Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To support the region in the development of resource management plans. To lead the district's planning and implementation of monitoring, inspections and field data collection in support of resource management planning activities for the district.
To provide expertise and input in the development and maintenance of regional land use plans, the Crown Land Use Policy Atlas and policy development that directs the management of Crown land in the district. To establish and maintain partnerships to engage internal/external stakeholders and clients in resource management decision making/activities and collaborative projects.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Working in a district in the Regional Operations Division, responsible for managing and coordinating district support for preparation of Resources Management Plans, for the delivery of compliance monitoring and inspection programs, stakeholder relationships, and issues management related to resources management, this position:
1. Leads, supervises and directs the work of full time and contract/temporary staff by making decisions and/or effective recommendations on hiring staff, performance reviews, merit increases, appointments to regular staff, promotions, demotions; approves career development courses, vacations, leaves and monthly attendance reports; deals with disciplinary and performance issues; and represents the Employer in responding to grievance situations.
2. Manages and coordinates district support for the regionally led preparation of Resources Management Plans and associated amendments; and in coordination with the District Management Team, the preparation of the District's Resource Management Plans and associated amendments. Oversees the preparation, review, and/or implementation of annual operational plans or schedules associated with the implementation of approved resource management plans. Prepares business and work plans, assigns targets, monitors results achieved and adjusts plans to meet team, district, ministry, and government resource management objectives. Ensures the consistent application, implementation and enforcement of various Acts, policies and guidelines.
3. Collaborates with the region on the development of stakeholder consultation requirements and needs for resource management planning initiatives. Coordinates, implements, monitors, evaluates and adjusts district consultation programs and processes with external agencies, stakeholders, interest groups and individuals on land use, resource management or environmental assessment plans or projects. Obtains ecological, economic and social input to contentious resource based proposals in order to balance competing interests while protecting the Crown's interest in long term sustainability of the resource.
4. Develops business/program priorities for compliance monitoring and inspections, adjusting as necessary based on pressures on resources and plan/program performance; achieving targets within budget while operating in a climate of constantly changing and conflicting program priorities and fiscal pressures. Oversees and coordinates the delivery of compliance monitoring and resources activity inspections (Silviculture Effectiveness Monitoring, harvesting inspections, fisheries/species at risk/wildlife assessments, inventory and monitoring, lands/permit inspections, roads), evaluation and reporting on the effectiveness of the district's resource management plans/activities. Maintains effective dialogue, coordination and linkage with the Resources Modeling and Information Unit to provide district information/data in support of the roll-up, evaluation and reporting on the region's resource management plans/activities.
5. Oversees resources management issues response in the district, which includes program support and co-ordination, the provision of associated expert advice and preparation of briefing/background notes, reports and correspondence. Oversees the conduct of reviews/investigations, the appropriate compilation of information/documents/content in response to Freedom of Information (F01) request, Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR), Ombudsman investigations, tribunals, etc.; may assume the role of Response Coordinator for emergencies (e.g. floods). Resolves complex and contentious issues while balancing community interests with the government agenda.
6. Promotes ministry programs in the community by developing and implementing a communications program, maximizing public, client and community participation in resource management decision making. Promotes public awareness and acceptance of ministry programs, policies and guidelines; and serves as liaison/lead for the Resource Management unit with
Aboriginal communities and organizations, Federal Government, Provincial agencies, municipalities, clients and stakeholders. Leads the dissemination of information products to support communications for the district to educate and to promote sustainable resource management.
7. Analyzes and plans for the information requirements to support the district's various land use and resource management needs; supports the priority setting process for data acquisition and the appropriate use of information management systems and products in the development and implementation of various resource management plans and projects. Liaises with Resources Modeling and Information Unit to share data, discuss the development of products, information management policies, data standards and new applications. Ensures compliance to legislation (e.g. Freedom of Information) and policy (e.g. communications approvals to cabinet office) and corporate standards for data acquisition, collection, storage, processing, maintenance, use and archiving.
8. Establishes and enhances partnerships and relationships with the district's broad community of resource users and stakeholders je.g. Local Citizen's Committees (LCC's) , Stewardship Councils, aboriginal communities) in order to effectively communicate and promote support for government/ministry direction and facilitate shared understanding and acceptance of what can be achieved through cooperative resource management. Identifies opportunities for collaboration and projects for cooperative resource management, develops strategies to market opportunities and advises on their . actualization.
9. Chairs or serves as a member of local inter-ministerial committees to improve resource management delivery and client services. Participates in district, ministry, inter-ministry and external committees and partnerships to further the development and implementation of policy, programs and guidelines and enhanced resource management.
10. Ensures the effective delivery of an Occupational Health and Safety program that complies with the OHS Act and other related legislation, standards and management principles.

