Governments have made strides in “crowdsourcing” yet the concept has not been defined as a tool in either policy‐making or in delivering services. The article identifies different forms of crowdsourcing and argues that existing taxonomies for governing instruments insufficiently account for crowdsourcing as a strategic tool in its arsenal. Focusing on the most important types of crowdsourcing drawn from the federal, provincial and municipal levels, it explores the limits of crowdsourcing and issues it raises for governance and administration. The cases reveal how crowdsourcing can help the state meet needs by activating crowds into accomplishing tasks. Using crowds is more than a procedural novelty: it opens new venues for direct contact between the state and citizens that can affect the force and direction of decision making.
Value for Money (VFM) audits are now critical aspects of accountability in Westminster systems, based on the assumption that ministries are systematically examined. This study explores the VFM inquiries of the Auditor General of Ontario (AGO) between 1997 and 2014 as a case study to uncover trends of consistency of approach under the flourishing “new public management” philosophy of cutting costs and raising efficiencies. It asks three broad questions: does the frequency and intensity of VFM audits correlate with the financial importance of the ministries? Do political controversies affect the choice of what will be subject to a VFM audit? Finally, do Auditors General make a personal difference in what ministries will be audited through a VFM framework? The findings demonstrate a pattern of over‐auditing of some ministries while important ministries are consistently under‐audited.
PurposeThe authors examine the time allocation and management of deputy ministers (DMs) in Canada.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze the results from a 2020 survey of DMs.FindingsThe authors observe that, like private sector leaders, DMs work very long hours and tend to allocate their time fairly consistently across functions. Nevertheless, important differences exist particularly depending on the size of their department.Research limitations/implicationsWhile a substantial percentage of answers were returned, these skew toward provincial rather than federal public servants and not all jurisdictions are equally represented.Practical implicationsThe distribution of areas of focus for DMs and their time allocation differences speak to potentially important discussions to be had in time management practice.Originality/valueThis is the first and only analysis of time management for senior public service executives based on a survey instrument.
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