Apparently Premier R.J. Simpson wants the GNWT and its staff to take more risks instead of SA国际影视传媒渕inimizing the risk to the government.SA国际影视传媒� Yes! Hurrah! Right on! Woohoo!

Simpson was asked in the media what he meant when he said that the GNWT has to SA国际影视传媒渂e flexible, have the courage and compassion to embrace risk.SA国际影视传媒�

The premier replied, SA国际影视传媒淚 want to empower again the public servants SA国际影视传媒� and the ministers, as well SA国际影视传媒� to put forward policies and to deliver services in a way that does not put at the top of the concerns the risk to the Government of the Northwest Territories.SA国际影视传媒� 

The premier is absolutely right. Too many of our government employees think their first priority is to protect the government and second to provide services. 

DonSA国际影视传媒檛 think so? ISA国际影视传媒檒l give you a good example. When I became assistant deputy minister of education, culture and employment (ECE), I soon confirmed that lack of housing for teachers was a huge part of the problem with employing and retaining teachers in the communities.

So, we did an assessment of the problem. Each community reported to us if they had a housing problem for teachers and how many units they needed. That was the easy part.

Next, we approached the NWT Housing Corporation, which is now called Housing NWT, to see if they could build the housing for the teachers. The president, Jeff Anderson, said something like SA国际影视传媒淪ure we can build them. We can bring in the supplies this summer and build all of the teachersSA国际影视传媒� units to be ready for when school starts the year after.SA国际影视传媒� 

The director leading this did a happy dance.  And, I said SA国际影视传媒淗allelujah! This means units will be ready in September of the following year and school boards can advertise that they have housing for teachers.SA国际影视传媒� 

But the departments got wind of what we were planning and said we need to form a committee to make sure this is done properly. A committee was formed with representatives from different departments. 

Soon the director who had done a happy dance was almost in tears. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e finding all kinds of reasons why we canSA国际影视传媒檛 build the units,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
 

We canSA国际影视传媒檛 do that becauseSA国际影视传媒�
 

One guy said we canSA国际影视传媒檛 do that because community people will complain and another one said local teachers will want housing too. Someone else said other government staff will want new units too.  And one said teachers renting older units will want new housing as well. 

Someone said the NWT Housing CorporationSA国际影视传媒檚 mandate is to build houses for people, not for teachers. Then he smugly added that building housing for teachers will get housing authorities mad because it will mean not building some units when we promised.  There were many other reasons I canSA国际影视传媒檛 remember.

Finally, the committee agreed ECE and the Housing Corp could not build housing units to attract teachers to the NWT, because it would just make too many people angry at the GNWT. Eschia, take it easy eh.

So what was the solution? They agreed that the housing corp. could make loans available to community people who want to build housing and rent it to teachers. Nice and safe. Nobody gets mad at us and it gives community entrepreneurs an opportunity to make money.

And did that solve the problem for housing for teachers? Well 16 years later, community people are telling me that many teachers still donSA国际影视传媒檛 have proper housing! Not cool.

And let me tell you, that is not an isolated incident. This type of thing happens all the time. Every department has people who have good ideas to solve problems. But then they have to consult with other departments and what comes out is sometimes far from what was envisioned or, like the housing for teachers, it doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 even happen.

The GNWT has created a monster that stifles the creativity of well-meaning people who want to do good things for Northerners. When you start working for the GNWT, you donSA国际影视传媒檛 know about the monster, but soon in meetings where things are discussed you hear, SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 a great idea, but we canSA国际影视传媒檛 do that because Joe Blow will be mad.SA国际影视传媒� The next guy agrees and says, SA国际影视传媒淵eah and donSA国际影视传媒檛 forget about this.SA国际影视传媒� 

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 almost like a contest to see who can come up with the most reasons why they canSA国际影视传媒檛 do things.  And if you donSA国际影视传媒檛 watch out, you can get caught up in it too without realizing it. I know I did. At last, a family member said, SA国际影视传媒淚t seems that every time we want to do something you come up with reasons why not to do it.SA国际影视传媒� Whoa! Wake-up call.

When I was an MLA, John Todd was a minister and he used to say if you have a good idea, just do it before the staff finds out about it because they will find reasons not to do it. 

And I believe thatSA国际影视传媒檚 what the premier is talking about when he says, SA国际影视传媒淚f we want to deliver a service, the goal should be to deliver the service the best way we can, not to minimize the risk to the government.SA国际影视传媒�

So come on GNWT public servants and Ministers, itSA国际影视传媒檚 time to take some risks and deliver services the best way you can.