Nova Scotia Managers Network

The Nova Scotia Managers Network is a professional development network for Federal Government Managers in Nova Scotia. Through effective dialogue, learning events and networking opportunities we support, inspire and energize each other to resolve common issues, improve the quality of life at work and in the process, grow and develop together.

Brendan McDonald

Brendan McDonald is the Champion for the Nova Scotia Managers Network and the Regional Director General in the Atlantic Region for Public Works and Government Services Canada.

Born in Goose Cove, Newfoundland, Mr. McDonald studied civil engineering at Memorial University in Newfoundland and received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1975. He started his career in the Canadian public service that same year, as a Design Engineer with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In 1977, he moved to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs as a Project Manager and went on to hold progressively more senior positions in the Atlantic Provinces, British Columbia and Manitoba, where he was the Regional Director of Architecture and Engineering Services. In 1989, he moved to the National Capital Region as the Director of Professional and Technical Services of the former Public Works Canada. He has since held a number of senior positions within PWGSC, including: Regional Manager, Buildings, and Director, Architectural and Engineering Services in National Capital Operations. Most recently, he was National Client Service Director for the Department of National Defence.

Mr. McDonald was appointed to his current position in October 1996. As Regional Director General, Brendan McDonald acts as the representative of the Minister and Deputy Minister and as departmental spokesperson on all PWGSC issues in the Atlantic Region. He is responsible for providing leadership in representing the interests and concerns of the department and for the provision of programs and services in the areas of real property services, supply operations, government operational services, administration of the superannuation program, and corporate support functions to all client departments and agencies in the region. In addition to his present responsibilities, he is an active member of the Nova Scotia Federal Council and is involved in a number of non-government professional associations.

Mr. McDonald has many interests that include boating, photography and woodworking and he is also a very proud father of two teenage children.

Richard Crowe

Richard V. Crowe is the chair of the Nova Scotia Manager's Network and also represents Nova Scotia on the National Managers' Community Council.

As of June 2002, Richard has taken a secondment to Environment Canada where he is the Director of the Sydney Tar Ponds Project. Prior to this, Richard held the position of Client Service Unit Director, Real Property Services Branch, at Public Works and Government Services Canada in the Nova Scotia office, which he had held since 1996, shortly after the position was created in June 1995. After joining the former Public Works Canada in 1975, Richard held a number of positions, principally in the areas of facility and project management, cost planning, and marketing. In 1994, Richard was appointed Project Manager for the 1995 Halifax Summit.

A strong believer in the importance of horizontal issues within government departments, Richard has used his position within the Nova Scotia Managers Network to bring together managers from all departments, to share ideas and have meaningful conversations on how departments can benefit from each other. The Nova Scotia Managers Network has recently taken the next step in its evolution with the creation of the Nova Scotia Managers' Council (see additional information below) whereby it has representatives from each federal department/agency in Nova Scotia. This council clearly demonstrates Richard's vision of an inclusive network for Nova Scotia Federal Government Managers.

Richard brings with him, the experience of 27 years in the federal Public Service to all the different hats he wears.

Rob Diamond

Rob Diamond is the Secretariat for the Nova Scotia Managers Network and the Nova Scotia Regional Coordination for the National Managers' Community. Rob began this assignment in January 2002 and prior to this, he worked as an income tax business auditor at Canada Customs and Revenue Agency. 
Rob, also a native of Newfoundland, moved to Nova Scotia in 1992 to start working for the Federal Public Service shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 1995, Rob received his Certified Management Accountant designation from the Nova Scotia Society of Management Accountants.

Rob and his wife recently celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary and are the very proud parents of their seven-year-old daughter.

Nova Scotia Managers Day Forum

On February 19, 2002, the Nova Scotia Managers Network and the National Managers Community sponsored a Nova Scotia Managers Day Forum. Bob Chartier lead the discussion at the forum with a focus on identifying the needs, issues and concerns facing managers within the Federal Public Service in Nova Scotia.

