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Job Specification
Position Title: SENIOR ADVISOR, IMPACT EVALUATION
Job Code: AMAPCEO - Prog Analysis Ama Unit APA20, 20APA
Job ID: 20998

Purpose of Position:
To provide leadership, expertise and coordination in the conduct of program evaluations and health impact assessments of portfolios and the initiatives within a portfolio to ensure alignment with overall health system strategies. To develop related health strategies, policies, program design, regulations and/or legislation addressing a range of strategic health system issues in accordance with stewardship principles and objectives.

Duties/Responsibilities:
Within the Division responsible for setting the strategic directions for Ontarios health system, the position:

1.¬ Provides leadership, expertise, and strategic consultative advice throughout the ministry on program evaluation and health impact assessments for the conduct of evaluations of ministry initiatives to enable the assessment of portfolios and strategic initiatives within each portfolio. Advises on long term targeted outcomes, defines scope for change, develops alternatives and analysis related to strategy, policy, program design, standards, regulation and legislation to evaluate and report on progress against long term strategic outcomes.

2. Conducts and/or oversees the conduct of program evaluations and health impact assessments to determine the extent to which the portfolio and its investments contribute to, or produce the intended outcomes. Conducts cross-ministry or cross-public sector impact analysis and evaluation. Assesses the impact, merit and relevance of a portfolio or initiative within a portfolio to determine whether or not the portfolio should be decommissioned or a particular initiative be continued or terminated.

3. Acquires and manages contractual agreements between the ministry and external service providers responsible for conducting program / impact evaluations. Analyses results of external impact evaluations and assures the quality of evaluations in accordance with established national and international program evaluation and health impact assessments standards and protocols.

4. Develops and maintains portfolio investment impact evaluation tools, templates and tracking systems to manage the tracking of evaluations across the ministry.

5. Develops and builds partnerships and business relationships with key health system stakeholders to ensure positive and productive working relationships, lead stakeholder consultations and to provide advice on key division initiatives impacting the health system. Provides advice to, and maintains ongoing collaborative working relationships with other branches throughout the division and ministry as well as other ministries and levels of government to negotiate and influence decision making and facilitate the design and development of strategies for performance measurement policies and frameworks. Participates/leads ministry, inter-ministerial and/or inter-provincial committees to ensure a collaborative approach to performance measurement. Maintains and nurtures information networks allowing for timely access to appropriate expertise both internally and externally.

6. Leads/contributes to assigned concurrent project and/or work teams comprised of branch/division/ministry colleagues, ministry
stakeholders, other ministries and levels of government. Undertakes all areas of impact evaluation planning, development
and communications including: issues identification, analysis and synthesis of research and other material, development of options
and conceptual frameworks, and recommendations. Identifies project parameters including negotiation of resources and collaborative working groups, facilitating project stages and activities, monitoring project progress, negotiation, problem resolution and review and takes
appropriate steps to ensure high standards are met by project team.

7. Develops and implements a training strategy to ensure clients are equipped with the requisite skills and knowledge in program evaluations and health impact assessments including designing and delivering training materials, resources and presentations.
8. Conducts the review and analysis of formal and informal research findings, cross jurisdictional experience, long term population and health
system trends and models, and other forms of evidence to support effective program evaluations and health impact assessments.

9. Promotes branch initiatives through presentations and speeches to members of the health system/sector, the community and ministry
management and staff. Represents the Division/Ministry on behalf of the Director and ADM as a participant on inter-ministerial committees.
10. Prepares briefing notes, letters, speeches, presentations and position papers for senior management and in response to correspondence for the
Ministers, Deputy Ministers, ADMs and senior officials signature.
11. Participates in the development of strategic directions for the Unit/Branch and Ministry by working closely with senior management to ensure
integration and co-ordination of projects.

