generation.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2008 }

The

jodi white years 2004 to 200 9

Jodi White first came across the Public Policy Forum in the

THE AGE OF MINORITY

early 1990s when she was Chief of Staff to Foreign Affairs

Although the Forum takes pride in its unique, non-partisan

Minister Joe Clark in the Mulroney government. She was impressed by the people it could put around a table and by the idea of people working from outside of government to build a stronger public service. After her move to the private sector, she joined the Forum’s Board in 1989 and served as Chair from 1994 to 1997. Needless to say, she knew what to expect when she became the Forum’s third president in January 2004, and she had some ideas about where she wanted to take the organization. There was no pressing need to change the business model when Jodi took the reins. The books were in good shape and certainly in Ottawa, the Forum was established as a trusted intermediary in public policy discussions. But Jodi’s contacts were different from David Zussman’s, as were her interests. And the experience and outlook of the

character, it cannot hide from politics altogether, and six months into Jodi’s term, the political winds shifted dramatically. In June 2004, when Canadians elected their first minority Parliament in a quarter century, the market for bold new policy ideas began to shrink in Ottawa. Staying relevant, not to mention solvent, in this new environment would require correcting the course. Could the Forum still attract high-level participants, particularly from the private sector, to roundtables and conferences where the opportunity to influence policy outcomes might be more limited than in the Zussman years? Jodi would put this question to the test and discover, as Shelly had in the Forum’s early years, that CEOs like a good discussion. With the right topic, the right process and the right marketing strategy, you can fill a room with senior people who simply want to learn from each

CEO will always shape the issues the Forum tackles, how

other. Two events early in her tenure stand out in Jodi’s mind.

it operates and who it works with. She wanted to bring

In November 2004, the Forum’s Fueling our Future

back a strong focus on management issues and step up the Forum’s efforts to help senior bureaucrats understand how different Canada looks when seen from outside the National Capital. To do this, the Forum would have to become less Ottawa-centric and re-engage with private sector leaders, particularly in western Canada, where membership had declined.

{ 2008 }

conference brought together 160 top executives from the private sector, industry associations and environmental groups as well as federal and provincial governments. The objective was to assess the energy challenges facing the country and consider whether a more “national approach” to policy and planning would pay off for Canadians. This idea was not even on the radar in Ottawa, but Jodi

Risk Management and Economic Stimulus Programming: uditor General Sheila Fraser and Shawn Murphy, Chair of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee meet with auditors and risk management specialists to explore ways of delivering the government’s $40 billion stimulus program quickly and effectively while respecting accountability and transparency requirements.

25 Years: The Forum Way

recalls: “We had most of Canada’s energy sector leaders

were responding to challenges like the aging workforce

in a room backing the idea as an essential step toward

and the emergence of China and India as industrial powers

reconciling the energy and environmental issues facing

while Canada was still stuck in the debate about picking

the country.” This pointed not only to a serious disconnect

winners and losers. But our participants, notably the business

between policy makers and stakeholders, but to a role the

leaders, were way ahead of the federal government in their

Forum has played since its inception: tabling questions

thinking about active policies to promote growth and wealth

nobody else is asking.

creation. We avoided the term industrial strategy, but that is

The Evolving Role of Governments in a 21st Century

essentially what we were talking about.”

Economy, launched in 2005, also cast a wide net in the

The reaction in business quarters to Fueling our Future, The

public and private sectors. This program involved a detailed

Evolving Role of Government and similar programs was

survey of opinion leaders and six regional workshops, each

extremely positive. Senior business people not only enjoyed

chaired by a respected local business leader. All told, more

the discussions, many wanted to get more involved. Jodi’s

than 100 senior people from business, civil society, the

idea was first to engage them in a good discussion around

federal and provincial governments, and academe came

their own issues – so energy sector CEOs come out to a

together to share ideas on the role of government in the

meeting on energy strategy – then try to move them out

evolving global economy. Jodi remembers the program and

of their envelope and deeper into the Forum’s traditional

the context: “It seemed that governments around the world

territory. She wanted them to make the connection between

Conference brochure from Fueling our Future: Strategic Energy Policy Opportunities for Canada (2004)

India Rising: leaders from Canada’s business, government, academic and legal communities learn about India’s changing economic landscape and discuss opportunities for growth in trade and stronger commercial relations.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2009 }

the quality of the public service and the quality of the policy

focussed on democratic renewal, restoring the credibility

and regulatory environment in which business operates.

of crown corporations, engaging citizens and communities

Beyond this, however, there have always been leaders in

in developing the policies that affected them, and even

corporate Canada who believe that good government is not

rethinking political parties and their role in the governance

just good for business but good for the country. The group

process. The flagship initiative, however, was Canada’s

who heard Shelly’s pitch in Toronto 1987 was cut from this

Public Service in the 21st Century – Destination Excellence.

cloth as were the Calgary CEOs who gave the Forum its marching orders the following year. As the Forum marked twenty years in business, Jodi would tap a similar vein.

This 18-month study, headed up by former federal Deputy Minister Ian Green, surpassed anything the Forum had done before in terms of breadth and rigour and cost. To pay for it all, Jodi canvassed the Forum’s business sponsors for significant contributions above and beyond their regular

When Jodi became president, roughly 60 percent of the Forum’s membership and project revenues were coming from government sources, with the bulk originating from federal departments and agencies. Four years later, the figures had turned around. Now 60 percent of revenues came from non-federal sources, the corporate world was much better represented, and all but three of the provinces and territories had signed on.

sponsorship. Some people, even directors, were surprised she would look to the private sector to fund a major study about the public service. Looking back, however, she recalls: “Fundraising is always a challenge, but I was surprised how easy it actually was. There were a number of CEOs who didn’t need to have their arms twisted. They were concerned about the federal public service and where it was going, and five or six firms contributed the resources we needed with no strings attached.” Destination Excellence was the most ambitious look at the federal public service of Canada since the Glassco Royal Commission in the 1960s. There was an extensive research program and pan-Canadian consultations involving business and government leaders, civil society groups and citizens. Insights and opinions also came from 14 regional

She recalls going to CEOs with a simple and familiar

roundtable sessions and interviews with 50 prominent

message: “In a globalized world, Canada was getting

Canadians. From this, the Forum painted a detailed picture

smaller, not bigger; we are never going to be the richest or

of the kind of public service Canada would need in the

the toughest. So to maintain our place in the world, we’ve

21st century and identified gaps between that vision and

got to be the smartest, and government is a huge part of

what was actually in place. Then, it offered 10 basic

that.” One of her prime objectives was to take the Forum

recommendations to close those gaps and build a healthy

closer to its roots by building a membership base that would

management culture with sustained, top-quality leadership

support a host of initiatives focussing on revitalizing the broad

and modern accountability.

process of government in Canada. This meant programs that

{ 2009 }

Tribute to Kevin Lynch: former Prime Ministers, Ministers and leaders from across Canada meet in Ottawa to honour Kevin Lynch, former Clerk of the Privy Council, and recognize the contribution the public service makes to our prosperity and quality of life.

