Job Specification

Purpose :

- To provide strategic policy advice, recommendations and development; implementation and delivery plans; research analyses and reviews, policy expertise and interpretations; advise/support management on strategic issues management in support of the Secretariat's strategic goals in planning and guiding resources required to deliver and coordinate environmental assessment and land use planning or mineral sector knowledge, industry relations and policy development associated with exploration and mineral development or community based economic development and supportive skills training and social programs or strategic infrastructure and investment planning initiatives associated with the Ring of Fire development in Northern Ontario.

- To plan and facilitate bilateral/trilateral discussions and negotiations with other governments including First Nations, crown agencies and the private sector and support key responsibilities including leading inter-ministerial program design, communications, research, planning and coordination activities to implement the project plan.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Policy Planning and Development
- Discusses and clarifies draft and/or existing legislation, or statutory instruments (e.g. regulations and Orders in Council), contracts, policies and/or programs with management and/or other policy analysts and advisors, legal counsel and as appropriate, management across Ministries and related areas to gather opinions; examines anticipated results in applied settings; offers and refines interpretations; and ensures policy and program co-ordination.
- Develops tools, standards and methodologies for policy and program analysis, development, implementation, performance monitoring, and reviews.
- Leads and/or contributes expertise to the development of benchmarks and criteria to ensure that impacts of regulatory approaches, policies and programs can be monitored and evaluated across all affected partners and stakeholders to determine their success, develop recommendations, adjustments, and continuous improvements in light of trends, new findings and related developments.
- Researches, identifies and analyses policy and program, including development and implementation options to determine best choice and/or develop options, and make informed recommendations for discussion with senior management and/or stakeholders.
- Develops content for Cabinet submissions (e.g. Cabinet presentations, Treasury Board and Management Board of Cabinet) and other senior management decision-making materials (e.g. business plans, implementation and delivery plans, allocations, special analyses, program performance criteria/evaluations).
- Identifies and advises on policy and program delivery options, plans and resources required to support policy initiatives.
- Participates in and/or develops policy and program communication (internal and external), implementation and performance monitoring strategies.
- Provides implementation support during the communications and operationalization of approved policies and programs by coordinating and participating in multi-disciplinary implementation planning, communications, development, user education and providing ongoing policy interpretation.

2. Stakeholder Relations/Partnerships
- Plans, leads and/or participates in stakeholder consultations to identify needs, float concepts, gather reactions, opinions and suggestions, explain policy goals and generate support.
- Develops and sustains positive working relationships and networks to solicit information, opinions and attitudes; identify needs; and provide leadership in generating co-operation and buy-in for policies, programs and associated initiatives.
- Provides advice, authoritative interpretation and clarification for internal and external stakeholders.
- Represents the Secretariat at senior internal and external strategic decision-making to provide authoritative policy interpretations, make persuasive presentations and support Cabinet submissions.
- Leads and/or participates on Ministry, OPS and external committees, study groups and task forces to advise on strengths and weaknesses of strategic policy, program and regulatory options.

3. Team/Project Leadership
- Develops policy/program goals and priorities, in discussion with the Director/ADM, assesses policy/project needs, plans, estimates, obtains, deploys and controls resources.
- Designs overall critical path plan and identifies milestones to manage change and ensure multiple concurrent activities are integrated and delivered on time.
- Defines goals and roles, monitors overall progress and achievements, develops project methodologies, tools and evaluation criteria, trouble-shoots major problems with innovative and practical solutions.
- Independently plans, leads and/or conducts projects to plan, schedule and monitor progress; estimate, acquire and deploy resources; develop and evaluate a wide variety of options; identify potential areas of conflict; problem-solve; and report to management with recommendations for decision-making, including matters not covered by precedent.
- Leads and co-ordinates activities of other assigned analysts, interministry working groups, external consultants, legal counsel and others to ensure cocoordinated, timely and dependable results, and provides technical direction, expertise, and strategically focused solutions.
- Co-ordinates with policy and program peers and counterparts and management where appropriate, in related projects, programs and branches to ensure consistency in strategic policy approaches resulting in seamless program delivery.
- Leads and/or participates in development of public awareness and for key project deliverable. Participates in Secretariat strategic and program planning, evaluation, and problem-solving.

