Governor's group should stick with efficacy

Gov. Huntsman seems to understand the role of an elected leader when he says he carries the "hopes, dreams and aspirations of the citizens." And indeed he does. He was elected because he listened to and articulated them during his campaign. It is important for the governor to have the UPP focus on making government more effective, rather than advising him on public policies, which should be a public matter. To do otherwise would set him up for criticism about not having an open government. Besides, the legislative leadership is already skittish about the groups the governor has formed. Though, it seems, there are enough problems for everyone to solve.

Past business groups have fallen short trying to improve government, not because of their ideas but because of their failure to understand the dynamics and politics that exist in the public sector. It is something governors and presidents realize once they are in office. They quickly find out that the bureaucracy at best tolerates them, and at worst works against them. Unlike the private sector, where competition drives change, public bureaucracies instinctively resist change. The UPP group may come up with the latest state-of-the-art means for improving government; however, if Gov. Huntsman doesn't call upon the involvement of the Legislature with its plethora of committees, the group's recommendations will never see the light of day.

What experts often fail to understand is the difference between the private sector and government. In business, the board of directors lets the CEO run the show. In state government, 104 legislators act as the board of directors with the governor as the CEO. In addition, there are layers of committees — interim, appropriations, standing, etc. — with all 104 "board members" having their own expectations and questions when things go wrong. Having a myriad of bosses with different expectations as to what the agency is supposed to be doing, public administrators are caught trying to please everybody, and they either use policies as their shield, do nothing, or flood the interrogator with data. The last thing they want to do is dare to try something new. So the message is, don't risk. That's the real culprit.

In the end, it's the governor who establishes the organization's culture by his behavior, by what he communicates is important, and by what gets done. The governor needs to have the skills to balance the interests of the public and the Legislature, and have the courage to risk and trust in the talents of state employees.

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Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations, served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net.