25 Years: The Forum Way

Since its inception, the Forum has enjoyed comfortable and productive relations with federal departments and agencies and with deputy ministers who understand the value the Forum can add to policy discussions. However, when the conversation shifts to management questions, hairs always start to bristle inside Ottawa. Shelly discovered this with Making Government Work and twenty years later, there was still a prevalent view in Ottawa that any talk about shortcomings in the public service or directions for the future should be kept “en famille.” So, it was no big surprise that official Ottawa greeted Destination Excellence with muted enthusiasm. Still, the off-the-record reviews from some

With a strong focus on the exe c u t i ve c o r p s , D e s t i n a t i o n Excellence contained detailed recommendations for: 1. Improving performance management 2. Appointing deputy ministers to threeto five-year terms 3. Valuing experience outside the federal government 4. Making deputy ministers’ jobs more doable 5. Transforming central agencies from “controllers” to “enablers” 6. Fostering organizational innovation 7. Rationalizing the staffing process at all levels 8. Getting real about on-the-job learning 9. Breaking the “web of rules” in HR and financial management 10. Engaging political leaders in public service reform

deputy ministers and others were very positive and the report raised expectations about renewal within senior public service ranks. Given the scope and rigour of the exercise, Jodi had hoped her kick at the can would give heart to reformers and produce more tangible results than actually ensued. She remains convinced, however, that the study and its recommendations have a good shelf life. “We identified the directions for reform that some government at some point will have to embrace if the country is going to get the public service it needs for the 21st century. Plus, we showed there is an influential constituency out there who believes the public service is a vital national institution that needs more attention.” In thinking about the Forum’s impact on the quality of government, Jodi thinks back to what the founders had in mind when they were getting it off the ground. “They believed the public service was isolated from the world outside of government and that federal management practices were woefully substandard. Those problems still exist, but they are moving targets that you are never going to fix once and for all. You just have to keep hammering away at them and that’s what the Forum has always done.”

Science Day in Canada: more than 100 leaders from industry, government and the research community map out the way forward for building a culture and practice of innovation in Canada.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2009 }

Jodi White, President, Public Policy Forum presents Parker Mitchell and George Roter, Co-Founders and CEO’s of Engineers Without Borders with the Emerging Leaders Awards at the Forum’s Testimonial Dinner and Awards (2007)

Like her predecessors, Jodi believes putting thousands of

in policy and in management across jurisdictions. Indeed,

senior people from all quarters of government and the

she sees bringing the provincial governments more fully

private sector through Forum programs each year chips

into the Forum’s orbit, signing them up as members

away at the “understanding gap” that so concerned the

and recruiting senior provincial officials to the Board of

Forum’s founders. Just introducing deputy ministers and

Directors was one of her real achievements as president.

CEOs to people they wouldn’t otherwise meet is an accomplishment, and when you do it repeatedly and consistently, she believes the Forum makes a difference. And she points out that it’s not just the gap between the public and private sectors that impairs good government in Canada. It’s between the different levels of government as well. Here too she believes the Forum is making an important contribution through its training programs for

“

Bridging the gap between the public and private sectors is important work, but it will always be a work in progress. — Paul Tellier,

”

former CEO of CN and former Clerk of the Privy Council

assistant deputy ministers, and by sharing best practices

{ 2002 to 2010 }

Ten Tough Jobs: in 2002 a widely-read PPF report showcased some of the most challenging and important jobs in the federal public service. The process was repeated in 2010 focussing on the changing nature of leadership in response to a new accountability and transparency regime and heightened public scrutiny of government operations.

25 Years: The Forum Way

Gordon Osbaldeston Lecture

Former Clerks of the Privy Council Office, Mel Cappe, Kevin Lynch and Gordon Osbaldeston

When it comes to measuring the Forum’s impact on the quality of government in Canada, Jodi is not one for counting lines in the budget or Speech from the Throne that may have originated in the Forum’s work. She can point to policy decisions in Ottawa and the provinces where the Forum’s work no doubt led to better outcomes. To her, the more relevant gauge of the Forum’s success comes from asking: is the organization still doing what it was set up to do; are companies, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies still signing on as members; are the programs still selling out; and, is a job at the Forum still a prize in the minds of the best and brightest university

The Forum’s signature events include annual dinners in Toronto and western Canada as well as a smaller event held each year in Ottawa in honour of Gordon Osbaldeston, a celebrated academic and former Clerk of the Privy Council. Created in 2006, the Gordon Osbaldeston Lecture features a dinner and a presentation on an issue pertinent to public policy and governance in Canada, followed by questions and discussion. The event attracts broad media coverage and a diverse audience, including much of the federal deputy minister community. Indeed, the tradition now is for DMs to attend and invite to their tables young, rising stars from their departments. Plans are now shaping up to offer annual events similar to the Gordon Osbaldeston Lecture in other centres across the country.

graduates? Looking back on her time as president, she believes the answer to each of these questions was “yes” and that the same is true today.

Canada and the OECD – 50 years of converging interests: Secretary-General Angel Gurria joins 200 Parliamentarians, private sector executives, and top academics to celebrate the OECD’s contribution to Canadian economic policy and map out a leadership role for Canada within the organization.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2011 }

The

david mitchell years 2009 to present

David was Vice-Principal of Queen’s University when the

territories and some of the larger municipalities where

Public Policy Forum’s search team tracked him down.

there was a growing appetite for innovative ideas about

A former Deputy Clerk of the Saskatchewan Legislature

policy and service delivery. The university community was

and, later, an MLA in British Columbia, his background

another target. He knew that universities wanted to engage

included stints in leadership positions in business,

more actively in the public policy and management

government and academia. As part of a deliberate effort

fields and thought the Forum could offer them an entrée

to move the Forum beyond an Ottawa-centric focus, the

to these discussions. David was also convinced that

Board put a job offer on the table. Although the Forum

escalating economic turmoil and mounting public debt

was now well established and had a solid reputation,

could actually play to the Forum’s strength because that

moving from a stately academic institution to a small,

is when people start asking fundamental questions about

not-for-profit organization with no core funding or

what governments ought to do and how they ought to

endowment was not without risk.

operate. As he points out: “Answering those questions is

When David Mitchell arrived in January 2009, the country was on the cusp of a serious economic downturn and mired in the fourth year of minority parliaments in Ottawa. The slowdown could put the squeeze on membership revenues, especially from businesses, and the market for new policy work was not likely to pick up. In fact, the federal public service, the Forum’s natural partner in the policy arena, was losing stature in the eyes of the elected government. Still, David saw an opportunity to take the Forum to the next level in terms of reach and influence, and for him, the chance to build a truly pan-Canadian organization was the challenge that sealed the deal.

what the Forum has always done through our writing, our research and the dozens of events that we put on each year across Canada. It’s what we are all about.”