The open space session identified twenty-five topics with eighteen of them being used for small group discussions. The top five issues identified were:

• Managing change, assisting employees to accept change 
• Trying to do what is operationally required as well as attend to professional development, all within regular work hours
• Effective communication between senior managers, managers and staff - conversation between management and staff
• Staffing process too long
• Tapping into each other's solutions across department

The recommendations for improvement in these areas included implementing changes to the way we use technology to communicate, the importance of a network such as the Nova Scotia Managers Network in providing a forum for various management issues, and the importance of professional development.

The information gathered from this forum has helped the Network plan its agenda for the 2002/2003 fiscal year. By identifying our community's needs, issues and concerns, we ensure that the Nova Scotia Managers Network remains current and can proactively address any future issues that arise. 

Nova Scotia Managers' Council

The Nova Scotia Managers Network has recently reorganizing itself with the creation of a Manager's council. There are thirty-six managers on the council representing 30 federal government departments and agencies in Nova Scotia. On May 29, 2002, the first Nova Scotia Managers' Council session was held with an agenda that included a summary of the network's history, discussions on the activities the council should be engaged in, plus a presentation from the Nova Scotia Federal Council Embracing Change Coordinator, Calvin Barton. Some of the ideas that were brought forward in the discussions about issues the council should be engaged in included:

• Human Resource Reform / Public Service Reform
• Modern Comptrollership
• Security
• Work/Life Balance
• Ethics and Values
• Sharing of Best Practices / Innovation
• Sharing Training and Expertise
• Presentations from Departments on Major Issues with
• Implications that would Effect all Departments
• Provincial Environmental Scan
• Management Orientation
• Official Languages
• Employment Equity / Diversity
• Information on Treasury Board and Privy Council Initiatives
• Linking all the pieces together

The discussions also addressed the importance that the Nova Scotia Managers' Council can have on these issues. The potential of the Nova Scotia Manager's Council includes open dialogue between departments on common operational issues, more proactive initiatives on management issues and discussions on duplication of programs. It is our vision that the Nova Scotia Manager's Council will meet at a minimum of every quarter and that each representative on the council would then be the primary contact for his or her home department on behalf of the Network.

This new structure has helped make the Nova Scotia Managers Network more inclusive and more able to facilitate debate with managers on substantive issues such as "HR Modernization" and "Diversity" just to name two. Also individuals and groups who want a forum with Nova Scotia Federal Government Managers can use our Council.

The Nova Scotia Managers Network will also operate with an executive committee (formed from the core committee that previously lead the network) which will meet monthly to plan the agendas for the Managers Council, and continue to plan learning and networking events for Nova Scotia Federal Government Managers.

Stakeholders

The Nova Scotia Managers Network has a close working relationship with the Nova Scotia Federal Council. Our chair has a seat on the Nova Scotia Federal Council and we were invited to send representatives from our Network to this year's Nova Scotia Federal Council's planning session. In addition to the current work with the Embracing Change file (see additional information below), there are plans to include Youth Connect and It's Your Move, two additional Nova Scotia Federal Council initiatives, in our future events. 
Our future plans include creating strategic alliances with the various department and agency managers' organizations and further our relationships with the other Atlantic Canada Provinces' Federal Government Managers' Networks. 

Upcoming Events

The Nova Scotia Managers Network is in negotiations with an outside facilitator to run a half-day session on Work/Life Balance which we hope to host in July 2002.

Another up coming event the Network is currently working on is a half day breakfast session (tentatively to be held in the Fall of 2002) to facilitate discussion on the Embracing Change initiative. The Nova Scotia Managers Network is represented on the Nova Scotia Federal Council Embracing Change Steering Committee and the breakfast session is part of Communication strategy of the Steering Committee.

The Nova Scotia Managers Network is very excited about the April 2003 National Managers Community National Professional Development Forum, which is to be held in Halifax at the World Trade and Convention Centre.