"It is imperative that every decision, directive or policy of the Council be positively advocated by all Municipality staff and associates, regardless of personal opinion or perception. In respect of the public, all staff shall present a unified and cohesive front in support of Council’s initiatives."
The likelihood of this principle being followed is enhanced the more that there has been careful consideration of the issue of implementation before a policy is adopted by council, especially one involving a new or complex policy area. Indeed, some experts contend that governments “should spend at least four hours thinking how to put their policies into practice for every hour they spend formulating the policies.”[1]
[1] “Management Insights” column, September 20, 2006, from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, www.governing.com.
□ Has an implementation plan been developed by staff (where needed)?
□ Have all staffing implications of the new policy been considered – such as the need for any new staff or for training and/or redeployment of existing staff?
□ Does council appreciate the intent of the policy and its expected impact on the community?
□ Are councillors prepared to stand behind this policy, to explain it, to defend it when required, and to support staff efforts to implement it?
□ Has any procedure been developed for monitoring the implementation of this policy, for reviewing its effectiveness, and for determining whether or not amendments may be needed?
For example, when a regulatory policy is adopted, is it supposed to be applied only in response to complaints or to be enforced vigorously by staff? The former approach may seem less confrontational but is almost certain to give rise to complaints of unequal or inconsistent application of the policy. The latter approach, while more consistent, is likely to generate public resistance. If a policy ends up being unpopular in practice, it is important for councillors to stand behind it, rather than leaving the staff to bear the brunt of the public criticism. Yet, as Crawford[1] pointed out almost 70 years ago, councillors want to keep the public satisfied to enhance their prospects for re-election. As a result, they may be inclined to accept arguments from complainants that the policy in question applies unfairly to them.
Yes, as indicated by Heil’s Principle #3, staff have a duty to implement policies as enacted by council and, indeed, they show their professionalism by doing so with equal enthusiasm for policies that they would not have chosen. But staff will find it easier to carry out this role if the policy itself is backed by council if it becomes unpopular in practice. Moreover, both staff and councillors will find the policy implementation process less problematic if – as outlined above – more time and thought is allocated to how a policy will be implemented before it is adopted.
[1] K. G. Crawford, Canadian Municipal Government, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1954, pp. 165-166.