Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide project leadership, advice, and expertise in the design, development and implementation of policies, programs and standards that meet strategic educational objectives in the province and promote educational quality, and system accountability.

Key Responsibilities :

1.Policy Development/Program Evaluation:
- Participates in and/or leads the research, analysis, development and implementation of policy options and/or program frameworks that address service specific or systemic issues and needs within the postsecondary educational sector.
- Undertakes all aspects of policy and program development, delivery and evaluation, from research and analysis of trends and directions, issue identification and management, stakeholder consultations, impact analysis, development of options and recommendations, and preparation of options and recommendations, and financial management and accountability.
- Assesses the effectiveness of new/changed policies and programs to support further policy development, and undertakes program analysis/evaluation to identify performance benchmarks/strategies/best practices.
- Ensures that options and recommendations meet strategic postsecondary educational and government objectives, and consider factors such as funding, governance, horizontal policy development, stakeholder needs and interests, cross-sectoral implications, implementation issues, and
immediate and long term impacts across the postsecondary educational system.
- Maintains a current knowledge of post-secondary education issues, identifies trends and directions which affect the postsecondary educational system, and both current and emerging policy issues requiring legislative reform, policy, or program responses.
- Plans/designs research and conceptual frameworks for policy studies, develops/recommends project goals, parameters, resources, and deliverables, and conducts or coordinates qualitative and quantitative analysis, trends, options and impact analysis, and financial modelling of alternatives to support policy and program recommendations.
- Develops in-depth reports and analyses, presents policy options and recommendations to ministry senior management for decision making purposes, and prepares policy documentation [e.g., Cabinet submissions, legislative amendments].
- Undertakes the analysis of postsecondary education policy and programs, and reviews program/policy budgetary, and financial documents and submissions.
2. Stakeholder Relations/Partnerships:
- Consults and solicits input on proposed policies and programs with key ministry, government and postsecondary educational stakeholders, to gather intelligence, obtain data, develop consensus, identify concerns and issues, and ensure consistency of policy approach and integration with the overall
postsecondary education mandate.
- Leads and/or represents the Branch on ministry, cross-ministry, sectoral or inter-jurisdictional working groups and committees, and consults with educational experts in other governments/organizations, to discuss and strategically position educational issues, programs and policies and develop a
consistent and integrated approach to educational quality and standards.
3. Issue Analysis/Information/Advice:
- Provides advice, research, and interpretation to senior management with respect to postsecondary education policy, programs, services, and funding and negotiates/mediates contentious policy/program issues with stakeholder groups.
- Leads development of, and/or prepares a range of analyses/communications [e.g. briefing notes, correspondence, policy papers, presentations, speeches] requested by senior management and other stakeholders.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Policy and program development principles and techniques and government legislative/decision making processes to undertake issue analysis lead and/or participate in the research and development of strategies, policies, and program frameworks, programs and standards, that meet strategic
postsecondary educational and government objectives in the province.
- Program analysis/evaluation techniques to assess the effectiveness of new/changed policies and programs and to provide recommendations on policy and program delivery, management and accountability frameworks.
- Economic theory and issues impacting postsecondary education in the province, relevant legislation, provincial and ministry strategic directions pertaining to the post-secondary educational mandates, funding, governance and related critical issues, to ensure that ministry and government
objectives and directions are considered in the development of policy and program performance criteria, and benchmarks, and to provide sound information and advice to clients and stakeholders.
- The broad fiscal framework governing provincial postsecondary funding and governance accountability frameworks, to review and evaluate policy and programs in the sector.
- Research principles/techniques, statistical analysis, quantitative/qualitative methodologies, and project management techniques, to plan, design and lead/conduct research projects/studies and to undertake analysis of trends, financial analysis, system modelling, analysis of multi-jurisdictional
information and evaluation of best practices, options, costs, and impacts.
- Oral and written communications to respond to issues, provide recommendations, prepare reports, Cabinet submissions, briefing materials and correspondence, to represent the Branch on working groups, and to promote policy initiatives to internal and external stakeholders.
