Doug Hadden, VP ProductsI had a chance to speak at the Financial Management Institute of Canada Public Sector Management Workshop "Sustainability in the Public Sector – Securing the Future" in Fredericton New Brunswick last week.There were some interesting comments and discussions:Deficit reduction in government requires much higher upfront costs than usually expected. There can be ramifications to cutting like severance packages, sub-leasing space, environmental studies, training etc.The use of IT shared services to reduce overall costs in the Government of Canada has had some unanticipated costs for departments and agencies.Departments and agencies in the Government of Canada need plans for cutting 20% to 30% of expenses to achieve the 10% target. Many budget cut proposals are not accepted.Internal audit improvements in the Government of Canada is progressing slower than expected.The demographic shift and migration means that the Province of New Brunswick is aging faster than any other province in Canada. This has motivated a focus to improve public financial management and introduce performance management in the province.