12. Acts for the Manager, during absences, as required.

Knowledge:
Position requires knowledge and understanding of the principles, methods and processes of program evaluation and health impact assessments, health system data and analytical tools, and population health measures to provide leadership, expertise and coordination in the conduct of program evaluations and health impact assessments of portfolios and/or the initiatives within a portfolio. Knowledge of Ontarios health system strategy to ensure alignment between evaluations and assessments and the strategy. Knowledge of established national and international program evaluation and health impact assessment standards and protocols to ensure that impact evaluations and assessments meet national and international standards. Understanding of real-world complex systems and analytic methods for assessing causal responsibility in these systems. Knowledge of the sensitivities and complex relationships of health system stakeholder groups and populations to ensure effective relationships are developed. Skills in applying current research methodology tools and techniques, particularly as they pertain to analyzing and assessing health system performance issues. Position requires knowledge of government/ministry directions and priorities, Division mandate, and ministry stewardship principles and objectives to ensure compliance and alignment. Knowledge of health care system trends, models of delivery, funding, governance and legislation and understanding of critical issues and concerns faced by health stakeholders to inform program evaluation. Skills to access, utilize and interpret health information issues in the Ontario, Canadian and international contexts. Knowledge of approaches and methods used for assessing health system program evaluations and health impact assessments in other jurisdictions and health systems. Knowledge of government procurement and contract management processes to acquire and manage contractual agreements between the ministry and external service providers responsible for conducting portfolio investment impact evaluations. Knowledge of training methods and training skills to develop and deliver training on program evaluation and health impact assessments. Project management skills to provide project planning and leadership on concurrent performance measurement projects, work collaborative with team members and to manage deadlines and competing priorities. Negotiation, and facilitation skills to provide leadership on project and work teams. Computer proficiency to access the Internet as a research tool and to prepare own materials using various software programs. Oral and written communication and presentation skills to prepare and present complex research analyses, detailed program evaluation and health impact assessment frameworks, speeches and briefing papers; promote clear, open communication which sets new corporate and political direction and has a large public impact, and to create or develop complex documents synthesizing a variety of ideas, views and issues into a fluid and cohesive fashion. Commitment to organizational learning to establish and constantly renew expert level of knowledge. Innovation and creativity to identify how to create more value for ministry stakeholders by being prepared to look beyond the data for solutions, generate varied solutions to the situation at hand and understand the strategic implications of new ideas. Relationship management and partnership building skills to work cooperatively with all partners to meet mutual goals, identify partners true interests and opportunities for collaboration. Political acuity to appreciate, understand and utilize the power of relationships, both formal and informal, with organizations one is working with or as it relates to the formal political structure of the government and to understand climate and culture. Team work skills to work collaboratively within the team and work group, contribute fully and actively to team activities, projects and client initiatives to achieve group and organization goals and to collaborate with others in order to pursue and consider the perspectives of other groups. Strategic thinking to link current action or daily tasks to strategies (ministry or external) or a long-term perspective. System thinking to perceive and understand the ministry and the health care system, isolating one or several parts of a system or viewing the system in order to analyze impacts of actions or events, both in the past and for purposes of future planning and to recommend and implement plans based on that analysis.

Judgement:
Position works under the general direction of the Manager and within the broad strategic framework of ministry stewardship principles and objectives, the Division and Branch mandates and ministry/government directions for Ontarios health system as well as established national and international program evaluation and health impact assessments standards and protocols. Position is expected to work with a high level of initiative and independence in leading concurrent projects for the conduct of program evaluations and health impact assessments to ensure alignment with overall health system strategies involving advising on long term targeted outcomes. A high level of judgement is exercised in assessing the impact, merit and relevance of a portfolio or initiative within a portfolio to determine whether or not the portfolio should be decommissioned or a particular initiative be continued or terminated, with consideration to the needs of the ministry, relationships across Ontarios health system, the stewardship role of the ministry and shifting government priorities. Judgement and political acuity are exercised in analyzing results of external impact evaluations and assuring the quality of evaluations in accordance with standards; in negotiating and influencing decision making and facilitating the design and development of strategies for performance measurement policies and frameworks.


Accountability - Programs:
Provides leadership, expertise and coordination in the development of a ministry approach to program evaluation and health impact assessment. Advises on long term targeted outcomes, defines scope for change, develops alternatives, analysis and selection related to
strategy, policy, program design, standards, regulation and legislation to evaluate and report on progress against long term strategic
outcomes. Develops and maintains impact evaluation tools, templates and tracking systems to manage the tracking of
evaluations across the ministry. Assesses the impact, merit and relevance of a portfolio or initiative within a portfolio to determine whether or not the portfolio should be decommissioned or a particular initiative be continued or terminated. Participates in unit/branch strategic directions to ensure integration and coordination of projects.

Accountability - Personnel:
Leads assigned project and/or work teams. Oversees planning of resources including external consultants, assignment of project tasks, monitoring of project progress and review of work to ensure standards are met.

Accountability - Finance & Material:
n/a

Accountability - Impact of Errors:
As this positions expertise in program evaluation and health impact assessments is relied upon by senior ministry officials, ineffective advice and guidance could reduce the effectiveness of program evaluation, and thereby impair the ability of the ministry to achieve health system goals, deliver on government priorities and ensure that the public is receiving the best possible value for the investment of tax dollars. This may attract criticism by stakeholders and media and result in erosion of credibility and public confidence in the ministry and in our health institutions to deliver the best possible care.

Contact - Internal:
Frequent contact with branch/division/ministry colleagues to provide leadership, expertise, and strategic consultative advice throughout the ministry on program evaluation and health impact assessment approaches and results and to lead/contribute to project and/or work teams. Regular contact with the ADM and other members of senior management sitting on the Strategy and Investment Prioritization Committee or Ministry Management Committee to advise on results of program/impact evaluations. Occasional contact with the office of the Minister may be required. Regular contact with counterparts in other ministries by participating/leading ministry, inter-ministerial and inter-provincial committees to develop a coordinated approach to program evaluation and health impact assessments.

Contact - External:
Frequent contact with health system stakeholders (including LHINs) to develop and nurture consultations and partnerships on key program/portfolio performance issues and conduct of evaluations and related issues, initiatives and activities and to negotiate/mediate project activities. Frequent contact with counterpart experts in other jurisdictions to build linkages, conduct research and analyse trends and with external consultants to acquire and manage support on projects.