- Standard software programs and tools to research and prepare own materials.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Consultation and negotiation skills to develop key stakeholder linkages, and to gain support for ministry policy and program initiatives from other ministries and stakeholders.
- Consensus-building and mediation skills to ensurethat policy and program frameworks reflect coordinated input from all key players, and to mediate/resolve identified policy/program issues with stakeholders.
- Presentation and persuasion and mediation skills to provide policy and/or program advice and to explain policy and/or program recommendation.
- Facilitation skills and diplomacy to communicate the Ministry policy/position on sensitive, political, issues to working committees, other governments, stakeholders, and the general public.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
- Plan/design/undertake research studies to assess/evaluate issues and conceptualize/develop strategies, policies and program frameworks, options, and operational guidelines.
- Assess both qualitative and quantitative information in developing policy, funding, and program proposals, and evaluate a range of policy factors such as: funding, governance, and stakeholder interests.
- Evaluate other jurisdictional policy submissions to assess implications/impacts on policy/programs.
- Identify and evaluate the implications and impact of proposed policy/program changes, implementation issues, and medium and long term impacts of changes, and modify/make changes to mitigate identified potential risks.
- Analyze competing interests of stakeholders, mediate issues, and/or develop policies, programs or solutions that resolve concerns.
- Process and distill information from a range of sources, including research and scientific data, trends analyses, and independent research, to identify issues and discern salient points.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Leading, coordinating, and/or carrying out studies/projects in to develop/recommend policy and funding options that have provincial political, social and fiscal implications.
- Providing policy analysis/recommendations/options and/or program frameworks to senior management that impact postsecondary education policy and/or program delivery in the province.
- Identifying and assessing issues requiring policy or program response within broad provincial strategic directions for postsecondary education and legislative/regulatory and policy framework and recommending options/strategies to mitigate risks.
- Planning/carrying out research and evaluation of postsecondary educational policies, programs, services, and accountability relationships.
- Assessing proposed postsecondary educational policy changes/proposals on stakeholder interests, needs, funding, governance, and service delivery.
- Representing the ministry in consultations with inter-jurisdictional stakeholder working groups/committees to resolve identified issues and/or to participate in shaping/evaluate postsecondary educational policy.
Has the latitude to identify and recommend policy/program options to senior management, and to
determine/recommend research scope for developing policy options and program development.
Decisions are guided by provincial and ministry strategic directions pertaining to postsecondary education in the province, the existing legislative/regulatory and policy framework, and government directives and procedures.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Ministry senior management to submit/promote recommendations for policies and programs, to provide information and advice on post-secondary
education policy, programs and services.
- Policy counterparts in own and other ministries, to consult on program and policy development, collaborate on issues resolution, develop Cabinet submissions or joint recommendations, and develop recommendations for integrated policies/program services.
- Federal and provincial governments in other jurisdictions to forge partnerships, collaborate and share information on inter-jurisdictional on integrated social policy/programs, on postsecondary education policy, funding, programs and services.
- Postsecondary education administrators, faculty, staff, and students, to monitor developments in the sector, explain ministry policy, consult on policy/program proposals, and resolve issues.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides technical guidance/supervision to other policy analysts/work teams when leading/coordinating assigned research and policy development projects.
- Provides advice and information on current and proposed policy and programs to other government policy counterparts and postsecondary sector stakeholders.
- Provides training to university co-op students, as assigned.

Demands and Pressures :

Work Demands :

- Frequent requirement to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing documents and research, and when drafting reports, briefing notes and policy related materials.
- Frequent requirement to listen intently when attending meetings, or seeking input from stakeholders.

Mental / Sensory :

- Frequent requirement to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing documents and research, and when drafting reports, briefing notes and policy related materials.
- Frequent requirement to listen intently when attending meetings, or seeking input from stakeholders.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.