Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide policy advice, analysis and recommendations to senior management in TBS, the IT Clusters and other OPS ministries with regard to information and information technology (I&IT) strategies, plans, policies and directives.
To plan and/or participate in research of policy issues and development of corporate strategy and policy initiatives related to information and information technology.
To develop formal policy positions and products that outline I&IT policy and strategy in a range of formats and for a variety of audiences, from staff to senior management.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Consultation, Advice and Expertise:
- Provides advice and expertise to senior management within the division and across the IT Clusters, with respect to information and information technology strategy, planning and corporate policy.
- Participates on a variety of formal and informal, internal/external working groups mandated to review/implement key strategic I&IT commitments.
- Works closely with colleagues across the organization to assess the business implications of new/changed/proposed I&IT policies/processes, and to collaborate in related policy review/planning.
- Consults with partners, including vendors and other levels of government, to identify and resolve issues, to discuss I&IT policy and program initiatives, and to exchange research and intelligence.
- Translates complex and/or technical issues into easily-understood business language.
2. I&IT Research and Content Development:
- Maintains current knowledge of information technology trends, issues and developments, particularly as they pertain to government policy and strategy.
- Undertakes directed research projects to identify and review emerging issues and trends in information and information technology. Researches information sources in national or international jurisdictions, academic and consulting organizations; analyzes results and potential impacts, risks, and costs across the Government; and prepares and presents recommendations.
- Participates in consultation processes to link policy development or research projects to business delivery activities of ministries, to identify stakeholder interests and issues, and to negotiate and build consensus on proposed policy directions.
- Works independently and as part of a team to research, draft, review, edit and assist with the publication of I&IT strategy and policy documents such as: the OPS I&IT Strategy; Information and Information Technology (I&IT) Directives, policies, GO-IT Standards, User Guidelines, Early Guidance Statement, White Papers; user-focused documents (tip sheets, FAQs, eLearning tools); project documentation and artefacts; briefing materials, presentations, position papers; and various communication materials (some web-based).
3. Committee Work:
- Supports the Ontario Government in presenting the corporate policy direction to other jurisdictions and international contacts, and provides related advice and consultation services.
- Participates on and/or contributes to IT strategy and policy committees for specific IT Cluster(s), to ensure close alignment between enterprise and cluster-specific IT strategic initiatives.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge and skills in:
Political acuity, flexibility, ability to adapt to change; remain focused despite changing priorities and directions; and ability to engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Strategic project planning and management techniques; research and analysis techniques to conduct environmental scans, analyze and evaluate research and intelligence from other jurisdictions and a wide range of sources, and to assist in the development of options and responses to issues and events.
Solutions design, development, integration and implementation; information technology concepts, protocols and conventions; IT architecture concepts and frameworks; information management principles, tools and practices; information security and privacy; IT governance standards and frameworks; and IT service delivery management, operations, quality assurance and performance measurement; in order to provide policy and strategy advice.
Strategic directions for information and information technology and the government's agenda, policies, priorities and programs, to ensure that provincial priorities are considered in the development of policy submissions and to provide information and advice to senior officials within the Treasury Board Secretariat, Management Board of Cabinet, I&IT Clusters, and across the OPS.
Corporate policy and strategy development and approvals processes, to ensure that necessary reviews are conducted and approvals granted in a timely and efficient manner.
Relevant legislation and regulations, to ensure that these are considered and addressed in the strategy or policy development process.
Issues and trends in information and information technology and the ability to assess their relevance to the Government, identify impacts on Government policies and guide corporate direction and decision-making for I & IT enhancements.
Project management expertise, required to design and lead strategy or policy development projects, ensuring that business objectives are met within schedule and budget parameters.
Oral communications skills, to participate effectively in meetings and consultations among colleagues and stakeholders at all levels within the organization; and written communications skills to develop plans, reports, briefing notes, speeches and other materials for diverse audiences.
Procurement and contract-management policy and practices to select and manage external consultants.
Computer applications for word processing, numerical analysis, database development, project management, visual presentation, and other applications required to conduct research, analyze findings and prepare and present results.
Job has mandatory requirements in areas such as: in-depth knowledge of the information technologies, applications, industry and computer languages specific to the program system(s) currently in use. These mandatory requirements will be specified in the job ad during the recruitment process.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

