Honorary Chair

FMI is very pleased that Mrs. Margaret Bloodworth has accepted to be Honorary Chair of PD Week 2007. She will be providing a keynote address on Wednesday morning.

 

As the Associate Secretary to Cabinet and National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, it is my pleasure to serve as Honorary Chair of the Financial Management Institute’s Professional Development Week 2007.  The Financial Management Institute is devoted to promoting sound financial management in the public sector. The annual Professional Development Week offers members from both the public and private sectors a forum for education, information sharing, networking and professional development.

The theme of this year’s four-day event is “On the Horizon”, a reference to the many challenges and opportunities on the horizon for the public service. Today, Canadians expect more accountability, better management of tax dollars, and improved core public services. In addition however, the public service itself is facing several challenges: it is ageing faster than the Canadian population at large, must reflect more of Canada’s diversity, and must adapt to the realities of ever-changing technology in a competitive labour market. As the Clerk of the Privy Council said in his 14th Annual Report on the Public Service: “If we do not commit ourselves to a continuing process of renewal, the Public Service will not remain a creative national institution, central to the governance and development of our country.” Renewal of the Public Service expresses our shared commitment, as organizations and as individuals, to take the steps necessary to prepare and adapt the Public Service to meet the challenges of the coming decade and beyond.

A number of major initiatives to strengthen public sector management, to improve service to Canadians, and to renew the public service have already been launched.  We have seen significant progress in areas such as the increased use of Accountability Frameworks, the strengthening of the Financial Administration Act, and the implementation of theFederal Accountability Act and Action Plan. In addition, over the last year, the public sector financial management community has worked to strengthen, retain and develop its workforce with higher standards for training, certification and performance, and through the implementation of the Chief Financial Officer Model.  In addition, efficiencies are being sought by standardizing processes and by sharing systems and services, built on common IM/IT architectures.

In light of these and other developments, the organizing committee of this year’s Professional Development Week has assembled an excellent program of sessions covering a wide range of issues related to this year’s theme. You will also find workshops that have been specifically tailored to give you the practical tools you need to deal with key operational requirements. This program will interest all those who want first-hand information on current issues and future trends related to financial management, as well as to the wider public service. I encourage you to review the program and take full advantage of the learning opportunities offered by FMI Professional Development Week 2007.

I look forward to discussing the renewal of our Public Service and meeting you at the Ottawa Congress Centre in November.

Margaret Bloodworth
Associate Secretary to the Cabinet and National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister