Academy
Change Leadership in the Public Sector
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Success in the public service requires managing amidst greater uncertainty, complexity, and the rapid emergence of new technologies, while delivering on rising expectations for excellence in policy, programs and services. From leading new projects, adapting business processes, managing workforce adjustment, to integrating data and AI into your team’s work, managing change is part of the reality of public service. In this context, all leadership is change leadership. Effective leaders need to anticipate, motivate and implement change both within their organisations and in collaboration with external partners. This is particularly true as capacity and resources shrink.
In this two-day course, students will learn skills and strategies to be effective change leaders, guided by two former senior public servants: Neil Bouwer and Rachel Wernick.
Program dates
- When: October 28-29, 2026 (8:30am-4:30pm)
- Where: Downtown Ottawa
- Includes lunch
- Application deadline: October 22, 2026
Program Cost
- Regular pricing: $1,900 per person
- Member pricing (15% discount for PPF members): $1,616 per person
Who should attend
This learning program is designed specifically for public servants who are leading or taking part in change (e.g. resource cuts, technological adoption, new team configuration, new system adoption, change in priorities or mandate, etc.).
Program highlights
- In-depth exploration of the change drivers affecting the public sector and the particular challenges they bring to sustaining, renewing and transforming the achievement of excellence in policy, programs and services.
- Practical tips and tools for successfully leading change drawn from real experience and analysis of lessons learned.
- Individualized roadmap to translate program learnings into concrete actions and personal development that can be pursued post completion.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of the program, participants will:
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of current and emerging drivers of change and their particular impact on the public service.
- Be equipped, with a foundational understanding of change management theory and its application to leading change within the public service.
- Acquire a new toolkit of strategies for successfully navigating and leading change
- Understand the skills, practices and mindsets required to be an effective change leader and how to further their own development in these areas.
Pedagogical approach
Learners will:
- Acquire practical knowledge and tools drawn from the lived experience of two senior public service leaders, including through the exploration of case studies and personal lessons learned.
- Participate in facilitated discussions with peers to understand different challenges and approaches to change management in various government contexts.
- Develop a personal roadmap for leading the change they are currently, or soon will be, managing.
Bilingualism
Program Directors are bilingual and will encourage participation in both official languages. Resource material will be made available in both official languages; however, some optional materials may not be available in both languages.
Speakers
Program Directors
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Neil Bouwer
Neil Bouwer is a Professor of Practice at the Max Bell School and the former Vice-President of the Innovation and Skills Development Branch at the Canada School of Public Service.
He has also served as an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Natural Resources Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the Privy Council Office of Canada; and in executive positions at the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada.
He has also worked at the Department of Finance and Western Economic Diversification Canada, and has Economics degrees from McGill University and St. Thomas University. For many years Neil actively supported the Government of Canada policy and data communities, the Advanced Policy Analyst Program and the Free Agent HR Program.
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Rachel Wernick
Rachel Wernick is a Fellow with the Public Policy Forum and the Program Director for the Policy Leadership Program. Rachel is an accomplished leader having gained experience in a variety of executive roles at Canadian Heritage, the Privy Council Office, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and Public Works and Government Services Canada. She retired from the federal public service in May 2023 after a distinguished career that culminated in her role as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Skills and Employment at Employment and Social Development Canada.
Design and Delivery Team
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Lili Johanis
Program Lead, PPF Academy
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Celine Cooper
Executive Director, PPF Academy and Action Canada Fellowship
Celine Cooper is the Executive Director, PPF Academy and Action Canada Fellowship.
Prior to joining PPF, Celine served as the Managing Director of the Consortium of English-language CEGEPs, Colleges and Universities of Quebec where she forged collaborative partnerships across government, higher education and community sectors to build a province-wide network supporting post-secondary education, skills training, workforce development, and economic participation for Quebec’s minority language community.
Celine serves as the Director of the Bishop’s Forum at Bishop’s University, a civic leadership institute for Quebec youth. She has also served on several executive boards, including as President of the Association for Canadian Studies and President of the Fraser-Hickson Institute, and currently sits as a board member for the Montreal Institute for Global Security (MIGS). A former columnist with the Montreal Gazette and subject editor at The Canadian Encyclopedia (Historica Canada), she has taught at Concordia University’s School of Community and Public Affairs and held policy roles with Canada’s federal government at the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages and Status of Women Canada. Earlier in her career, she worked as an emergencies officer with UNICEF in Tbilisi, Georgia supporting the expansion of education, health, and child protection programs into conflict affected areas in the Southern Caucasus.
Celine holds degrees from Queen’s and York universities and pursued doctoral studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto.
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Dayna Tong
Program Coordinator
Dayna Tong is a program and operations professional with more than 15 years of experience supporting non-profit and member-based organizations. She specializes in delivering complex programs and events while improving the systems and processes that support them.
Throughout her career, Dayna has managed national training and certification programs, grant administration, large-scale events, membership initiatives, and governance processes. She has extensive experience with learning management systems (LMS), customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, and other digital tools that support program delivery and stakeholder engagement. Known for quickly mastering new technologies and streamlining complex workflows, she enjoys building practical solutions that help organizations operate more efficiently.
Dayna joined the Public Policy Forum in 2025 as Program Coordinator for the PPF Academy and Action Canada Fellowship. She has a growing interest in the practical applications of artificial intelligence and enjoys exploring how emerging technologies can improve organizational effectiveness and the way people work.