## Notes from 19 February 2026 [[2026-02-18|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-02-20|Next note →]] The February 5, 2026, edition of **The Functionary**, published by the [[Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP)]], reports on the "affected notices" issued to the **EC (Economics and Social Science Services)** group. This category has doubled since 2010 to over 27,000 employees and serves as the primary "catch-all" for Canadian public service policy roles. As the Carney administration seeks to reduce the civil service, ECs have become a target for cuts, as they represent the majority of recent growth and operate as generalists across analysis, design, and coordination. The newsletter identifies this expansion as a driver of the "**everything bagel problem**" - the loading of policies with multiple social and economic requirements (equity, climate, labor standards) that stall implementation. Professor [[Jonathan Craft]] (University of Toronto) notes that the government lacks a map of its internal skills, meaning cuts are driven by savings targets rather than strategic reform. The shift toward "delayering" aims to prioritize "plumbers" (delivery and execution) over "poets" (policy thinkers). While experts argue that separating policy from delivery is a false dichotomy, I guess the practical integration remains difficult as they require very distinct competencies and profiles. This dynamic is mirrored in **Brazil**, where technical careers function as a broad talent pool. Although the technical "craft" of these analysts is similar across sectors, the lack of management mechanisms to track and deploy specific skills creates a similar disconnect between policy design and operational execution.