A Canadian academic is suggesting that the success of the Federal Government’s remote working policies during the COVID-19 pandemic has opened the door to more Public Servants working in far-flung locations.
Loleen Berdahl (pictured), of the Department of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan said remote working raised the question that if work didn’t need to be done in Ottawa-area offices, did it need to be done in Ottawa at all?
Professor Berdahl said Canada had more than 300,000 Federal employees, with more than 230,000 in core public administration (CPA) and just under 70,000 employed in separate Agencies like the Canada Revenue Agency.
“Most CPA workers are skilled knowledge workers. These are good jobs. It is time for more Federal jobs, including CPA jobs, to decentralise,” Professor Berdahl said.
“Research suggests decentralising Public Service jobs reduces costs, strengthens national security by spreading Government functions across the country and reduces cynicism toward Government,” she said.
Professor Berdahl said decentralisation also distributed the economic benefits of the public sector across the country.
“Most importantly, it gives the Federal Government more ability to directly engage with communities; regional voices within Government increase as career opportunities are more accessible to qualified people nationally,” she said.
“Advocacy and community groups across the country enjoy a more level playing field to engage in the policy process.”
Professor Berdahl said now was the perfect time to make a serious effort to decentralise Federal jobs, with the COVID-19 remote work experience demonstrating the remarkable potential of technology to overcome distance.
“We have learned how efficiently we can use technology to reduce unnecessary travel and connect easily across the country,” she said.
“We must use the disruption of the pandemic to rethink what jobs and services need to be in Ottawa at all,” Professor Berdahl said.
Ottawa, 27 May 2021
