Navigating Strategic Policy Decisions
Disclaimer: The summaries and interpretations provided on this page are unofficial and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS).
Summary
- Government of Canada decision-making consists of two main categories: formal decision-making moments like ministerial signatures, budget decisions, and Cabinet memoranda, and informal decision-making which involves every opportunity to influence conversations and the policy process
- The policy process operates as an ongoing conversation between various levels of government officials, from policy analysts to deputy ministers, ministers, and their offices, and sometimes extends externally to Canadians and stakeholders
- The most effective decision-making happens when informal influence and conversations are successfully bridged with formal transactions and official advice
- Policy analysts and policy leadership positions have equal opportunities to influence outcomes despite different job responsibilities, as they all work toward the same ultimate goal of shaping policy outcomes
- Government policy agenda includes both formal Policy with capital P like Treasury Board releases and budget statements, and informal policy expressed through ministerial statements, parliamentary responses, and repeated government messaging
- Policy analysts make approximately 90 percent of their daily decisions independently, including how to respond in meetings, email responses, and word choices in briefing notes, all of which contribute to government policy
- Cabinet decision-making involves elected officials with diverse backgrounds and expertise who are brought together by the Prime Minister to consider important questions based on their unique perspectives and experiences
- Cabinet discussions are protected to allow for frank conversations, making it difficult for analysts to directly observe the decision-making process
- The quality and accuracy of information provided by analysts is critically important because Cabinet members rely on this information to make government decisions
- Both individual analyst decisions and Cabinet support require the same foundation of excellent, thorough, and correct advice to make government function effectively ACTIONABLE ADVICE:
Actionable Advice
- Pay attention to every daily decision you make as an analyst because these individual choices contribute to government policy
- Be curious about your files and the people you work with to understand how their minds work
- Focus on providing thorough, correct, and excellent advice in every interaction
- Think about how to support others' decision-making and help them understand topics better
- Work to influence conversations and bridge informal discussions with formal policy transactions
- Share what you learn with colleagues and express your opinions regardless of your position level
- Practice excellence daily and seek help from colleagues, bosses, and support staff to improve
- Commit to working as part of a team rather than trying to be excellent individually
- Approach policy work as a collaborative team sport where multiple perspectives improve outcomes
- Pay attention to both formal policy statements and informal ways government expresses policy direction
- Focus on bringing your personal expertise to the work through curiosity and attention to detail
- Maintain commitment to your files and to working together with your team
- Practice values and ethics by committing to excellence and respecting democracy through quality work