Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide leadership and input in the benefits policy development process, including its technical and legislative elements, with broad areas of coverage to include strategic economic and fiscal implications of changes to benefit programs and their interactions with the provincial and federal tax and transfer systems and other benefit programs, and changes to other provincial benefit systems.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Under the general guidance of the Manger, Benefits Policy and as an expert in the area of benefits policy, the incumbent:

Benefit Policy Analysis
Develops and analyses strategic and specific policy options, with special expertise in the following manner:

- Provides expert advice on relevant policy, technical and legislative aspects of the benefit programs funded by Ontario, its relationship to federal tax and transfer policy, and the policies of other provinces and with Ontario's benefit policy system.

- Uses statistical techniques to develop data, generate samples, etc. to analyze benefit program impacts.

- Works with other Branches to design and develop technical computer models to test the impact of policy options on typical individuals.

- Assumes responsibility for validity and correctness of results.

- Provides expert advice on the policy, technical and legislative aspects of specific benefit programs for modelling and analytical purposes, such as relevant details of the governing statutes, regulations, etc., revenue and expenditure statistics and beneficiary profiles, coordinates with other lead analysts to provide research results.

- Initiates, carries out and writes extensive high-calibre economic, technical and legislative research and analysis.

- Liaises with federal and provincial counterparts to discuss policy, technical and legislative issues, identify new or emerging benefit areas and benefits policy techniques and share information, reports on findings in writing.

- Identifies and understands key facts of an issue relevant to decision-making such as the implication of the governing statues, historical perspective, experience in other jurisdictions, the broader government policy environment, macro/micro-economic implications, social policy issues, and the perspective of affected groups/sectors; documents analysis and a range of policy options for discussion.

Issue Management/Policy Development

- Develops written work plans and advises manager on appropriate analytical approaches consistent with needs.

- Documents findings and methodologies for use by others.

- Prepares and presents briefing notes, papers, etc. to Minister of Finance, Deputy Minister and senior management.

- Ensures all relevant aspects are incorporated into the policy development process, including need for follow up action, communications strategy, input from other branch staff, other areas of the ministry and other ministries.

- Ensures finished product meets quality control standards and conveys message in a clear, understandable fashion.

- Ensures information is provided on a timely basis.

- Identifies upcoming issues for the section and advises manager and undertakes projects with respect to emerging issues.

- Manages several different complex, high priority issues concurrently and ensures electronic files, databases, office and central files are well organized, secured (i.e., fully and completely protected from unauthorized access) complete, accessible and up-to-date.

-Prepares Cabinet Submissions and reports for Treasury Board as required.

Leadership/Planning

- Provides leadership to more junior staff by explaining tasks and monitoring progress both as a project head and as a senior branch resource.

- Encourages junior staff, through example and advice, to stretch their control and handling of policy issues.

- Takes, for some products, responsibility for their development, and decides on direction of work of contributing staff and consultants.

- Ensures section maintains up-to-date knowledge with respect to strategic policy, technical and legislative issues, available tools and information and advises manager of status and needs.

- As team/project leader, sets deadlines and reviews material to ensure quality control.

- Assumes role of acting manager, as required, including setting priorities and work plan.

Communication Responsibilities

- Writes briefing material, correspondence, etc. in clear, concise, well organized manner, and according to prescribed formats. Written material takes into account the target audience to determine both the appropriate level of technical detail and the tone of material.

- Delivers presentations in a straightforward and understandable fashion.

- Consults with other ministry staff and other ministries on joint issues/projects.

- Ensures that central fifes are complete and up-to-date.

- Deals with questions from the public and media in a confident and competent manner.

Liaison/Linkages

- Understands and acts upon the linkages between benefit policy issues and other issues on the government's agenda and provides advice on and/or initiates appropriate contacts within and outside the Ontario government

Represents Branch

- Participates and leads, as branch representative and as needed at meetings or on work teams with other branches/ministries/governments and/or private groups and provides explanations of public policy through speeches, panels, etc.

Knowledge :

Academic training in economics. Public policy/administration or comparable discipline or equivalent work experience. Expert knowledge in economic and social policy development and quantitative analysis. Expert knowledge of research techniques, including quantitative methods and sound analytical skills. Thorough knowledge of government structure and policy approval processes. Excellent written and oral communication skills to provide clear and concise analyses, correspondence and briefing material, to convey effectively results of analyses during presentations to senior management and to develop and maintain contacts in the public and private sectors. Good administrative and organizational skills to plan and carry out projects to deadlines and to supervise and support junior staff or students as necessary. Demonstrated ability to consistently meet deadlines and manage multiple issues.

Judgement :

Work is carried out under the direction of the Manager, and/or lead policy analysts, who provide guidance in establishing terms of reference and expected output. Judgment is exercised in determining and applying research techniques, developing significant factors involved in a project, providing and presenting analysis and recommendations, and ensuring deadlines are met. Ensures briefing material, correspondence, etc. correctly conveys prevailing government policy. Exercises discretion and judgment in exchanging information with contacts in other ministries and in other jurisdictions. Judgment is exercised in development of analytical techniques and guiding/advising junior staff and students in their research. Judgment is exercised when acting as the unit manager or as team/project leader in setting deadlines and reviewing material to ensure quality control.

Accountability - Programs :

Working to deadlines and deliverables, the incumbent is directly accountable for accuracy of analysis. Reviews work to ensure all significant factors are covered. Ensures accuracy of technical analysis, briefing materials and correspondence for the Ministers signature, consistency of same with government policy, subject to review of senior staff. Areas of coverage include a program(s) falling within the responsibilities of the ministry, or other Ontario government ministries, and/or of the Government of Canada.

Accountability – Personnel :

N/A

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

N/A

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

Errors in interpretation and analysis of data could result in mistakes/errors in the formulation of benefits policy, indiscretion/poor judgment could lead to premature release of ministry policy information and cause embarrassment to the Minister of Finance and the ministry.

Contact - Internal :

Regular contact with staff in other branches/ministries to obtain/exchange information in areas of responsibility.

Contact - External :

Contact with federal, provincial and municipal counterparts, universities, accounting and legal firms and tax and social policy research organizations. Occasional contact with media and consultants to provide/obtain information/collect data. Occasional contact with the Federal government and other jurisdictions to exchange information and identify, adopt analytical techniques and data sources to improve technical knowledge in areas of responsibility.