Diesen-Leadership and Management in the

04.06.2015
FORSVARET
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Leadership and Management in the Norwegian
Public Sector
Reflections after 4 ½ years as Chief of Defence
Overlegeforeningen 15. april 2015
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Prosjektittel
04.06.2015
1
The Two Dimensions of Leadership and/or
Management within the Public Sector
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• Polititical leadership
– Leadership at the politicalprofessional interface
• Bureaucratic
management
– The interface between
departments or directorates
and the individual service
or agency
• A point on terminology
– Leadership
– Management
– Command
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04.06.2015
2
Political leadership – Case Study
Rational Government vs Regional Politics
): Dynamic problem:
• Not just pushing the problem
in front of you – the problem
is growing while you are
pushing
Operational
structure
Support
& base
structure
Functional
balance
Support &
base structure
Economic balance
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Operational
structure
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Economic balance
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3
1
04.06.2015
Attempts at an Explanation
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Why Rational Governement Is So Difficult
•
The death of ideology
– Political convergence towards competent
administration
– Increasing tendency towards grandstanding and
symbolic decisions
•
Increased political competition
– Increased aversion against risk and unpopular
decisions – increased requirement for appearing to be
firm and decisive
– Increased tendency towards short term solutions – and
therefore irrational government in the longer term
– Increasing tendency towards simplified policies
disregarding complex interdependencies
•
Public finances
– Increasing pressure on the public purse, driven by
demographics and rising expectations
– Increasing tendency towards a persistently
underfinanced public sector
•
The role of the media
– Disproportionate reverence for the media, the rise of
spin doctors within the civil service
– Increasing tendency towards irrational decisions,
driven by the media’s agenda and aspirations
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04.06.2015
4
The role of the media
«Fulfilling their civic obligation»
• Sensational
coverage – short
memories
• Less than consistent
in judging cause and
effect
• Lack of
knowledgable
(VG) 22. juli måtte politiet ha hjelp fra Forsvaret
journalists
for å sikre byen mot flere mulige terrorangrep.
Da klarte man så vidtavfyrte
å skaffe nokskuddet
soldater fra
• Self-established and HV-soldaten
malviksak.jpg
-->Det
var den
28erårnemlig
gamlebare
Oslo-området til
vaktholdet.
Her
non-accountable
mannen
som
skjøt
og
drepte
sin
26
årige
drøyt to hundre HV-soldater tilgjengelige
på ett
«people’s court» in ektefelle
i skytetragedien i Malvik i
døgns varsel.
Sør-Trøndelag fredag morgen.
political manhunts
Mannen skjøt deretter seg selv.
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Prosjektittel
FORSVARET
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04.06.2015
5
The Role of Ministries
Between independent civil service and political secretariat
•
Is the balance in transition?
– Screening and protecting the minister
increasingly important
•
Former minister Bjarne Håkon Hansen:
– «The ministries’ press and information
services are part and parcel of the
political leadership»
•
Should the «balance of power» between
civil servants and politicians be changed
as a consequence?
– Transfer of responsibility for civil service
promotions to an independent board, ref
the appointment of judges
– Introduce new routines to be applied
when a cabinet minister makes decisions
contrary to the recommendations of the
civil service, ref the UK system
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04.06.2015
6
2
04.06.2015
Public management
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Efficiency metrics and «balanced scorecard»
•
•
•
•
•
Attempt at applying theory developed for
RESOURCE
the private sector to public services
(Money)
Quantifiable «management parameters»
based on result (combat ready pilots),
but…
ACTIVITY
(Flying hrs)
...no recognized parameter linking result
and effect (deterrence, defence capability)
RESULT
Aggregated, quantifiable and final metrics
(Combat ready pilots)
for public services cannot be defined,
since there is no single and agreed
definition of success
EFFECT
Fragmentation of efficiency indicators into (Defence capability,
deterrence)
«management parameters»
– Futile in terms of improving services
– Dysfunctional side effects
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04.06.2015
7
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9
«Internal pricing»
The deformed twin of the balanced scorecard
• Advantages
– General cost awareness
– May work initially in transformation
processes
• Disadvantages
– Side effects of simulating a market
mechanism in a non-functioning market
•
•
•
•
Creating bureaucracy
Encouraging sub-optimalization
Monopoly effects
Dysfunctional cultural effects
– Examples
• Garage rental for military vehicles
• Shelters at firing ranges
• ”The management concept»
– Objective responsibility for political
decisions
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Thank you for your attention
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3
04.06.2015
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04.06.2015
10
FORSVARET
Leadership
in the Public Domain: Case study
Forsvarssjefen
What I Think Senior Policemen Should Have Said after 22. July
•
•
•
Much of the criticism after 22nd July
totally imbalanced and unfair
Norway has the sort of police force we
have requested
Given the circumstances and the
preconditions prevailing in the police
force, the Utøya operation must be
considered a success
– ABB apprehended 73 minutes after the
first shots fired
•
The debate dominated by ignorant media
- again
•
Public expectations totally unrealistic
– Example: The helicopter controversy
– Physical limitations
– Economic limitations
– Scenarios
•
Speaking out for your own people –
educating the public
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04.06.2015
Physical Limitations
First Response during Terrorist Attacks
•
•
Lillehammer
Fagernes
Rena
•
Gol
Rjukan
•
Skien
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11
Prosjektittel
Readiness time + flight time
Rygge-Oslo + loading time +
flight time Oslo-attack site <
required driving time Osloattack site
Red line = limit for when
helicopter transport will be
quicker, given 2 hrs
readiness
For military special
operations forces, the
limitation is the readiness of
the force – 24 hrs – not the
readiness of the helicopters
): First response will always
be by local police – live with
it!
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4
04.06.2015
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”The generals must remember that
the politicians make the decisions!”
This is the ultimate political delusion
In reality, development will make decisions –
the politicians can only decide whether they
will comply with development or not
Decisions ignoring development will have to be
reconsidered within a finite timeframe
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04.06.2015
13
FORSVARET
Leadership
within the Individual Service or Agency
Forsvarssjefen
•
«Improved leadership and strengthened culture» as a
productivity metric
– Probably more of a political slogan than practical
guidance
– Leadership vs command, the relational vs the functional
•
Leadership as a subject for scientific study
– Much of the theory developed for the private sector
– Little significance for public agencies and services
– Notable imbalance between theoretical leadership
qualifications and will to take on demanding positions
ito their leadership challenges
– The most successful leaders seem to be those who
combine the highest professional qualifications with the
ability to make necessary decisions – however
unpopular
•
Leadership in its simplest terms
– The difficulty with sound leadership is rarely knowing
what you should do – the difficulty is that the right
decision often comes with a price at your own expense
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•
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15
Economic limitations
Price Tag – Public Expectations
Expectation
– Readiness for immediate action at the
capability level of DELTA force all over
the country
•
Kostnad
– 5 officers ready 24/7 to deal with
another Utøya scenario in all 27 police
districts
– 4 shifts a 5 = 20 officers
– 27 districts mean 27 x 20 = 540 officers
– 50% of time taken up by training gives
540 x 0,5 = 270 new policemen
– 1 mill per policeman means budget
increase of NOK 270 mill
– Investment (vehicles, weapons, comms
etc) and operating costs approximately
the same
•
Total cost, conservative estimate
– NOK 540 mill per year
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04.06.2015
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