ICYMI – May: Could ‘mission government’ solve Ottawa’s delivery problems?

Agree with overall assessment. Political and bureaucratic will central to any efforts:

…Longtime bureaucrats say they’ve seen other versions of this before—tiger teams, super ministers, special cabinet committees—and that mission government is just the latest trendy management brand to fix age-old problems. One noted the government already has many of the tools it needs to fix things. What it takes is political will and strong, focused leadership. Without that, the system reverts to the status quo—and resists change. 

“I’m not sure it really matters how you do it. What you need is the prime minister to say, ‘This needs to get done,’ and a political co-ordination mechanism to drive it across departments. So, call it mission or whatever.” 

Many bureaucrats expect Carney to govern like a CEO focused on priorities, outcomes, and results. Some anticipate he’ll be ruthless if progress stalls. Others question whether his central banking background fully prepares him for the operational demands of governing. 

In his first press conference as prime minister, Carney outlined his priorities: meeting with Trump, cutting internal trade barriers, launching nation-building projects, accelerating housing, tightening border security, and toughening bail for some crimes.

Those familiar with early briefings say Carney’s mindset seems clear: “’How quickly can we do this? How do we accelerate? How do we show action?’ There’s a rigor to the way he thinks, and the system will have to adapt to keep up. It’s kind of refreshing to see,” said one senior bureaucrat.

Source: Could ‘mission government’ solve Ottawa’s delivery problems?