May 23, 2005

Revising the Strategic Plan

The government's strategic plan consists of high-level goals, objectives and measures. The service plans for ministries and government agencies must be consistent with the overall plan. Part 3 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act requires that on or before the date the main estimates are tabled, the strategic plan be tabled and that it identify specific objectives and expected results.

The strategic plan that was tabled with the 2005-2006 budget on February 15, 2005, set three goals shown in the table below. According to the Plan the goal of a strong and vibrant provincial economy is to be achieved through four objectives: 1) British Columbia will have a skilled workforce, 2) British Columbia will have a prosperous economy, 3) British Columbia will have employment opportunities, and 4) government will be affordable and fiscally responsible. Many may think that lofty goals and objectives are typical political hot air, but the crunch comes in the measures. "A prosperous economy" is specifically defined by three measures and targets. The first measure is "Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is a key measure of overall economic activity, expressed in terms of economic output (new goods and services produced) per person", and the corresponding target is to "Improve upon the 2001 baseline rank of 8th place growth in Canada." The second measure is "Real GDP per hour worked in the business sector indicates overall efficiency of our labour efforts", and its target is to "Improve upon the 2001 baseline rank of 4th place in Canada." The third measure is "Total amount of gross fixed business investment as a percentage of provincial GDP", and its target is to "Improve upon the 2001 baseline rank of 5th place in Canada."

The Campbell government must establish precise measures and targets for the five goals it included in its platform. If, as has been too often the case, the measures or targets are listed as "to be determined", it will reveal that the platform was less than solid.

Precise measures and targets allow the public to hold government accountable. If there is a public policy issue that is not included in the government's strategic plan or in the three year service plans for ministries and crown agencies, then it is unlikely that the issue really matters. If it isn't measured, and it isn't counted in determining whether government is reaching its goals, then it is unlikely to matter. Of course that is in the theoretical world of accountants and policy wonks. In the real world political fortunes are determined by what grabs the public interest and influences votes. Perhaps that is why there is usually so little connection between campaign rhetoric and government's strategic plan. This year was different. The February 8th Throne Speech and the Liberal election platform stressed the same five goals, and the strategic plan tabled on February 15th recognized that the five newly announced goals were ignored in its pages. That is why the introduction to the Plan said "Future strategic plans will be adapted to speak specifically to our objectives and measures for the goals outlined in the February 8, 2005 Speech from the Throne." The covering letter for the Plan, signed by the Premier, emphasized the five goals from the Throne Speech. The first opportunity to publish a strategic plan that incorporates the five goals from the Liberal Throne Speech and platform will be when the next budget is tabled on February 21, 2006.

The government usually has the advantage in setting the political agenda, thus determining which issues dominate the news. There is an opportunity for the public to get involved and tell government how its goals should be measured and what targets should be set for determining whether satisfactory progress is being made towards those goals. What's left out when the revised plan is tabled next February is unlikely to count for the next four years.

Consistent or Conflicting Goals?
Throne Speech and Platform	Strategic Plan
Make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.	A strong and vibrant provincial economy.
Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.	A supportive social fabric.
Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk, and seniors.	Safe healthy communities and a sustainable environment.
Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management - bar none.
Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.