NEW PRIORITIES The Forum’s work plan reflects the interests and concerns of member organizations and directors who increasingly come from outside the Forum’s traditional Ottawa-TorontoMontreal base. This is continuously under review as the staff and Board look for places where the Forum can add value to policy discussions in Ottawa, the provinces and even beyond our borders. However, to keep the workload in sync with available resources, areas of priority have

The first strategic plan David discussed with the Forum’s

been identified. For the medium term at least, the Forum

Board was really about diversification. He wanted to

tackles issues and ideas that fit into one or more of these

bring new players into the fold, including the provinces,

inter-related categories:

{ 2011 }

Innovation in Government? Conversations with Canada’s Public Service Leaders: nearly 100 public leaders in one-on-one conversations talk about the challenges facing Canada’s public service, the measures being undertaken to innovate, and the obstacles to change.

25 Years: The Forum Way

In 2010 and 2011, the Forum launched and led a national discussion with 750 participants from seven provincial and territorial governments to refine and catalogue the tools and techniques of public engagement. These insights have been compiled and published in Forum Vice-President Don Lenihan’s important book Rescuing Policy: the Case for Public Engagement.

Improving public sector management is where the Forum started out and it is a battle that never ends. While keeping a strong presence in federal circles, this work has moved beyond the Ottawa-based public service to include the provinces, territories and major cities with a particular focus on innovation in government operations. Public engagement is the art and science that governments can employ to make citizens and stakeholders stronger partners in policy decisions. It can lead to more successful outcomes than top-down approaches could achieve around complex issues like population health, workforce skills or adjusting to climate change. The Forum is a recognized leader in this field, helping governments develop the knowledge, leadership and other skills they need to make public engagement processes work better. Innovation is the driving force behind our future prosperity and quality of life. However, many Canadians see innovation as a technical process that happens in laboratories with scientists, rather than an economic and societal process in which business, government, the education, science and

Panel discussion at the Forum’s Innovation Next conference in Toronto. Richard Dicerni, Deputy Minister, Industry Canada, Elyse Allan, President and CEO, GE Canada and Tom Jenkins, Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, OpenText (2011)

In 2011, the Forum’s focus on innovation brought together hundreds of leaders from business, government, universities and the research community in regional workshops across Canada. Participants put the innovation process under a microscope and issued a call-to-arms for specific actions that will lead Canada to a more productive, competitive and resilient future.

not-for-profit communities all play vital roles. The Forum’s work in this area underscores the point that innovation involves everyone and has to happen everywhere, from the traditional resources industries to the high-tech sector to government and to the social services field. Health costs are escalating claiming an ever larger share of provincial budgets. To head off a fiscal crisis, fundamental change is required in the organization and management of the health care sector and in the way governments engage with citizens to set priorities and make trade-offs in relation to health care. The Forum’s work on innovation and public engagement spills over heavily into its work on health care.

Advancing Social Innovation and Social Finance in Canada: Three major conferences with over 100 participants each that showcased Canadian and international models for multi-sectoral collaboration that drives breakthrough social impact. These events built on a series of roundtables and discussion papers developed by the Forum.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2010 to 2012 }

His Excellency Angel Gurría, Secretary-General , OECD, Hon. John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Barbara Stymiest, Group Head of Strategy, Treasury & Corporate Services, RBC and Hon. Donald Johnston, Founding Partner, Heenan Blaikie and former Secretary-General of the OECD share a conversation at the Forum’s OECD@50 conference (2011)

Energy is fraught with jurisdictional issues and historical

That’s our natural territory, and our tool for sorting out this

baggage that plays to the Forum’s strength as a non-

kind of issue is our skill and legitimacy as a convener. We

partisan meeting ground. An active player in this area,

can manage a conversation about important and sensitive

the Public Policy Forum has helped leaders from all

policy issues in ways that governments and others cannot.”

sectors and regions to speak out on the need for a more coordinated approach to energy and environmental questions in Canada. This work on energy issues illustrates very well the role the Forum plays in policy debates. As David Mitchell explains, “We have no technical expertise in the energy business, but we are very interested in the governance issues that the energy sector throws at you in a decentralized country

“

The Forum has become part of the fabric of informed policy discussion in Canada by its unique ability to bring interested people together on interesting topics in a stimulating discussion environment.

like Canada. For instance, how do you co-ordinate

— Kevin Lynch

across jurisdictions without a heavy-handed national plan?

Vice-Chair, BMO Financial Group, and former Clerk of the Privy Council

{ 2012 }

”

Rescuing Policy: The Case for Public Engagement: draws on the findings of the Public Engagement Project, a two-year initiative involving seven provincial/territorial governments, the Canada School of Public Service, the City of Hamilton and the Government of Australia. Don Lenihan re-visits the true meaning of public engagement and its crucial importance for policy-making across Canada.

25 Years: The Forum Way

Elizabeth Cannon (left), President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Calgary, Hon. Peter Lougheed (second from right), former Premier of Alberta and David Mitchell (right), President and CEO of Canada’s Public Policy Forum present Martha Piper (second from left), former President and Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia with the Inaugural Peter Lougheed Award for Leadership in Public Policy (2010)

As a case in point, David cites a meeting he attended

Now more than three years into the job, David Mitchell

in 2009 in Winnipeg. About a dozen research-based

is pleased, even surprised at the progress the Forum

organizations like the Institute for Research on Public

has made toward the goals he has set. Certainly it has

Policy (IRPP), the Conference Board of Canada and the

become a much more national organization with a board

Canada West Foundation took part, along with several

of directors that runs from coast to coast, including strong

business and environmental groups. They agreed on the

representation from the federal and provincial governments,

so-called “Winnipeg Consensus” that Canada needs an

business, organized labour, the voluntary sector, and the

effective clean energy strategy. The Forum then played

education and research communities. The Forum has also

an important role as a co-convenor of discussions aimed

opened a western office in Regina to manage a growing

at encouraging reluctant governments to exercise more

footprint in the West with programs aimed specifically at

leadership in the energy field.

the Prairie Provinces and British Columbia. In addition, the

The energy dialogues threw a gratifying light on the Forum and its role in the policy research community. As David puts it: “We are not a think tank in the traditional

Public Policy Forum has added to its stable of signature events with an annual Western Dinner built around the Peter Lougheed Award for Leadership in Public Policy.

sense because we don’t focus all of our efforts on original

The first Western Dinner was held in Calgary, in 2010.

research. Instead, we put thinkers with a range of views

In 2011, the scene shifted to Vancouver where nearly

around a table for discussions, which have often been

500 people from business, aboriginal organizations,

influential. We are a convener. That’s where we started,

labour community groups, the B.C. and federal governments

that’s our strength and that’s why our peers respect us.”

honoured Mike Harcourt, Carole Taylor, Ed John and

Towards a More Innovative Future: Insights from Canada’s Natural Resources Sector: a major conference in Calgary and six national roundtables form the basis of an in-depth exploration of the challenge of transforming Canada’s natural resources sector into a driver of innovation.

25 Years: The Forum Way

{ 2012 }

David Emerson for service to their province and country.

