Governance can be defined as "The framework of authority and control within an organization". In 2008 a group of individuals with expertise in governance and public management were invited by Mayor Larry O'Brien to sit on a Taskforce to review the current governance structure at Ottawa City Hall and to make recommendations as to how it might be improved to increase accountability and transparency while streamlining the decision making process.
The report was presented to the Mayor in October of 2008 and is now being released in support of the City's tabling a series of White Papers on governance. The City Clerk and Deputy Clerk, in consultation with the Councillors, have prepared white papers for consideration as part of the mid-term governance review requested by Council.
Both documents have common elements, with the Taskforce's report taking a longer-term view and the White Papers having items that could be implemented within the remaining term of this Council.
The Taskforce Report is available here and the City's White Papers will be available shortly. This website has been created to provide for a dialogue on the various proposals and will allow residents to submit their input into the upcoming debate. We welcome your comments.
The Key Discussion Points
Pillar 1: Strategic Leadership and Planning
The City needs to act strategically in the interests of all its citizens. Currently, issues facing the City are viewed through a ward-level lens. ... [more]
Pillar 2: City-wide Focus
Councillors are overly focused on ward-specific issues, which is understandable given public expectations. An Executive Committee - working with more effective ... [more]
Pillar 3: Citizen Engagement
The August 2008 Citizen-COMPAS poll showed a high level of citizen dissatisfaction with the way in which the City of Ottawa operates. The City needs to engage citizens ... [more]