4. Advice/ Issues Management
- Anticipates and responds to issues with research, briefing notes, responses to correspondence, backgrounders, supporting materials for House Notes, and other official informational materials.
- Stays current with Ring of Fire issues, and related political and economic developments as they relate to Secretariat/Ministry policy priorities.
- Represents the overall initiative to internal and external stakeholders and decision-makers in own and related ministries, agencies, boards and commissions, federal and municipal governments, First Nations communities and political organizations.
- Leads and/or participates, and represents the Secretariat on inter and intra-ministerial and external committees (e.g. intergovernmental) to provide expertise in addressing issues relating to regulatory approaches, policy and programs and ensures that work is coordinated with that of other policy developers, program deliverers and regulatory agencies.
- Negotiates to obtain consensus and commitment, and manages conflict to reduce resistance.

Knowledge / Skill :

- Provincial/Federal environmental legislation and/or community based economic development, skills training and social programs or infrastructure and investment programs and policies or mineral sector and policy regulatory framework for mineral development as related to the Secretariat's mandate, and related priorities, policies, practices, standards, legislation, agreements, services and providers, trends, issues, stakeholders and public policy directions in order to provide expertise and strategically focused, practical advice.
- Ontario's environmental and land use/ Mineral Development Strategy/strategic infrastructure and investment/Aboriginal affairs: policies, frameworks, practices, standards, legislation, agreements, programs, trends, issues, partners and stakeholders, including those of other related jurisdictions in order to ensure integrated development of new policies, programs and legislation related to the Secretariat's mandate.
- Policy and program development, ability to interpret legal documents (e.g. agreements, legislation, regulations), qualitative and quantitative policy, program evaluation to provide leadership and expertise in program development, implementation and review especially related to the mandate of the Secretariat.
- Results-based planning, performance benchmarking, financial planning/forecasting to ensure that the Secretariat's planning meets Ministry and corporate requirements; to develops criteria and provide progress reports, results analyses, financial forecasts and recommendations and co-ordinate audit preparations.
- All aspects of environmental assessment and land use planning or strategic infrastructure and investment planning or the exploration and mineral development sectors or all aspects of Aboriginal affairs and the specific OPS environment and decision-making structures, in order to ensure approaches are appropriately inclusive, and to steer decisions through the approval process.
- Related specialty areas, such as species at risk, conservation concepts or mineral deposit appraisal and economic evaluation or business environment and commodity markets, infrastructure financing approaches, industrial electricity policy, information technology, information management, customer service, communications, in order to assess opportunities and the practical implications of policy and program options and participate and/or lead interdisciplinary committees.
- Acquisition and management of contractual resources, budgeting, finance, transfer payment accountability, human resources, in order to plan and manage projects.
- Research and analysis techniques to lead and coordinate environment scans, analysis of best practices, qualitative/quantitative (e.g. fiscal and economic) research, cost-benefit analysis, and analysis of options and impacts to support policy and delivery recommendations.
- Project management techniques and methodologies to lead and manage concurrent projects and interdisciplinary and interministry teams and working groups.
- Oral and written communications to respond to issues, provide recommendations, prepare reports, Cabinet and Treasury Board submissions, briefing materials, speaking notes and correspondence, and to represent the ministry on inter-jurisdictional task forces/working committees mandated to discuss issues and concerns.
- Standard software programs and tools to research and prepare own materials in multiple formats.
- Valid Driver's License is required.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Relationship management, change management and issues management skills to adopt/recommend optimal approaches for consultations, managing resistance to change, and defusing issues.
- Consultation, leadership, and negotiation skills to lead consultations with stakeholders, private sector, Aboriginal groups and federal/provincial/territorial counterparts, and to obtain consensus on policy directions and initiatives from other ministries and stakeholders.
- Presentation and persuasion skills to provide policy and/or program advice; to explain policy and/or program recommendations; propose ministry responses/positions on certain contentious issues; and ensure harmonization of policies and programs affecting Aboriginal people within the province.
- Facilitation skills and diplomacy to communicate the Ministry policy/position on sensitive, political, issues to working committees, other governments, and internal/external stakeholders.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

- Identify and assess developments, implications and options; initiate action; and produce timely and reliable results to plan, lead and/or undertake comprehensive research and analyses.
- Anticipate and absorb large-scale and very sensitive problems and issues, and develop practical, efficient and effective long and short-term policy and related program solutions and options.
- Plan/conduct policy research involving monitoring of trends, direction and issues, analysis of multiple sources of information/data, consideration of qualitative (e.g. socio-economic, regulatory framework) and quantitative (e.g. economic, financial, fiscal) factors to assess and make recommendations on matters such as policy and program options, costs, operational guidelines.
- Lead and review cross-sectoral research of policies and programs in other jurisdictions to identify and evaluate best practices for application to provincial policy and programs.
- Apply conceptual thinking to issues and impact analysis to contribute to development of policy options/ program frameworks, and to review and analyze proposals and recommendations developed by Policy Advisors and project teams.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

- Leading projects to research, analyze, recommend and implement regulatory framework, programs and policies;
- Participating in implementation and monitoring activities; and providing issues management, expertise and authoritative advice, interpretations and recommendations for unprecedented situations.
- Planning, leading, coordinating and conducting research and consultations to discover, clarify and harmonize policy needs and directions in multiple ministries.
- Planning, leading and facilitating negotiations with federal and other jurisdictional governments, First Nations, Crown agencies and the private sector to achieve agreements/coordinated approaches outlined in the Secretariat's mandate.
- Providing authoritative policy and regulatory interpretation for senior management, stakeholders, project teams, committees, and others; and anticipating and responding to issues.

Has latitude to:
- Determine best approach, plan, and conduct or participate in the most senior level research and sensitive high-level consultations to deliver on regulatory requirements, obtain information, opinions and feedback, and provide authoritative interpretations and alternatives.
Decisions are guided by: sectoral legislation and regulatory guidelines, policies, standards and precedents, and the strategic focus of the Secretariat.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Counterparts in the Secretariat/Ministry and related ministries including legal counsel, to provide expertise, leadership and/or lead and participate on committees, and/or work collegially to assess programs, policies and options, share information and ensure harmonization and continuity between the Secretariat's goals and objectives and related policy development and program implementation.
- The ADM, Directors, and Ministry and related ministries' senior management, to advise on the implications of the most sensitive and complex issues and directions, make regulatory, policy and program recommendations, report on implementation and impacts across the Province, participate in problem-solving, and provide briefings and advice on specific issues.
- Colleagues to co-ordinate, participate, and stay current with developments.
- Ministry and central agency administrative and decision-making officials (e.g. Finance, Ministry of Government Services (MGS), Cabinet Office) to provide information, interpretations and explanations; represent the Secretariat; and make influential presentations.
- Federal government, Crown agencies, First Nations, public stakeholders, interest groups, consultants and others (e.g. industry) to seek advice and input, provide expertise and authoritative policy/program interpretations/advice, lead and work on committees, co-ordinate, exchange information, generate support and understanding, advise and solve complex problems (e.g. provides oversight and policy direction to provincial/federal/industry joint program delivery involving trilateral funding to First Nations for capacity building, consultation on environmental assessment).
- Vendors to participate in selecting and negotiating agreements and to manage the services.
- First Nations, Municipal and industry leaders to build and strengthen relationships; facilitate and maintain dialogue of current issues, challenges and successes; and facilitate joint delivery of programming to advance their participation in Ring of Fire activities.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides project leadership, coordination and functional expertise to colleagues and team members within Ministry, and other OPS organizations, and provides functional policy/program expertise to senior management decision makers.
- Provides guidance and technical advice on policy delivery, program implementation and the development of program performance criteria to achieve policy results.
- Provides support and guidance to MNDM and other provincial Ministers Offices and senior executive when meeting with First Nations and other stakeholders potentially impacted by Ring of Fire activities.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

- Frequently required to respond to immediate requests for information from the Offices of the Premier, Cabinet, Minister, Deputy Minister in order to meet tight deadlines.
- Frequently required to travel on short notice to meet with First Nations and other stakeholders to manage issues prior to their becoming political.

Mental / Sensory :

- Frequently required to focus and concentrate during verbal interactions/exchanges in order to respond to clients (including those who may be distressed) and provide explanations and advice.
- Frequently required to read and concentrate on materials for research purposes for extended periods of time.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment, however, there is travel to remote, isolated communities (e.g. by air), including during the winter. The work also requires exposure to clients who may be frustrated or angry (e.g. for reasons related to other organizations or previous experiences).