David Mitchell is indebted to each of his predecessors

The Western Dinner will move to a different city each year

for their part in building upon the legacy he now leads.

and with the prestige of Peter Lougheed behind it, David

He takes his hat off to Shelly for getting the whole thing

believes it will become a fixture on the social calendar like

off the ground and steering it through adolescence;

its counterpart in Toronto. Ironically, however, these two

to David Zussman for finding a central spot in the federal

annual events create a communications challenge. As the

policy arena; and to Jodi for important work on public

eastern and now the western dinners gain loyal followings,

service reform and starting to push the Forum outward

people start to see the Forum as “that organization that

from its Ottawa roots. “Each was able to capitalize on

puts on great dinners” and lose sight of 80 to 90 other

the opportunities available at the time. When the Forum

projects that the Forum delivers each year.

had to change, it did, and it is changing now as the

While still very much a player on the federal policy and management scene, the Forum now sees a majority of its projects originating outside of the national capital. The funding base is also more diverse than ever. With

real policy action shifts in many instances to the provinces. Where we go in the future will depend on the needs and interests of our members, all of whom support our mission and mandate.”

approximately 200 member organizations contributing

With its focus now squarely on governance and

30 percent of operating revenues, it is the next best thing

public service, the Forum is circling back toward its

to an endowment fund. A large and stable membership

roots again because David believes the whole idea of

base means the Forum can focus on its priorities and plan

governance – who’s in charge and how do you get things

for the future. It also means lower registration fees for

done? – revolves around the very same challenges the

many Forum events, which is an important consideration

Forum was set up to address back in the 1980s. “Good

for some groups whose voices need to be heard.

governance means policy makers are totally plugged

As the Forum turns 25, the two-room, three-person operation has grown up. Today it operates from coast to coast in English and French with a staff of about 20 and a boardroom twice the size of the whole office space in 1987. But its fundamental character has changed very little. It still provides a safe space for senior leaders from all sectors to interact openly and honestly around the issues of the day. It still advocates for excellence in public sector management. It has preserved its non-partisan character and counts its members and friends in all quarters of the public and private sectors.

into the outside world; bureaucrats and stakeholders understand and communicate effectively with each other; and the public service is organized and managed to produce results that matter to the people who pay the bills.” He believes that Shelly’s concerns about isolation and the quality of management in the public sector are every bit as valid today as they were in the beginning. Where they may part company, however, is in thinking these problems can be solved for good or across the entire system. Rather he sees them as “battles you can fight but never completely win. You have to keep applying pressure in a creative and constructive manner. And the day you stop doing that is the day your relevance should be questioned.”

{ 2012 }

Conversations with Canadian Leaders: Canada as an Asia Pacific Nation: in partnership with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the National Conversation on Asia is a Canada-wide initiative focused on public education, policy development, and community outreach. The Public Policy Forum conducted 80 in-depth, face-to-face interviews and discussions with senior leaders across sectors to facilitate a high-level dialogue on Canada as an Asia Pacific nation.

25 Years: The Forum Way

BOARD MEMBERS 2012 Chair Larry Murray Vice Admiral (Ret’d) & former Deputy Minister

Directors Ian Bird Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

Francine Blackburn Executive Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, RBC

Ken Delaney Former Executive Assistant to the National Director of the Steelworkers Union

Bruce Drysdale Principal, Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs

Serge Dupont Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada

Douglas Emsley President, Emsley & Associates

Judy Fairburn Executive Vice-President Environment & Strategic Planning, Cenovus Energy

Anne-Marie Hubert Managing Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP

25 Years: The Forum Way

2011 Marcel Lauzière President & CEO, Imagine Canada

Chair David A. Brown

Mark Lievonen

Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP

President, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.

Directors

David J. Mitchell President & Chief Executive Officer, Public Policy Forum

Karen Oldfield President & CEO, Halifax Port Authority

Stephen J. Toope President & Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia

Ilse Treurnicht CEO, MaRS District Discovery

Peter Wallace Secretary of the Cabinet, Government of Ontario

Peter Watson Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council Government of Alberta

Yuen Pau Woo President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Glenda Yeates Deputy Minister, Health Canada

Anne-Marie Hubert Managing Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP

Shelley Jamieson Marie Bernard-Meunier Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany

Ian Bird Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

Francine Blackburn Executive Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, RBC

Janice Charette Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Richard Dicerni Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Bruce Drysdale Principal, Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs

Douglas Emsley President, Emsley & Associates

Allan Gregg Chairman, Decima Research

Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

Mark Lievonen President, Sanofi Pasteur Ltd.

Brian Manning Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council, Government of Alberta

David J. Mitchell President & CEO, Public Policy Forum

Larry Murray Vice Admiral (Ret’d) & former Deputy Minister

Karen Oldfield President & CEO, Halifax Port Authority

Indira Samarasekera President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Kathy Sendall Senior Vice President, Petro-Canada

Tamara Vrooman President & CEO, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union

2010 Chair David A. Brown Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP

Directors Elyse Allan President & CEO General Electric Canada

Marie Bernard-Meunier Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany

Ian Bird Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

Janice Charette Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Richard Dicerni Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Bruce Drysdale Principal, Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs

Douglas Emsley President, Emsley & Associates

Allan Gregg Chairman, Decima Research

Anne-Marie Hubert Managing Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP

2009 Shelley Jamieson Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

James Little

Chair David A. Brown Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP

Shelley Jamieson Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

James Little

Chief Brand & Communications Officer, RBC Financial Group

Directors

Brian Manning

General Electric Canada

Brian Manning

Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council Government of Alberta

Marie Bernard-Meunier

Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council Government of Alberta

David J. Mitchell President & CEO Public Policy Forum

Indira Samarasekera President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Elyse Allan President & CEO,

Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany

Ian Bird Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

Janice Charette

Kathy Sendall

Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Senior Vice President, Petro-Canada

Richard Dicerni

Jim Stanford

Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Jim Dinning

Tamara Vrooman President & CEO Vancouver City Savings Credit Union

Chairman of the Board, Western Financial Group

Bruce Drysdale Principal, Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs

Allan Gregg Chairman, Decima Research

Chief Brand & Communications Officer, RBC Financial Group

David J. Mitchell President & CEO, Public Policy Forum

Gerard J. Protti (Ex-Officio) Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Indira Samarasekera President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Kathy Sendall Senior Vice President, Petro-Canada

Jim Stanford Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Counsel Brian Levitt Co-Chair & Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Ron Hicks Former Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council

25 Years: The Forum Way

2008 Chair David A. Brown Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP

Directors Elyse Allan President & CEO, GE Canada Inc.

