Ivey Senior Public Sector Leader Program

Ivey Business School

Public Sector

About Programme

Leaders in public service face unique challenges that stem from the complex, dynamic, and high-stakes nature of their roles. Limited resources, political pressures, high standards of transparency and accountability, complex bureaucratic structures, and a constantly evolving social landscape make it more complicated–and more important–to drive meaningful change in organizations and communities.

The Ivey Senior Public Sector Leader Program is a comprehensive, results-driven leadership development initiative designed to cultivate and enhance the skills of senior leaders in Canada’s public sector. This program equips you with the necessary tools, knowledge, and competencies to navigate the complex public administration environment, enabling you to lead more effective teams and inspire successful outcomes in any context.

The program covers a range of topics tailored to the unique needs of Canada's public sector leaders, such as change management, strategic innovation, collaborative negotiation, and inclusive leadership. Working with a curated group of peers and top faculty members from Ivey Business School, you will develop an action-oriented plan to immediately apply your learning and address real-world opportunities in your role. Through the program, you will join a robust network of like-minded professionals, enhance your approach to leadership, and prepare to elevate your impact in Canada’s public sector.

Programme Content

Centering on Leadership Character

Unpack your personal approach to leadership through the lens of Ivey’s Leader Character Framework.

Explore the intersection of humility, accountability, courage, and integrity as the foundation of effective leadership in the public sector.

Enhance your self-awareness as a leader by completing a 360 assessment and working with a dedicated leadership coach to identify your habits and unique strengths.

Empowering people and teams

Model best practices for performance management and get commitment from others — even in remote, hybrid, or otherwise distributed teams.

Practice negotiation, influence, and persuasion to create shared value in any context.

Encourage a culture of mutual support, respect, and trust in your team.

Driving strategic change

Apply essential innovation and change management practices to lead transformative growth.

Collect and interpret the right inputs for informed decision-making.

Manage broad–and sometimes competing–interest groups, aligning values and goals to build consensus.

Balance short-term priorities with long-term strategic planning to ensure sustainable outcomes.

Contextualizing public sector leadership

Analyze the disparity between intended policy direction and actual impacts in externally oriented policies (e.g., trade, housing, climate, infrastructure) and internal policies (e.g., diversity, IT, departmental and government structure).

Critically appraise the relationship between politics and public administration at senior levels within the shared Westminster system adopted by the Government of Canada and provincial governments.

Explore the mechanics, shared experiences, and opportunities for governance and program delivery reforms in a decentralized federal-provincial and municipal context.

Overcoming barriers to inclusion

Examine your positionality and better understand intersectional identities in historical, cultural, and social contexts.

Map the power dynamics and structures that reinforce inequality and exclusion in organizations.

Find opportunities to intervene — and recognize your responsibility to engage in allyship and advocacy.

Building awareness of emerging trends

Predict the impact of new technologies and shape the path of digital transformation in your organization.

Navigate social connectivity in the public sector and identify strategies to boost transparency and accountability.

Apply a Systems Thinking lens inside and outside your organization.

Programme Audience

The Ivey Senior Public Sector Leader Program is designed for individuals that have recently advanced into high-level federal or provincial government roles. Participants are generally accountable for far-reaching people and team management responsibilities, the leadership of major projects, and significant budget oversight. You will renew and reinforce critical leadership capabilities, explore research-backed insights on contemporary challenges, and set the groundwork for long-term success in the senior levels of Canadian public service.

Applicants commonly include individuals in Assistant Deputy Minister, Crown Corporation VP, or Assistant Secretary roles. Program admission in each annual cohort is limited, and each participant must be sponsored by a Minister, Deputy Minister, or equivalent leader. Each participant will need to work with their sponsor to select and develop an action learning project, which is a key component of the program.

Programme Benefits

Enhance your awareness to become a more effective, inclusive, emotionally intelligent leader.

Work with a leadership coach to complete and unpack a 360-degree assessment.

Expand your perspective on critical business issues to navigate disruption in the business landscape.

Earn a certificate and digital credential from Ivey.

Form lifelong connections with peers through learning and social events.

Join the Ivey Executive Education Alumni Network, a long-term resource for participants to seek advice on professional challenges.

Receive discounts on select programs, exclusive event invitations, and curated collections of thought leadership.

Overcome real-world challenges and act on new opportunities through action learning projects.

Accelerate innovation and digital transformation to drive strategic success.

Plan for succession and create a leadership pipeline to develop and sustain future leadership capability in public sector organizations.

Adopt insights and best practices from Ivey faculty, industry experts, and other organizations to jump-start new ideas.

Encourage an inclusive culture to foster belonging and well-being.

Attract, identify, and retain employees to maintain relevance in a competitive talent market.

Connect with top Ivey faculty to gain new perspectives on critical organizational challenges.

Testimonials

"The program allowed me to stretch my strategic horizons. Connecting me with peers, expanding my perspectives, and hearing about new research — while at the same time allowing me to delve deeply into my personal values and character as a leader."

Marian Campbell Jarvis

Assistant Deputy Minister Minerals and Metals Sector Natural Resources Canada

"I recommend this program to public sector leaders who want to deepen their leadership skills and advance their careers. The challenges presented in the case studies and other materials resonate with the issues we face as senior public servants and offer a different level of understanding. Working through complex situations with new colleagues from different levels of government is an unforgettable experience."

Helen Angus

Associate Deputy Minister/ Transformation Secretariat Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

Testimonial Source