Knowledge :

Thorough knowledge of the theory, principles and practices of resource and ecosystem planning and management, including interpretation and application of acts & regulations (e.g. Environmental Assessment Act, Environmental Bill of Rights Act, Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Municipal Planning Act, Species at Risk Act, etc.), applicable policies, procedures, agreements and Forest Management Planning Manual & Guidelines, which affect resource management to plan, direct, implement, control and evaluate the fish, wildlife, lands, forestry and species at risk programs within the district, provide interpretation of policies/guidelines, resolve complex and contentious resource management issues and ensure that the delivery of compliance, inspection and monitoring functions meets/supports ministry/region/district plans and directions. Thorough knowledge of current and evolving science tools and approaches (such as landscape management and socio¬economic analysis) to support resource management decision making and balancing of ecological, economic and social needs. Knowledge of ministry/region/district mandates, objectives, programs and priorities to prepare program/work plans to achieve ecological sustainability within a district in accordance with overall provincial resources management plans. Knowledge of corporate communications, information management, GIS technology and data management policies, plans, standards, including Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Communications Cabinet Approvals to plan and deliver the information requirements and products to support the district's various land use and resource management needs, educate the public and promote ministry programs in the community.
Knowledge of policies and guidelines related to human resources management, best practices and applicable Collective Agreement provisions for working conditions to effectively manage unit staff, including assessing performance and training needs and dealing with performance issues and grievances.
Knowledge of project management principles, methodologies and practices to plan, develop and coordinate various resource management projects and activities with external partners within the district.
A working knowledge of: the Occupational Health and Safety Act, regulations under the Act, other related legislation, and standards and management principles that apply to the work supervised or controlled is required, including familiarity with the ministry work-related accident reporting process and the injury management strategy.
Strong supervision, leadership, negotiation, conflict resolution and interpersonal skills to lead an integrated team in the planning and delivery of the district's ecosystem management program. Excellent mediation/facilitation skills to resolve inter-team member conflicts and stakeholders/Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) conflicts, promote ministry programs in the community and public outreach/education in support/acceptance of ministry programs, policies and guidelines. Strong oral communication, interpersonal and public consulting process knowledge/skills to develop and maintain linkages within the district, region and other sections of MNR, as well as client groups and the public and lead external consultations on land use, resource management or environmental assessment plans or projects. Strong clear, concise writing skills to prepare letters, briefing notes and reports.
Well developed analytical and problem solving skills to identify and rectify problems and resource management issues in program delivery (forest management planning, water management planning). Practical knowledge and understanding of the operating principles and management of district information resources, including GIS and office automation technology, applications and data in order to plan and deliver information management data requirements and products to support district's various land use and resource management needs.
Knowledge of computers and relevant software applications (e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, presentation) to prepare briefing materials, memos, presentations and to use e-mail.