Marie Bernard-Meunier Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany

Ian Bird Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

Janice Charette Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Siobhan Coady President & CEO, Newfound Genomics

Tony Dean Former Head of the Ontario Public Service

Richard Dicerni Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Jim Dinning Chairman of the Board, Western Financial Group

Bruce Drysdale Principal, Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs

George Fleischmann Managing Partner, TNET-The Network Management Team

25 Years: The Forum Way

2007 Jonathan Fried Executive Director, International Monetary Fund

Allan Gregg Chairman, Decima Research

Chair Gerard J. Protti Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Directors

Ron Hicks

Elyse Allan

Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council Government of Alberta

President & CEO, GE Canada Inc

James Little Chief Brand & Communications Officer, RBC Financial Group

Patrick Pichette President, Operations, Bell Canada

Gerard J. Protti (Ex-Officio) Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Marie Bernard-Meunier Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany

Ian Bird

Jonathan Fried Executive Director, International Monetary Fund

Giles Gherson Deputy Minister & Associate Secretary of the Cabinet, Government of Ontario

Allan Gregg Chairman, Decima Research

Ron Hicks Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council Government of Alberta

Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group

David Lindsay

David A. Brown

Deputy Minister Ministry of Tourism

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

Janice Charette

Wade MacLauchlan President, University of Prince Edward Island

Indira Samarasekera

Deputy Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Patrick Pichette

President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Siobhan Coady

President, Operations Bell Canada

Kathy Sendall

President & CEO, Newfound Genomics

Indira Samarasekera

Senior Vice President, Petro-Canada

Marcel C么t茅

President & Vice-Chancellor University of Alberta

Jim Stanford

Founding Partner, SECOR Consulting

Kathy Sendall

Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Tony Dean

Senior Vice President, Petro-Canada

Jodi White

Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

Jim Stanford

President, Public Policy Forum

Richard Dicerni

Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Counsel Brian Levitt Co-Chair & Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

George Fleischmann Managing Partner, TNET: Management Consultants Inc.

Counsel Brian Levitt Co-Chair & Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

2006 Chair Gerard J. Protti Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Directors Elyse Allan President & CEO, GE Canada Inc

David A. Brown

2005 Alex Himelfarb Clerk of the Privy Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office

David Lindsay President, Association of Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology of Ontario (ACAATO)

Wade MacLauchlan

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

President, University of Prince Edward Island

Marcel C么t茅

Angus Reid

Founding Partner, SECOR Consulting

Tony Dean Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

George Fleischmann

Founding Partner, SECOR Consulting

Directors

Wade MacLauchlan

Elyse Allan President &CEO, GE Canada Inc

Tony Dean Head of Ontario Public Service, Government of Ontario

George Fleischmann

President, University of Prince Edward Island

Gerard J. Protti Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Angus Reid

Chief Executive Officer, Vision Critical Communications

Raymond Royer

Jonathan Fried

Raymond Royer

President & Chief Executive Officer, Domtar Inc

Indira Samarasekera

Jonathan Fried

Guylaine Saucier

President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

Jim Stanford Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the PM & Head of the Canada-US Secretariat, Privy Council Office

Giles Gherson Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star

Ron Hicks Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council, Government of Alberta

Giles Gherson

Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz

Alex Himelfarb

Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star

President & CEO, Imagine Canada

Ron Hicks

Clerk of the Privy Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office

Counsel

Deputy Minister, Alberta Executive Council, Government of Alberta

David Lindsay President, Association of Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology of Ontario (ACAATO)

Marcel C么t茅

Managing Partner, TNET: Management Consultants Inc.

Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the PM & Head of the Canada-US Secretariat, Privy Council Office

Chair

Brian Levitt Co-Chair & Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Chief Executive Officer, Vision Critical Communications

President & Chief Executive Officer, Domtar Inc

Guylaine Saucier Jim Stanford Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz President & CEO, Imagine Canada

Counsel Brian Levitt Co-Chair & Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Sol Kasimer Chief Executive Officer, Altruvest

25 Years: The Forum Way

2004 Chair Marcel Côté Founding Partner, SECOR Consulting

Directors Eleanor Clitheroe

David Lindsay President, Association of Colleges of Applied Arts & Technology of Ontario

J. Hugh MacDiarmid

Legal Counsel, Gauthier Associates

President & Chief Executive Officer, Laidlaw Education Group

Tony Dean

Wade MacLauchlan

Secretary of the Cabinet & Clerk of The Executive Council of Ontario, Government of Ontario

George Fleischmann Managing Partner, TNET : Management Consultants Inc.

Giles Gherson Editor-in-Chief, The Toronto Star

Ian C. Green

Chair J. Hugh MacDiarmid Chair, External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation, Privy Council Office

Directors Eleanor Clitheroe Chancellor, University of Western Ontario

President, University of Prince Edward Island

Marcel Côté

Julian Nowicki

David L. Emerson

President, Le Groupe SECOR Inc.

Deputy Minister, Executive Office Executive Council, Government of Alberta

President & CEO, Canfor. Corp.

Sheila O’Brien

Managing Partner, T-NET Management Consultants Inc.

Gerard J. Protti Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

George Fleischmann

Giles Gherson Editor-in-Chief, Edmonton Journal

Deputy Minister, Health Canada

Guylaine Saucier

Alex Himelfarb

President & CEO, Canadian Centre for Philanthropy

Deputy Minister, Health Canada

Barbara Stymiest

Clerk of the Privy Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office

Steve Hindle President, The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Sol Kasimer Chief Executive Officer, Altruvest

2003

25 Years: The Forum Way

Georgina Steinsky Schwartz

Chief Operating Officer, RBC Financial Group

Ian C. Green

Alex Himelfarb

Steve Hindle President, The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Sol Kasimer Chief Executive Officer, Altruvest

David Lindsay President & CEO, Ontario SuperBuild Corporation, Government of Ontario

Wade MacLauchlan President, University of Prince Edward Island

Julian Nowicki Deputy Minister, Executive Office Executive Council, Government of Alberta

Gerard J. Protti Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations, EnCana Corporation

Sheila O’Brien Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Public Affairs, Government & Investor Relations, NOVA Chemicals Corp

Guylaine Saucier Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz Barbara Stymiest Chief Executive Officer, TSX Group

2002 Chair

2001 David Lindsay

Eleanor Clitheroe

President & Chief Executive Officer, Ontario SuperBuild Corporation Government of Ontario

Marcel Côté

Kevin G. Lynch

J. Hugh MacDiarmid

Directors

President, Le Groupe SECOR Inc.

Deputy Minister, Finance Canada

Gordon J. Feeney

Wade MacLauchlan

George Fleischmann

President, University of Prince Edward Island

President & Chief Executive Officer, Food & Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada (FCPMC)

Giles Gherson Editor-in-Chief, Edmonton Journal

Ian C. Green Deputy Minister, Health Canada

Alex Himelfarb Clerk of the Privy Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office

Andromache Karakatsanis Secretary of the Cabinet & Clerk of the Executive Council, Government of Ontario

Sol Kasimer President, Altruvest

Julian Nowicki

Chair Gordon J. Feeney

Directors Rita Burak The Network Executive Team

Scott Corrigan President, United Parcel Service Canada Ltd.

Marcel Côté Associate, Le Groupe SECOR Inc.

V. Peter Harder

Deputy Minister, Executive Council, Government of Alberta

Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Sheila O’Brien

Andromache Karakatsanis

Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Public Affairs, Government & Investor Relations, NOVA Chemicals Corp.

Secretary of the Cabinet & Clerk of the Executive Council, Government of Ontario

J. Hugh MacDiarmid Wade MacLauchlan President, University of Prince Edward Island

Julian Nowicki Deputy Minister, Executive Office Executive Council, Government of Alberta

Sheila O’Brien Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Public Affairs, Government & Investor Relations, NOVA Chemicals Corp

Guylaine Saucier Janet R. Smith Lawrence F. Strong

Sol Kasimer

Gérard Veilleux

Guylaine Saucier

Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Canada

President, Power Communications Inc.

Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz

William G. Knight

Georgina Wyman

President & Chief Executive Officer, Credit Union Central of Canada

Chief Human Resources Officer, Bell Canada

Gérard Veilleux President, Power Communications Inc.

Kevin G. Lynch Deputy Minister, Department of Finance Canada

25 Years: The Forum Way

2000 Chair Gordon J. Feeney Deputy Chairman, Royal Bank Financial Services

Directors Rita Burak Scott Corrigan President, United Parcel Service Canada Ltd.

Marcel Côté Associate, Le Groupe SECOR Inc.

Michael B. Decter President, Lawrence Decter Investment Counsel Inc.

V. Peter Harder Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Sol Kasimer Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Canada

William G. Knight

Claire Morris Deputy Minister & Chairperson, Human Resources Development Canada

Sheila O’Brien Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Public Affairs & Investor Relations, NOVA Chemicals Corporation

Guylaine Saucier Chair, Board of Directors, CBC – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Janet R. Smith Chair, Task Force on an Inclusive Public Service, Treasury Board Secretariat

Lawrence F. Strong President & Chief Executive Officer, Unilever Canada Limited

Gérard Veilleux President, Power Corporation of Canada

Pamela Wallin

Chair Lawrence F. Strong President & Chief Executive Officer, Unilever Canada Limited

Directors

Jeffrey M. Lipton President, NOVA Chemicals Corporation

Kevin G. Lynch Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Rita Burak

J. Hugh MacDiarmid

Secretary of the Cabinet, Executive Council Government of Ontario

Executive Vice President, Commercial, Canadian Pacific Railway

Marcel Côté

Claire Morris

Associate, Le Groupe Secor Inc.

Deputy Minister of Labour & Deputy Minister & Chair, Human Resources Development Canada

Michael B. Decter Lawrence & Company Inc.

Gordon J. FeeneyViceChairman, Royal Bank of Canada

V. Peter Harder Secretary of the Treasury Board & Comptroller General of Canada, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Janet R. Smith Chair, Task Force on a Truly Representative Public Service, Treasury Board of Canada

Manon Vennat Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart

Pamela Wallin

President & CEO, Credit Union Central of Canada

President & Chief Executive Officer, Current Affairs Group Limited

Sol Kasimer Chief Executive Officer, YMCA Canada

President & Chief Executive Officer, Current Affairs Group Limited

Kevin G. Lynch

Georgina Wyman

William G. Knight

Jodi White

Deputy Minister, Finance Canada

J. Hugh MacDiarmid Executive Vice President, Commercial, Canadian Pacific Railway

1999

25 Years: The Forum Way

Chief Human Resources Officer, Bell Canada

President & CEO, Credit Union Central of Canada

Jerry L. Lampert President & Chief Executive Officer, Business Council of British Columbia

Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Imasco Limited

Torrance J. Wylie Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs, Canadian National

1998 Chair Lawrence F Strong President & CEO, Unilever Canada Limited

Past Chair Jodi White Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Imasco Ltd.

Directors Rita Burak Secretary of the Cabinet, Executive Council (Cabinet Office) (Ontario)

Michael B. Decter Managing Director, Michael Decter & Associates Ltd

Gordon J. Feeney Vice-Chairman, Royal Bank of Canada

V. Peter Harder

1997 Kevin G. Lynch Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

J. Hugh MacDiarmid Executive Vice-President Commercial, Canadian Pacific Railway

Lynne C. Manning Vice-President & Managing Director – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

Claire Morris Clerk of the Executive Council, Secretary to Cabinet & Deputy Minister, Executive Council Office (N.B.)

President, NOVA Corporation

Arthur Kroeger

Chancellor, Carleton University

Directors Rita Burak

Secretary of the Cabinet, Executive Council (Cabinet) (Ont.)

Manon Vennat Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart

Pamela Wallin

Chairman, Government Policy Consultants

Jerry L. Lampert

President & CEO, Business Council of BC

J. Hugh MacDiarmid

Executive Vice-President, Commercial, Canadian Pacific Railway

Lynne C. Manning

Vice-President & Managing Director – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

Gwyn Morgan

President & CEO, Alberta Energy Company Ltd.

Claire Morris

M.E. Clare Cowan

Clerk of the Executive Council, Secretary to the Cabinet & Deputy Minister Executive Council Office (N.B.)

Michael B. Decter

Wilson Parasiuk

Gordon J. Feeney

Roger Phillips

Robert J. Giroux

Graham W. S. Scott, Q.C.

Managing Director – Canada, APM Incorporated

Torrance J. Wylie

Jeffrey M. Lipton

Past Chair

Principal, Canadian Centre for Management Development

Thomas Kukovica

President & CEO, Business Council of BC

Vice-President, Corporate Affairs Imasco Litd.

Head of Acquisitions Group, E3M Investments Inc.

Journalist

Jerry L. Lampert

Jodi White

Janet R. Smith

Secretary of the Treasury Board & Comptroller General, Canada Treasury Board Secretariat International Vice-President & Canadian Director, United Food & Commercial Workers International Union

Chair

Vice-Chairman, Royal Bank of Canada

President & Director General, Association of Universities & Colleges of Canada

President, Paralink Management Ltd. President & CEO, IPSCO Inc. Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Helen K. Sinclair

V. Peter Harder

CEO, Bank Works Trading Inc.

Shira Herzog

Principal, Canadian Centre for Management Development

Secretary of the Treasury Board & Comptroller General of Canada Vice-President, The Kahanoff Foundation

Ruth Hubbard

President, Public Service Commission of Canada

Thomas Kukovica

Janet R. Smith

Marti D. Smye, Ph.D.

President, People Tech Consulting Inc.

Lawrie F. Strong

President & COO, Unilever Canada Ltd.

International Vice-President & Canadian Director, United Food and Commercial Workers Int. Union

Manon Vennat

Veronica Lacey

Pamela Wallin

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education & Training (Ont.)

Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart Journalist

Torrance J. Wylie

Chairman, GPC Government Policy Consultants

25 Years: The Forum Way

1996 Chair Jodi White Vice-President, Corporate Affairs Imasco Ltd.

Past Chair Arthur Kroeger Chancellor, Carleton University

Directors Rita Burak Secretary of the Cabinet, Executive Council (Ont.)

M.E. Clare Cowan CEO, MEC Air Technologies

Michael B. Decter Managing Director – Canada, APM Incorporated

Gordon J. Feeney Vice-Chairman, Royal Bank of Canada

Robert J. Giroux President, Association of Universities & Colleges of Canada

25 Years: The Forum Way

V. Peter Harder

Lynne C. Manning

Janet R. Smith

Secretary of the Treasury Board & Comptroller General of Canada

Vice-President & Managing Director – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

Principal, Canadian Centre for Management Development

Shira Herzog

Gwyn Morgan

Marti D. Smye, Ph.D.

