Being a Great Public Servant like Leslie Knope

On June 23, 2018, the globe shall recognize the United Nations Public Service Day. It originated in 2003 where it was designated in resolution 57/277 of the UN General Assembly. According to the United Nations, the purpose of this day of observance is to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community. It lauds the many contributions that public service has made to development processes across the globe. At the same time, it recognizes the work that the public servants are committed to everyday. As I have quickly learned, it is presented as a source of inspiration for young people like myself to pursue careers in the public sector. I, as a budding public servant, see it as a needed source of motivation to pursue it a permanent career.

One distinctive way this day of observance is commemorated is through Public Service Awards. The UN has noted that 250 of the 4000 initiatives submitted for this honour have received awards for projects in several broad areas of human development such as early assessment of children with special needs, skills development investments, and promotion of gender equality.

The 2018 awards are scheduled to held from June 21-23 in Marrakesh, the Kingdom of Morocco, illustrated through a theme of “Transforming governance to realize the Sustainable Development Goals.” These refer to the high-level goals that build off the accomplishments from the Millennium Development Goals, focusing on areas including climate change, peace and justice and economic inequality. As for governance, it is about promoting an appreciation for innovation in the design and delivery of public services across the globe including right here in Ontario and the rest of Canada

A few of the winners from 2017 were the Governments of West Bengal in India and Great Britain. The first involved a conditional cash transfer initiative that helped improve the mobility of adolescent girls avoid child marriage and obtain a high-quality education. The second was concerned with the matter of senior fraud, offering a volunteer-run safeguard services to reduce the number of seniors encountering financial abuse by 56%.

In 2009, the Government of Ontario achieved recognition by the UN Public Service Awards as well in delivering high-quality French language services to Ontario’s Francophone community.

For most young individuals contemplating their future careers, one should consider these two wise quotes from Stefania Senese, Governance and Public Administration Officer in UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Public Administration and Development Management, on the uniqueness of public service.

“A great public servant is someone who listens to the views of different people, tries to understand their needs and works tirelessly towards enhancing their lives. They are motivated and resilient and demonstrate an inclusive attitude. A great public servant is never afraid to innovate and change.”

“Their profession is, by its very nature, public, which means they work for everyone, especially for the poorest and the most vulnerable. That is why some people refer to public service as a vocation rather than a profession or occupation.”

This is a sentiment that I will work to bring towards my summer job in public servant in the Government of Ontario and as my vocation

Don’t rule out the possibility of being your own Leslie Knope, a great public servant from the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana and main character on one of my favorite television series, Parks and Recreation.