Judgement :

Under the general direction of the District Manager, judgment is exercised in supervising and leading the district Resource Management Unit to determine the priorities for resource management programs within the district and to evaluate the impacts of these programs. This position exercises considerable delegated and independent decision making in delivering the ministry's resource management for the district (e.g. support fisheries management, zone planning, support forest management plan preparation/review, field inspection/audits, silviculture effectiveness monitoring, harvest inspections, fisheries/wildlife assessments, inventory and monitoring). Judgement is required to serve as a member of the District Leadership Team to determine district priorities and to ensure consistent application, implementation and enforcement of various Acts, policies and guidelines and issues management; frequently acts on behalf of the District Manager and must exercise judgment accordingly. Judgment is exercised in resolving complex and frequently contentious (involving stakeholders) resource management and personnel problems/issues caused by competing demands for ministry services and resources in the district; evaluating programs, their delivery, their long term impacts and implications, and adjusting plans accordingly; reviewing resource management plans and policy and formulating planning and policy proposals for submission to the District Manager and/or providing input for corporate policy development. Judgment is required in determining the information requirements related to natural resources inventories, and information management technology and applications to support district's various land use and resource management needs and the development of information products for public outreach/education.
In emergency situations such as flood, the position may be the District Response Coordinator for the area and is required to make decisions involving the re-ordering of program priorities and the re¬allocation of resources without immediate access to the District Manager.

Accountability - Programs :

Directly accountable for the planning, implementation, delivery and quality of resource management programs for the district, ensuring that objectives are met within funding allocations and policy/procedure confines; for determining the district's resource management planning and information management needs and for providing for the timely, effective delivery of products/services required to meet legislated planning timelines, the district's business needs and public education/outreach. Accountable for promoting ministry programs in communities, the engagement of stakeholders/clients in resource management decision making/activities/projects and for the resolution of complex and contentious issues.
As a member of the District Leadership Team, provides input to the planning and operation of the overall district program and into the formulation of district operational policy as well as overall resource management policy.

Accountability – Personnel :

Directly supervises a multi-disciplinary team of professional, technical, support staff. Schedules, assigns and reviews work, monitors progress, reviews/evaluates work performance, and deals with performance/ employee relations issues, including Stage 1 grievances. Ensures employees are appropriately trained to carry out their work safely and that hazard controls are in place and effectively protect the worker. Ensures that a Joint Health and Safety Committee be established and functioning effectively for the workplace.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

Accountable for planning and administering unit budget and managing all expenditures; and for the care, control and maintenance of assigned district vehicles, ministry equipment, specialized technology, dams, fishways, waste disposal sites, roads and the delivery of services and supplies. Accountable for the acquisition of goods and services in accordance with delegated authority.
Accountable for management of records associated with activities such as forest management planning. Directly responsible for the devolution of district capital assets.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

Inappropriate decisions or issues management or inappropriate issuance of licences, permits and authorizations could lead to loss or deterioration of district resources and have a long term impact on the resources (e.g. Crown land, fisheries, wildlife) and resource base and on those who draw their livelihood from it. Failure to provide for effective external partnerships in resource management projects/activities or ineffective review/findings with respect to municipal planning applications and environmental assessment screening could also lead to loss or deterioration of district resources.
Failure to provide a healthy and safe workplace for employees could result in work-related accidents or illnesses, significant financial liability and orders and or prosecution by the Ministry of Labour.

Contact - Internal :

Ongoing contact with district specialists to facilitate of resource management programs in the district. Regular contact with regional program specialists and units to exchange professional and technical advice on specific resource and information management issues. Acts as Chair/member of various resource management committees, both within the ministry and across ministries. Occasional contact with Assistant Deputy Minister's and Deputy Minister's office related to management of significant resource management issues. Regular contact with other ministries (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs) relating to respective program interfaces and resolution of conflicts.

Contact - External :

Regular contact with all stakeholders (e.g. LCC's, Stewardship Councils, Sustainable Forestry License (SFL) holders/licensees, First Nations and Treaty representatives, natural heritage associations, game and fish clubs, tourist associations, developers and Municipalities) through consultation processes on delivery of resource management plans/activities and compliance monitoring and inspection programs. Regular contact with local communities and media to facilitate participation in, awareness of, support and acceptance of district/region resource programs. Regular contact with Federal Departments and Authorities relating to the provision of resource programs. Acts as MNR representative to various local external stakeholder/resource user advisory committees.