Vice-President, The Kahanoff Foundation

President & CEO, Alberta Energy Company Ltd.

Chair of the Board, People Tech Consulting Inc.

Ruth Hubbard

Claire Morris

Lawrie F. Strong

President, Public Service Commission of Canada

Clerk of the Executive Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Executive Council Office (N.B.)

President & COO Unilever Canada Ltd.

Thomas Kukovica

Wilson Parasiuk

International Vice-President & Canadian Director, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

Chairman, B.C. International Power Group

Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart

Roger Phillips

Pamela Wallin

President & CEO IPSCO Inc.

Journalist

Fred W. Pomeroy

Chairman, GPC Government Policy Consultants

Veronica Lacey Director of Education & Secretary-Treasurer Board of Education, City of North York

Jerry L. Lampert President & CEO, Business Council of BC

J. Hugh MacDiarmid Executive Vice-President, Commercial, CP Rail Systems

President,Communications, Energy & Paperworks Union of Canada

Graham W. S. Scott, Q.C. Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Helen K. Sinclair President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Manon Vennat

Torrance J. Wylie

1995 Chair

Shira Herzog

Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Imasco Litd.

Ruth Hubbard

Jodi White

Past Chair

Arthur Kroeger

Chancellor, Carleton University

Directors

Peter H. Barnes

Vice-President, The Kahanoff Foundation

Wilson Parasiuk

Chairman, B.C. Trade Development Corporation

President, Public Service Commission of Canada

Roger Phillips

Thomas Kukovica

Fred W. Pomeroy

International Vice-President & Canadian Director, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

President & CEO, IPSCO Inc. Executive Vice-President & Treasurer,Communications, Energy & Paperworks Union of Canada

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development & Trade (Ont.)

Veronica Lacey

Graham W. S. Scott, Q.C.

M.E. Clare Cowan

Jerry L. Lampert

Sheridan Scott

President & CEO, MEC Air Technologies

Michael B. Decter

Director of Education, North York Board of Education President & CEO, Business Council of BC

Leonard G. Lee

Managing Director – Canada, APM Incorporated

President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Gordon J. Feeney

Lynne C. Manning

Vice-Chairman, Royal Bank of Canada

Brian A. Felesky, Q.C.

Senior Partner, Felesky Flynn

Robert J. Giroux

Secretary of the Treasury Board & Comptroller General of Canada

Vice-President & Managing Director – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

Claire Morris

Clerk of the Executive Council & Secretary to the Cabinet, Executive Council Office (N.B.)

Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Harry Swain

Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Manon Vennat

Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart

Pamela Wallin

Journalist, CBC

Torrance J. Wylie

Chairman, GPC Government Policy Consultants

Vice-President, Multimedia Law & Regulations, Law Dept. Bell Canada

Helen K. Sinclair

President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Marti D. Smye, Ph.D.

Chair of the Board, People Tech Consulting Inc.

Lawrie F. Strong

President & COO, Unilever Canada Ltd.

25 Years: The Forum Way

1994 Chair Arthur Kroeger Public Policy Forum

Past Chair Graham W.S. Scott Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Vice-Chair Carole M. Lafrance President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Directors Peter H. Barnes Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development & Trade (Ont.)

Jean A. Bernard Director, Public Policy Forum

Allan E. Blakeney Professor of Public Law, College of Law, U. of Sask.

Max Clarkson Professor, Faculty of Management, University of Toronto

25 Years: The Forum Way

John Cleghorn

Lynne C. Manning

Harry Swain

President & COO, Royal Bank of Canada

Vice-President & Managing Director – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

Deputy Minister, Industry Canada

Brian A. Felesky, Q.C. Senior Partner, Felesky Flynn

Maryantonett Flumian

J.J. Jack Munro Chairman, Forest Alliance of BC

Manon Vennat Chairman & Managing Director – Montreal, SpencerStuart

Wilson Parasiuk

Pamela Wallin Journalist, CBC

President, BC Federation of Labour

Chairman & CEO, B.C. Trade Development Corporation

Roger Phillips

Leo W. Girard

President & CEO, IPSCO Inc.

Director, Public Policy Forum

Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Kenneth V. Georgetti

Secretary-Treasurer, United Steelworkers of America

Ruth Hubbard President, Royal Canadian Mint

Huguette Labelle President, CIDA

Jerry L. Lampert President & CEO, Business Council of BC

Leonard G. Lee President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Fred W. Pomeroy Executive Vice-President, Communications, Energy & Paperworks Union of Canada

Norman Riddell Deputy Minister, Ministry of International Affairs, Immigration & Cultural Communities (Quebec)

Helen K. Sinclair President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Jodi White

Torrance J. Wylie Chairman, GPC Government Policy Consultants

1993 Chair

Arthur Kroeger

Public Policy Forum

Past Chair

Graham W.S. Scott Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Vice-Chairs

Hershell E. Ezrin

Executive Vice-President, Speedy Muffler King. Inc.

Carole M. Lafrance

President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Directors Peter H. Barnes

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development & Trade (Ont.)

Jean A. Bernard

President, Bell Institute for Professional Development

Allan E. Blakeney

Professor of Public Law, College of Law, U. of Sask.

Max Clarkson

Professor, Faculty of Management, University of Toronto

1992 Ruth Hubbard

Deputy Minister, Supply and Services Canada

President & CEO, Noranda Inc.

Vice-Chairs

Deputy Minister/Chairman, Employment and Immigration Canada

President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Executive Vice-President, Speedy Muffler King. Inc.

Huguette Labelle

Lynne C. Manning

Carole M. Lafrance

Huguette Labelle Deputy Minister, Transport Canada

Leonard G. Lee

J.J. Jack Munro

Directors

Chairman, Forest Alliance of BC

Wilson Parasiuk

Chairman of the Board, B.C. Trade Development Corporation

Roger Phillips

President & CEO, IPSCO Inc.

Fred W. Pomeroy

Executive Vice-President, Communications, Energy & Paperworks Union of Canada

Norman Riddell

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Cultural Communities & Immigration(Que.)

Helen K. Sinclair

Harry Swain

Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Kenneth V. Georgetti

President, BC Federation of Labour

Leo W. Girard

National Director for Canada, United Steelworkers of America

Hershell E. Ezrin

President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Brian A. Felesky, Q.C.

Maryantonett Flumian

Senior Partner, McMillan Binch

Vice-President – Canada, Kelly Services (Canada) Ltd.

President & COO, Royal Bank of Canada

Senior Partner, Felesky Flynn

David W. Kerr

Graham W.S. Scott

President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

John Cleghorn

Chair

Deputy Minister, Industry, Science & Technology Canada

Manon Vennat Chairman, SpencerStuart

Jodi White

Partner, The Neville Group

Peter H. Barnes

Secretary of the Cabinet, Government of Ontario

Stanley M. Beck

Vice-Chairman, Central Capital Corporation

Allan E. Blakeney

Professor of Public Law, College of Law, U. of Sask.

Micheline Bouchard Vice-President, DMR Group Inc.

