Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To ensure service quality and co-ordinate and lead day-to-day service delivery to clients. To co-ordinate and lead regional administrative support staff in support of service delivery. To provide administrative, clerical and secretarial services to the Manager and staff in all regional offices.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Performs work in a decentralised Ministry, within a regional office.


1. Coordinates and provides leadership in tracking regional service delivery targets, of day to day operations, organizing workflow, assessing priorities, implementing processes and establishing and meeting priorities to a number of stand alone full service regional offices by troubleshooting service delivery issues, unavailability of Program Assistants and Worker Advisers on intake duty in the region, in consultation with other RSCs in other regions, arranging for alternate schedules where possible to expedite and meet service delivery needs, bringing forward issues to managers attention as needed. Coordinate and monitor Program Assistants on a daily basis. Intervenes on service delivery issues by identifying problems, gathering background information, briefing manager and creating correspondence on brief instructions to resolve issue. Monitors, assesses, develops and refines regional service and communications systems to find short-term and long-term opportunities for improvements in service (eg: tracking, referral and case management systems) to ensure that services are efficient and effective. Coordinates Regional meetings including arranging venue, surveying staff needs and recommending agendas, coordinating speakers and compiling evaluations. Acts as the managers designate on administrative committees and projects.

2. Provides support to manager by intervening in issues concerning client inquires directed to manager, gathering and providing information and where possible, preparing responses for manager on own initiative. Deals with clients concerns about services with a view to early resolution. Liaises with other agencies on behalf of clients in crisis, including the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal and other government and community organizations. Coordinates the resolution of service delivery complaints and maintains response logs. Prepares reports, information and data in response to requests for information or to resolve problems by gathering information and data, analyzing and summarizing results. Briefs manager on issues as they arise. Coordinates FOI requests arising in the region, ensuring necessary information is collected and provided to Ministry officials. Coordinates and tracks queries from minister and other MPPs, referrals, contentious issues, ensuring administrative systems in place to ensure accountability

3. Prepares or coordinates the preparation of reports, briefing notes, house notes and ministerial correspondence. Provides the manager with an effective management information system to monitor progress in achieving regional program goals. Prepares quarterly performance reports from CMS and other information sources summarizing individual staffs progress towards performance goals. Audits compliance in CMS and other procedures, providing guidance to staff and identifying issues to manager. Consults and provides input to IT & ESD Specialist to identify CMS issues, including input on developing proposed options to resolve, including identifying staff CMS training needs. Prepares monthly CMS reports, maintains databases relating to the operations of the region. Monitors adherence to service quality standards, including correspondence and/or complaint tracking, telephone and voice mail standards. Co-ordinates the distribution of OWA/regional informational materials, updates, bulletins, training materials, etc, providing instructions for maintaining local resource centres, to ensure consistency and co-ordination with OWA communication plan and management of resource centres. Consulting with the Coordinator ESD and Knowledge Management to resolve issues as needed, including Troubleshooting information technology issues as required. Participates in agency wide teams for service quality, administrative, complaint resolution, case management and client service improvements to procedures and processes.

4. Provides assistance to the manager in the selection, documentation and orientation of regional staff, directly training coordinating and advising Client Service Representatives. Assists the manager in identifying training needs for staff and in determining sources for training needs identified. Maintains regional training records and HR files. Responds to general benefits and pay inquiries. Provides manager with input for purposes of supervision and performance review of regional staff, dealing with confidential staff issues, tracking individual and regional targets, monitoring progress and identifying variances and barriers for the managers information. Prepares human resource documentation (JIPs, job ads, LOAs, etc.) and liase with HR rep. Maintain attendance records using Ministry software, for regional staff, advising manager where there are discrepancies or problems and providing reports when staff sick time exceeds threshold for injury/illness management program. Tracks and brings forward contract issues, including notice requirements. Prepares EIC/WEAR forms, unclassified contracts, retirement paperwork, clearance certificates.

Staffing and Licencing :

Job requires advanced oral French.

Knowledge :

Demonstrated familiarity with the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and closely related organizations roles, procedures, systems and structures, and appreciation of general provisions in related federal and provincial legislation in order to provide information and guidance to clients. Highly developed administrative skills and the ability to apply management principles in order to coordinate the activities of the office. Thorough knowledge of Ontario Government and Ministry administrative policies, procedures and best practices, Ontario Government budgeting process, accounting practices and Human Resources processes, in order to interpret and apply administrative policies, provide orientation and documentation to new staff, provide training, develop and monitor budgets with minimum supervision. Thorough knowledge of Ministry and Agency organizational structure, programs, legislation, policies and procedures to coordinate the activities of the office, respond to inquires, handle complaints. Demonstrated analytical and research skills to analyze previous years budget, extrapolate trends to draft salary and ODOE regional budget, monitor current budget, identifying issues, trends or problems to manager on own initiative. Prepares program reports, ad hoc requests for information, and to coordinate responses to inquiries. Well developed organizational and problem solving skills to coordinate responses and to resolve difficult or contentious issues. Knowledge of teambuilding, training and coaching techniques to lead, guide and co-ordinate staff on-site and in regional offices. Effective written skills to prepare reports and correspondence. Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision and to use initiative, and often with increased accountability to identify issues and take action in Managers absence. Demonstrated ability to use fully programmable word processing software, spreadsheet and presentations software, database software and other programs to design, produce and maintain a variety of databases, reports, graphs and charts.

Skills :

Job requires ability to analyse, design, implement, co-ordinate and monitor service systems to ensure that they consistently provide optimum client service within available resources. Job requires ability to prioritize multiple corporate and regional responsibilities, excellent interpersonal and communication skills to gain cooperation from others (ie, altering phone and intake schedules; working with other branches, Human Resources, OSS, Finance; difficult or volatile client activity). Job requires ability to prioritize a significant variety of competing tasks including Human Resources coordination, budgeting, forecasting, reviewing documentation for compliance with Ministry procedure. Job requires client service focus, respect for confidentiality, and ability to explain information to clients and staff who are unfamiliar with administrative and specialized terminology Job requires judgment and discretion to identify and respond to information requests from the Ministry and public and concerns of clients by clarifying information needs, gathering and providing information and determining appropriate courses of action. Job requires ability to diffuse difficult and potentially violent behaviors, briefing manager and other staff as needed. Job requires judgment to brief manager and staff, coordinate staff, prepare and monitor budget reports and forecasts, identify, initiating and developing improved office administration procedures. Job requires excellent organizational, coordination skills and demonstrated ability to work with limited supervision, anticipate, and meet conflicting deadlines and determining appropriate courses of action. Job requires excellent oral and written communication, listening skills, team work, coaching, relationship management and practical problem-solving skills.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working independently in accordance with established service standards and administrative policies and procedures, with scope to propose modifications to regional and OWA service standards, policies and procedures in the interests of quality service, efficiency and effectiveness. Job requires ability to apply policy and procedures in a regional context seeking guidance from a variety of sources on own initiative. Job requires determining how to assist clients (eg: dealing with hostile clients), and determining what information they require and/or are entitled to (eg: confidential information). Job offers scope for determining priorities for self and support staff, resolving day-to-day problems unless they are unprecedented or of a sensitive nature; establishing regional systems to promote excellent service and effective use of resources; determining training needs, coach and co-ordinate staff at dispersed locations; and how best to co-ordinate and maintain cross-regional consistency and best practices. Job requires determining when to refer issues to Manager with recommendations for consideration and discussion. Job offers scope to design reports, select content, and compose correspondence; assess administrative systems (eg: for tracking); and develop proposals to improve administrative policies, procedures and systems performance.