What 30 Years Of Public Sector Reform Has Taught Nellie Mayshak

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Below is our recent interview with Neillie Mayshak:

The best kind of career is one where the experiences themselves are as rewarding — if not more so — as the growth in your bank account. As a specialist in public sector reform, Nellie Mayshak has earned rewards of both types, but the difference she’s helped make in people’s lives is what has made the biggest difference in hers.

For the last 30 years, Nellie Mayshak has been a part of change programs in the public sectors of countries around the world – from Canada, where she earned her start in the field, to long-term projects in developing nations like Ghana, Sudan and Nigeria.

Public sector reform is the process of evolving efficient, responsive, transparent and accountable public administrations under a democratic form of governance. In countries where public agencies work, Mayshak notes, there’s trust in the government and there’s considerable value in the services a functioning public sector provides.

“Functioning public sectors sometimes do not exist in developing countries,” she says. “And in many countries, there’s not a lot of money to fund change, and the money that exists is often fought over by people in power … Some of the things we take for granted in a country like Canada – from an excellent education system and easy access to quality healthcare to public transportation and a tech infrastructure – they don’t have.”

As a public reform specialist, Mayshak has helped many countries build, often from the ground up, necessary public services, along with governance policies and procedures and the capacity to manage the sector efficiently and effectively, so that ultimately their people and economies can thrive.

“What always has been such an irony to me is that many of these developing countries are so rich in natural resources and in people who have so much to offer,” she says. “That makes it all the more important that we continue to invest in reform projects so these nations and their people reach their full potential.”

Nellie Mayshak elaborated on aspects of public sector reform during this interview.

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Q: Is public sector reform as important in advanced economies as it is in regions that are still struggling?

A: It’s not more or less important. It’s just different. In a country like Canada, our public services are well-developed. They’re taken for granted because, basically, many things works satisfactorily. So our reform projects are focused on making incremental changes, like finding ways to solve issues like long wait times to see healthcare specialists in a system that’s already evolved. But in developing countries, the needs are oftentimes broader and sometimes you are working to build change in a system from the ground up.

Q: Leading economies put a lot of money into public sector reform in developing countries. Why is this important?

A: It’s the right thing to do. We are all part of the global community. We have knowledge and capabilities to share. People in many nations are suffering because there are no resources and there is little capacity for the planning and management of a functioning, efficient public sector that citizens value and that leads to self-sufficiency.

Q: Isn’t there also a link between the migrant crisis that’s concerning Europe and the United States?

A: Yes. People don’t understand that a well-managed government makes for a better life for people. It establishes policies and procedures to ensure the necessities of life are met. That, for example, there’s reliable public transit – and roads, for that matter – so workers can get to and from jobs, so they earn paychecks that they use to help fuel the economy. That there’s adequate healthcare that is accessible and affordable. That the school systems prepare children for a future where they can contribute. When these public services don’t exist, people’s lives are negatively impacted. By developing the infrastructure for public service management, we help improve the quality of life and by extension improve the world.

Q: It sounds as though public sector reform would be a good and valued career path for young people who want to make a difference.

A: Absolutely. I have found it to be very rewarding. There’s a tremendous amount of satisfaction in creating positive change and helping people gain the capacity to move their public services and citizens forward. There is a need for people with knowledge in every field, from engineering to technology to agriculture. Even better when it’s mixed with a high level of empathy and caring.