The Hon. Edward Broadbent President, International Centre for Human Rights And Democratic Development

Margaret Y. Catley-Carlson

Deputy Minister, Health and Welfare Canada

Max Clarkson

Professor, University of Toronto

Brian A. Felesky

Partner, Felesky Flynn

Maryantonett Flumian

Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Michael E. Jalbert President, West/Penetone

Arthur Kroeger

Deputy Minister, Transport Canada

Leonard G. Lee

President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Gaétan Lussier

President, Boulangeries Western Québec

J.J. Jack Munro

National President, IWA – Canada

S. Mark Newman

President, A. Newman & Co. Ltd.

Roger Phillips

President & CEO, IPSCO Inc.

Fred W. Pomeroy

Executive Vice-President, Communications and Electrical Workers Union of Canada

Norman Riddell

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Cultural Communities & Immigration(Que.)

Glen S. Shortliffe

Clerk of the Privy Council, Government of Canada

Helen K. Sinclair

President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Jodi White

President, Sydney House

25 Years: The Forum Way

1991

1990

Chair

Maryantonett Flumian

Earl Joudrie

Assistant Deputy Minister, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Vice-Chairs

Michael E. Jalbert

Executive in Residence, Public Policy Forum

David W. Kerr

Bill Lee

Graham Scott

Partner, McMillan Binch

Directors

Peter H. Barnes

Secretary of the Cabinet, Government of Ontario

Stanley Beck

Vice-Chairman, Central Capital Corporation

Allan Blakeney

Laskin Professor, Osgoode Law School, York University

Micheline Bouchard

Vice-President, Marketing -North America, DMR Group Inc.

Edward Broadbent

President, International Centre for Human Rights And Democratic Development

Gerald Caplan

Public Affairs Commentator & Consultant

Margaret Catley-Carlson President, Canadian International Development Agency

Professor Max Clarkson

Faculty of Management Studies, University of Toronto

Hershell Ezrin

Executive Vice-President, Speedy Muffler King. Inc.

President, West/Penetone

President & CEO, Noranda Inc.

Arthur Kroeger

Deputy Minister/Chairman, Employment and Immigration Canada

Huguette Labelle

25 Years: The Forum Way

Earl Joudrie

Vice-Chairs Bill Lee

Executive in Residence Public Policy Forum

Graham Scott

Partner McMillan Binch

Gaetan Lussier

President, Weston Boulangeries

Jack Munro

National President, IWA – Canada

Mark Newman

President, A. Newman & Co. Ltd.

Vice-President, Marketing North America, DMR Group Inc.

Gerald Caplan

Public Affairs Commentator & Consultant

Margaret Catley-Carlson President, Canadian International Development Agency

Professor Max Clarkson

Faculty of Management Studies, University of Toronto

Mickey Cohen Dian Cohen

Harry Rogers

James Fleck

Deputy Minister, Department of Industry, Science & Technology Canada

Helen Sinclair

Arthur Kroeger

Deputy Minister/Chairman, Employment and Immigration Canada

Huguette Labelle

Carole Lafrance

Roger Phillips President, Ipsco Inc.

President & CEO, Noranda Inc.

Allan Blakeney

Micheline Bouchard

President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

David W. Kerr

Stanley Beck

Carole Lafrance

Leonard Lee

President,West/Penetone

Chairman, Public Service Commission of Canada

Laskin Professor, Osgoode Law School, York University

President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Michael E. Jalbert

Directors

Chairman, Public Service Commission of Canada

President, Dian Cohen Productions Chairman & C.E.O, Fleck Manufacturing Inc.

Cal Goldman

President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Director of Investigation & Research, Bureau of Competition Policy Consumer & Corporate Affairs

Jodi White

Ray Hession

President, Sydney House

Chair

President, Arvess Corporation

President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Leonard Lee

President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Gaetan Lussier

President, Weston Boulangeries

Jack Munro

National President, IWA – Canada

Harvey Nudel

President, House of Braemore

Roger Phillips President, Ipsco Inc.

Harry Rogers

Deputy Minister, Department of Industry, Science & Technology Canada

Helen Sinclair

President, The Canadian Bankers’ Association

Don Triggs

President, Fisons Western Corporation

Jodi White

1989 Chair Earl Joudrie

Vice-Chairs Bill Lee Executive in Residence, Public Policy Forum

Graham Scott Partner, McMillan Binch

Directors Allan Blakeney Laskin Professor, Osgoode Law School, York University

Micheline Bouchard Vice-President, Marketing - North America, DMR Group Inc.

Gerald Caplan Public Affairs Commentator & Consultant

Margaret Catley-Carlson President, Canadian International Development Agency

Max Clarkson Faculty of Management Studies, University of Toronto

Marshall Cohen President & CEO, The Molson Companies Limited

Dian Cohen President, Dian Cohen Productions

James Fleck Chairman & CEO, Fleck Manufacturing Inc.

1988 Cal Goldman Director of Investigation & Research, Bureau of Competition Policy Consumer & Corporate Affairs

Chair

Peter G. White

Vice Chairman, Hollinger Inc. Publisher, Saturday Night Magazine

Ray Hession

Cal Goldman

Director of Investigation & Research, Bureau of Competition Policy Consumer & Corporate Affairs

Ray Hession

President, Arvess Corporation

Vice-Chairs

President, Kinburn Technology Corporation

Don Jackson

Chairman, Executive Consultants Ltd.

Donald Jackson Toronto, Ontario

Gaetan Lussier

Earl Joudrie

Assistant to the President (Food Group), John Labatt Limited

Huguette Labelle

Bill Lee

Deputy Minister & Chairman, Employment and Immigration Canada

Chairman, Public Service Commission of Canada

Directors

Carole Lafrance

National Director, Energy & Chemical Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union

President, Cala HRC Ltd.

Leonard Lee President, Lee Valley Tools Ltd.

Gaetan Lussier President, Weston Boulangeries

Harvey Nudel

Reginald C. Basken

Micheline Bouchard

Vice-President, Consulting, CGI Group

Gerald L. Caplan

Public Affairs Commentator & Consultant Associate, Public Affairs International

Margaret Catley-Carlson

President & CEO, Encor Energy Corporation Ltd.

Huguette Labelle

Chairman, Public Service Commission of Canada

Leonard Lee

President, Lee Valley Tools

Harvey Nudel

President, House of Braemore

Jean Luc Pepin

Fellow, Institute for Research in Public Policy

President, House of Braemore

President, Canadian International Development Agency

Roger Phillips

Max Clarkson

Harry G. Rogers

President, Ipsco Inc.

Harry Rogers Deputy Minister, Department of Industry, Science & Technology Canada

Don Triggs President, Fisons Western Corporation

Faculty of Management Studies, University of Toronto

Dian Cohen

Partner, Cohen/Couture

Marshall A. Cohen President, Olympia & York Enterprises Limited

President, Ipsco Inc.

Deputy Minister, Department of Regional Industrial Expansion

Graham Scott

Partner, McMillan Binch

Don Triggs

President, Fisons Western Ltd.

James Fleck

Chairman & CEO, Fleck Manufacturing Inc.

25 Years: The Forum Way