Rebuilding the Public Service in New Brunswick

How we might fix “How It All Broke”

In March 2024, Kelly Lamrock released the “How It All Broke” report. It wasn’t just insightful — it was even entertaining. The title is bold, but it’s no surprise to most people. For decades, the public has felt the effects of a broken system. What’s surprising is that someone in Lamrock’s position has finally said it out loud. It’s clear that big changes are needed, and they can’t wait any longer.

“We can comfort ourselves with the same fatuous nonsense that the system is perfect, but the people must improve. “If only people stopped coming to the emergency room.” “If only families did better by their aging parents.” “If only children had discipline these days.” “If only the homeless and the addicted faced real consequences.” “If only parents were a little better.” “If only the civil servants managed smarter.” It seems we can always point the finger at the people who need the services and put off asking these hard questions for one more year, one more budget cycle, one more election. But in reality we can’t. Because the people aren’t failing the system. The system is failing the people.”

The How It All Broke report is one of the most important public policy documents New Brunswick has seen in 50 years. It highlights the deep cultural and structural problems that lead to ineffective public services. To fix this, Lamrock recommends that the Executive Council Office (ECO) and the Department of Finance and Treasury Board (FTB) set up a Social Policy Office (SPO) within the ECO.

The SPO would focus on many things to improve how social programs work. It would project the demand for these programs, set service standards, support departments in planning budgets, designing services, staffing, and setting goals for social programs. It would also lead the “Reinventing Government Initiative.” (ReGo)

The ReGo would be designed to transform the approach to governance and the delivery of social programs. The initiative would aim to shift the focus from traditional, compliance-based models to more person-centred, outcome-driven strategies. Essentially, the initiative should help transform the existing system to one that puts people first and puts the SERVICE back into public service.

The Reinventing Government (ReGo) philosophy of governance is one which highlights results-based governance, decentralizing management to give front-line professionals discretion to make results-oriented decisions even if they vary from the centralized process.

As the former Executive Director of the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN), I know it’s easy to call for big changes but much harder to make them happen. If the Network were still around, we’d be working hard to bring people together to help put Lamrock’s ideas into action.

In the past, NBSPRN played a key role in supporting big policy initiatives like the Ten Year Education Plan. It would form a multi-sector, cross-disciplinary group to examine the “How It All Broke” report, generate ideas for the SPO and the Reinventing Government Initiative, and share findings to help shape public discussion. Ideally, it would facilitate a collaborative process to help the government implement the SPO and ReGo.

It seems we can always point the finger at the people who need the services and put off asking these hard questions for one more year, one more budget cycle, one more election. But in reality we can’t. Because the people aren’t failing the system. The system is failing the people.

From 2017–2021, I was the Executive Director of Open Government and Innovation at the Executive Council Office. During that time, I often thought about how to bring these kinds of ideas to life. Since Lamrock published this report, I have been noodling on this in my spare time (mostly laying awake at night dreaming), asking, “What would it look like to realize these proposals?” “Who could we talk to inform the design of these initiatives?” and “what might the design look like?”

This is a big chance to change how government services work. We can and must move from a rigid system characterized by bureaucratic indifference to one that puts people first and encourages collaboration across departments and sectors. How would I do it? Thanks for asking!

Government can shift from its process-centred approach to a human-centred one, and strengthen its innovation muscle. I know there are scores of public servants eager and capable of achieving this transformation.

Here are some components of a team, I think will be key for meaningful change:

Human-Centred Design Research

The government’s mission is to “Improve the lives of New Brunswickers every day.” To do this, we need to prioritize understanding people’s needs. This means using social science and design research to guide our actions and decisions. The team would need experienced design researchers.

Cross-Sector Collaboration

Bring together different experts from government, non-profits, businesses, and universities. This kind of teamwork encourages new ideas and a better way of solving problems. The team needs skilled network facilitators for this.

Innovation Labs and Sandboxes

We need spaces where we can experiment with new ideas safely. These labs would let us test new processes and technologies with citizens and other stakeholders. The team would need innovation and design facilitators to lead this work.

Evidence-Informed Decision Making

Use academic research to inform options, strategies and actions. The team would need policy analysts and data scientists with access to academic knowledge to make sure decisions are based on solid evidence.

Feedback Loops and Evaluation

We need to keep track of our progress and learn as we go. This means setting clear goals, collecting data, and analyzing how well we’re doing. It also means we don’t always know exactly what to measure or how. For this the team needs people who can focus on development evaluation and social impact analysis.

Capacity Building and Continuous Learning

Transformation needs new skills and mindsets. The SPO and ReGo should offer training in Agile, service design, systems thinking, strategic foresight, and more. For this the team needs skilled workshop and instructional designers who can incorporate progress on real-world projects through experiential learning.

Open and Transparent Communication

The team needs to be open about its work, sharing progress and challenges with everyone involved. Team members should be encouraged to work in the open to help build trust and contribute to a global community of practice.

Networking and Scaling

Taking a page from the rapid and successful adoption of Lean Six Sigma practice in GNB, the SPO and RGI should create service design roles across different government departments to support these changes. Roles like Chief Experience Officers and Service Design Facilitators can help spread these practices widely.

Rewards and Recognition

Finally, to showcase and encourage the behaviours required to shift the current service paradigm, design and implement a reward scheme that serves as a platform to spotlight and celebrate the bright spots across the system.

These are just initial thoughts on what it might take to get the work done. Change happens in cycles. A three-year cycle is natural in large organizations. Serious transformation often needs three years of sustained effort. In government, this is even more true with four-year election cycles. Think of this as a three-year journey that builds momentum through each annual cycle plus a foundation-setting year (year zero).

2025 is “year zero.” That first year is all about laying the groundwork. It will take time to find executive champions, build a strong team, and recruit new skills. This year is also about setting team norms and creating a shared vision. A launch event can kick things off, promoting the vision and connecting a network of eager supporters. The team will engage stakeholders across the public sector and beyond, refining their strategy through workshops. By mid-year, the team should be hitting its stride, with strategic programs in place, a collaborative workspace established, and plans for some small-scale experiments to close out the year.

Year One will kick off the three-year cycle with a foundation firmly in place. With lessons learned and clear strategic priorities, the team will be ready to expand its reach and deepen its impact. The network will grow stronger, and the team will share and celebrate progress. This year is about running a full-year cycle on the foundation established in the previous year.

Year Two is focused on scaling up, building on the successes of year one. The structures and strategies developed over the past two years will continue to evolve, creating lasting change. The team will refine and deepen its work, strengthening the network and embedding new practices across the organization.

Year Three will land on an election year so the need to rationalize will be highest. This year is all about storytelling and looking ahead. It’s time to share the story of the impact made so far, celebrating achievements and planning for the next three-year cycle. While the team continues its work, they will also be preparing for the future, ensuring that the momentum and progress built over the past four years will continue to grow. This tees up three year cycles that align with new governments coming to power.

If everything goes as planned, an infrastructure would be in place that closes the gap between campaign promises, policy priorities, and real-world outcomes — no matter which government is in power. This directly addresses a core issue highlighted in the “How It All Broke” report: the disconnect between what governments promise and what they deliver. With this report’s recommendations New Brunswickers have a chance to create a public service that truly serves the people.