Kennedy Stewart (SFU School of Public Policy)
Public policy at all levels of government is driven by written memoranda. Academic literature outlines the components of an ideal policy memo and emphasizes the need to place problem-solving at the centre of these documents. Declassified materials suggest that federal and provincial memos are generally problem-centred and contain many of the ideal components recommended by scholars. However, many local government policy memos deviate from this academic ideal and often focus on implementation rather than problem-solving. This difference is partly due to the absence of federal and provincial-style confidentiality rules at the local government level which protect frank assessments of policy problems and possible solutions from immediate public scrutiny. It is also due to the training and guidance local government officials receive. This paper compares academic advice, declassified federal and provincial memos, and local government reports to further examine these observations and to offer suggestions for improving the policy advice provided to local government officials.