“Shovel-ready” infrastructure is back in the news as a way to stimulate the economy post pandemic. We learned a lot about that post-financial crisis. We even wrote an @iveybusiness teaching case about it (Industry Canada: The Knowledge Infrastructure Program #9B14M163). 1/n
The work was led by @ISED_CA Iain Stewart (now @NRC_CNRC President) who headed the design and implementation team and Simon Kennedy (now DM @ISED_CA) who managed the central agency/reporting team at @PrivyCouncilCA. The program was aimed at PSE infrastructure projects. 2/n
Here are some of the lessons we learned:
1. Normal gov’t approvals are too slow. Use the crisis to push for streamlined, whole program (not project by project) approvals, circumventing normal, lengthy review by @TBS_Canada and @FinanceCanada . 3/n
1. Normal gov’t approvals are too slow. Use the crisis to push for streamlined, whole program (not project by project) approvals, circumventing normal, lengthy review by @TBS_Canada and @FinanceCanada . 3/n
2. To avoid political cherry-picking of projects, work from established lists that provinces submit. Use high-level due diligence to ensure listed projects qualify and require provinces to certify that they do (for future audit purposes). 4/n
3. Require third-party validation (e.g. national accounting firms) to certify that projects meet program criteria and are on track in order to trigger phased release of funds. 5/n
4. Separate reporting from implementation. Track relentlessly (remember all those Economic Action Plan signs…). Report publicly at every opportunity. 6/n
All of the 4 steps help ensure accountability and prepare for the inevitable audit by AG and scrutiny by Parliament (thus giving PS managers the confidence to go fast) without slowing down implementation. 7/n
If a key program criteria is that projects must be completed in x months, you actually get timely stimulus. Voila! n/n