Consensus-building and negotiation skills to maintain strong relationships with partner branches and ministries to ensure that policy proposals reflect coordinated input from all key players.
Consultation and influencing skills to convey I&IT corporate policy, techniques, requirements, and recommendations to senior officials and management within own and other ministries; to resolve diverse and competing policy related issues; and to gain support for Government corporate policy initiatives.
Influencing skills to lead cross-ministry, multi-stakeholder projects where position has no direct administrative authority, to produce desired deliverables on time and within budget for a wide range of policy, research and other projects with enterprise-wide implications.
Interpersonal and facilitation skills combined with diplomacy, to represent the province at inter-jurisdictional meetings and on inter-ministerial committees, and to respond to requests for information regarding matters of political sensitivity.
Presentation and persuasion skills to present policy initiatives and proposals to senior management in TBS, IT Clusters, other ministries and central agencies to influence decision-making and gain approval.
Negotiation, conflict management and consensus building skills to work effectively with clients, partners and stakeholders to resolve contentious issues, maximize team contributions and produce required deliverables.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analysis and problem-solving skills to:
Analyze information and inputs from key stakeholders and partners to identify I&IT business implications; develop policy and strategy options and impact analyses for review by senior levels of management.
Identify and evaluate emerging issues, changes, and trends in I&IT that impact government policy directions.
Manage issues effectively, knowing how to address and resolve issues, and when and how to escalate issues to senior team members or management.
Plan and lead I&IT policy research and development projects; critically evaluate information sources; perform cost-benefit and risk analysis; and consider legislative and regulatory implications.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
Planning, co-ordinating and undertaking corporate policy review, analyses and development to support the Government/Ministry strategic agenda and policy directions for I&IT and ensure that strategies, systems, practices and processes are introduced that enhance overall program operations and the integrity and reliability of corporate data and information. Develops viable options with a high likelihood of approval and positive outcome.
Co-ordinating the research, analysis and resolution of Government I&IT policy issues with respect to trends in the IT industry and other government jurisdictions, and developing options and recommendations for the development and enhancement of IT solutions.
Providing advice and expertise to stakeholders from general level to senior management in TBS, Management Board of Cabinet, the I&IT Cluster CIOs and client ministries regarding resolution of sensitive, contentious policy issues, policy proposals and management practices that impact program operations across the OPS.
Participating in cross-ministry and cross-cluster I&IT policy and program projects; ensuring that identified issues are addressed; and promoting recommendations that will enhance services and operations for stakeholders.
Has latitude to pro-actively identify areas for corporate I&IT policy research and to participate in the development of comprehensive proposals for consideration by senior team members and management; to determine the extent of cross-OPS stakeholder consultation; and to decide on appropriate approach, methods, and resources for research projects.
Decisions are guided by the broad framework of government, ministry and corporate management strategic directions and the I&IT agenda; related legislation, directives and policy; guidelines, standards, best practices and protocols; and financial and auditory policies, processes and practices.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

Ministry and Cluster management, and stakeholders, to provide advice on matters of I&IT policy and direction. Ministry staff to gather information, to explain and discuss research findings and initiatives, and to participate as a member of cross-cluster project teams.
Policy counterparts in other ministries to assess the implications of new or changed policies and processes; to work cooperatively on policy proposals, and to participate on cross-cluster working committees related to policy review and strategic planning.
Represent the Ministry's interests and provide information regarding government directions at conferences, seminars and working committees and during stakeholder consultations.
Other government jurisdictions, the broader public and private sector organizations, and the IT industry, to conduct research, investigate emerging trends and exchange information and experiences on innovative developments, best practices and policies.
External stakeholders in other government jurisdictions, for networking purposes, to liaise on research requirements and findings, to discuss issues.

Guidance / Supervision :

Provides assistance and guidance to colleagues with respect to analysis and research findings, development of policy options, and development of project deliverables.
Provides subject matter expertise and advice to senior management in the I & IT Clusters, own and other ministries on a wide range of Government I & IT policy matters and issues; and on innovative research and best practices, systems and business tools.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Frequently required to respond to urgent requests for information from the OPS senior management in order to meet tight deadlines or address emerging/contentious issues.
Routinely required to respond to changes in project deadlines with short notice and with shifting priorities. Demands associated with policy development initiatives may be determined by the Ministry or I&IT Cluster agenda, which could limit control over sequencing and pace of work.
Occasionally has to deal with competing work priorities for the submission of Management Board submissions, briefing notes and issues analysis/responses that must be managed in addition to ongoing work responsibilities.

Mental / Sensory :

Frequent requirement to concentrate intently when conducting research and drafting research and policy proposals, conducting due diligence of I&IT research and policy related materials, providing instructions to project team members, and while providing recommendations and options to internal and external partners.
Frequent requirement to listen intently and closely observe deliberations by I&IT governance committees and project committees dealing with I&IT policy issues to ensure that decisions are recorded and carried out.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in an open-concept office environment.