Article contentPOSITIVE CASE STUDIESArticle contentIf you care about the CBRM, please consider these four case studies. They are not replica situations, but there are relevant nuggets in each.Article contentEarlier this year, public administration scholar Donald Savoie released his latest book, Louis J. Robichaud: A Man for the Moment. It’s about Savoie’s late friend and former New Brunswick premier.Article contentIn 1960, Robichaud, the young new premier, inherited a tired, under-achieving bureaucracy a little bit like the CBRM’s. But he had a vision. It crystallized in his bold program Equal Opportunity for All. In the context of the time, that meant top-to-bottom modernization.Article contentRobichaud had a group of specialists (the Byrne Commission) work out the step-by-step mechanics of how to make that vision happen with the machinery of a small provincial government. He used his political capital to adopt and push the recommendations almost wholesale.Article contentSecond case study: I don’t know how Andy Burnham will perform as Britain’s new prime minister. But he and his immediate predecessors were darn good at providing leadership to Greater Manchester, a city in England’s de-industrialized, neglected north that had been in steep decline for the second half of the 20th century.Article contentArticle contentIf the Halifax Regional Municipality is our London, then the CBRM is sort of like our Manchester.Article contentBurnham was livid about London’s concentration of power and resources (lack of fairness toward the North).Article contentBut politicians and senior city bureaucrats strengthened Manchester’s hand by ensuring its house was in order and giving it a reputation for public-service excellence. Staff were re-organized into neighbourhood-based teams. The city got help from its neighbourhoods and from talent outside the bureaucracy.Article contentThird, take a look at Victoriaville, Quebec. It’s a city of about 50,000 people, widely known for being well-run and “proudly sustainable.” Mayors there have long been clear on what they want; they push projects through. Councils have generally worked well together because they have a sense of purpose. Management is results-oriented; it’s a good place to work.Article content“LET’S GO, CITY!”Article contentIn Victoriaville, basic services (including waste collection) have taken on higher importance when connected to civic pride and a major push for quality of life.Article contentArticle contentThe improvement of many basic services, the health and cleanliness of the city, the great public spaces and co-operation between city hall and local groups have been connected to the initiative Hop, la Ville! It translates roughly as Let’s go, City! The clarity and coherence make a difference.Article contentFourth, look at local successes close to home.Article contentAlthough the award-winning Energize Bridgewater (focused around energy poverty) didn’t directly involve all local public services, it showed what’s possible when tireless political leadership, staff motivation and community creativity align.Article contentThe small, positive municipal bureaucracy and community partners were motivated to do more than muddle through.Article contentCape Breton University political science professor Tom Urbaniak has chaired several local and national non-profit organizations and takes a keen interest in administration issues. He can be reached at tom_urbaniak@cbu.ca. Article content
CBRMs management problems go beyond garbage
