## Notes from 22 March 2026 [[2026-03-21|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-03-23|Next note →]] Just discovered [[Corey Hogan]], a Canadian MP (Liberal from Alberta, elected 2025) and former head of Alberta's Communications and Public Engagement department (2016-2020), where he led an 18% budget reduction ($7.4M annual savings) with no layoffs across two premiers (NDP's Notley, Conservative Kenney). His Substack provides practitioner insights on government efficiency distinct from typical reform discourse. Here are some good insights from two of his recent posts: **"[Government isn't a startup - Government is insurance](https://www.coreyhogan.ca/p/government-isnt-a-startup)"** challenges DOGE/Musk approach to reform: government's core function is prevention and capacity maintenance for unknown future crises, not "fail fast" optimization. Government operates under "fail never" mandate across large populations where "something goes wrong everyday" (law of large numbers). Indiscriminate cuts reduce resilience with consequences felt on "Day 100, Day 1000 and beyond" rather than Day One. "Today's fat is tomorrow's necessity." **"[How to shrink a government department](https://www.coreyhogan.ca/p/how-to-shrink-a-government-department)"** provides ten-step practitioner framework: (1) Have actual plan beyond flat cuts/attrition, use "blank paper" exercise; (2) Coordinate cross-departmentally, avoid empire-building; (3) Focus on dollars not FTE limits (position control is means not end); (4) Insist on accountability - "real savings comes from accountability" not just focus/simplicity, reducing committee-based work; (5) Lean incrementally where fine-tuning; (6) Move quickly on fundamental changes; (7) Don't change what you don't understand, track time; (8) Centralization isn't always answer (60% of reorgs reduce productivity initially per McKinsey); (9) Expect shakedown period; (10) Work with unions as partners.