Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide regional leadership for a quality assurance and licensing program that complies with legislation and regulations directives, ministry policy framework in order to support the learning and developmental needs, and safety, health and well-being of children in care and the advancement of the ministry's goals.

To lead the development, coordination and delivery of inspections that complies with applicable legislation, regulations and standards.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Represents the quality assurance and licensing interests of the ministry and maintains external relationships and connections for program and service delivery success and the health, safety or well-being of children at a child care site. Initiates, develops and manages regional relationships with child care operators and municipal partners (including fire, police, public health, zoning) to proactively plan, mediate issues, respond to complaints, and/or to make presentations/lead training to ensure quality programming and implementation
2. Ensures the delivery of the provincial inspection programs in its region in accordance with the mandate and in compliance with relevant acts, legislation and regulations, directives and service agreements and other regions. Exercises legal authority for licensing under the Act including the provision of oversight of recommendations made by its staff for risk assessment and consistent decision making with authority to issue a license, refuse to issue a new license; refuse to renew or revoke an existing license; direct/temporarily suspend a license; set terms and conditions and enforce the Act.
3. Leads the development of quality improvement and risk management frameworks, and priorities for the region; ensures senior management briefings/reporting of contentious, high public profile complaints and issues and ensures that appropriate action is taken. Facilities and manages the development and implementation of formal/informal complaints/dispute resolution processes and provides leadership to inform the development of issues management and communication plan strategies.
4. Manages the implementation of operational / business plans and service delivery processes for compliance inspection services, the development of performance measures, targets and service deliverables to ensure stakeholder compliance with accountability instruments and reporting obligations.
5. Reviews, analyzes and actions reports to provide oversight to regional licensing operations e.g. caseload reports, serious occurrences, licensed complaints. Regularly reports on the status of licensing activities, or particular contentious issues.
Managerial Responsibilities
1. Leads and manages a team(s) in the delivery of a program or service operation and contributes to financial, business, strategic planning and evaluation processes.
2. Identifies financial, material and human resources needs, manages and controls the operational/program/project or activities budget. Contributes to long term financial and resource planning.
3. Promotes a values-based and inclusive team through employee engagement, communicating program deliverables, setting and evaluating performance standards, recommends merit increases, identifies staffing needs, and makes hiring decisions, recommends discipline where required, and promptly addresses employee relations matters.
4. Develops and sustains internal and external stakeholder relationships to coordinate shared interests.
5. Responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory, legal, financial, collective agreements and ministry policy commitments and advising senior management of sensitive issues/matters.

Factors :

Knowledge :

Ministry strategic directions, policies, programs and service delivery models, to provide operational management of a program area, service or initiative, to determine and plan for program resource requirements and to ensure alignment of programs/projects with corporate, division and branch goals and objectives.

Human resources practices, policies, directives and collective agreements in relation to recruitment, training and development and labour relations to support an inclusive and engaged team; address employee issues and to support talent management.

Government and ministry financial and administrative procedures, to manage and control allocated financial and material resources, including developing annual budgets, and managing assets and contract service providers.

Expertise in project management principles and methodologies to manage the delivery of program plans, initiatives and goals.

Theories, principles, and practices of a specialized field of expertise to provide advice to senior management and subject expertise in planning and managing program operations, to identify, analyze and resolve issues related to specific program matters, and to develop and recommend operational policy improvements.

Regulatory and compliance enforcement models to determine governance and accountability, appropriate model/approaches and/or significant modifications to the existing compliance programs.

Stakeholders' operations, mandates, services, programs, and governing legislation to manage and implement a provincial compliance inspection program.

Performance management/measures and risk management techniques, to lead the development of operational and program review frameworks, accountability and reporting mechanisms and to implement standardized and consistent licensing service structures for delivery by area service offices across the Province.

Research techniques, evaluation methodologies and statistical analysis to manage research and provide oversight and linkages from start through completion including determining research project scope, objectives and responsibilities.

Program Responsibility :

Responsible for managing the service delivery processes and compliance inspection services and programs.

Responsible for ensuring that monitoring and compliance audits, regional operational reviews, performance targets, compliance and systems reviews are undertaken. Establishes ad hoc teams to assess administrative, management, and controllership practices related to compliance inspections.

Responsible for developing strategies to manage issues arising from program delivery impacts/implications and leads the development of strategies to effectively respond to such issues/concerns. Responds directly to complaints of a contentious nature from the general public, advocacy groups, etc. and ensures appropriate follow-up.

Responsible for the timeliness and quality licensing and enforcement activities (including monitoring, complaints and serious occurrences), which may be high profile and contentious. Acts as an expert witness at court and tribunals. Holds meetings with service operators and ensures that internal standards are met with regard to responding to complaints regarding unlicensed centres.

Analytical Thinking :

Evaluates compliance inspection priorities, risk management, accountability and reporting frameworks, performance measurement tools and dispute resolution processes

Develops business and operational plans and compliance programs that meet client and stakeholder needs.

Analyzes and responds to issues which may have impact for the Minister, DM and ADM and ensure that all relevant and realistic options within the scope of the political direction, along with short and long term implications, have been laid out for consideration by senior executives.

Evaluates the needs of regional areas in accordance with standards, resolve complex policy and operational issues and management provincial/municipal relationships

Planning / Coordinating :

Coordinates and plans the delivery of a program, operation, service or project considering the strategy and mandate of
the branch and ministry.

Determines financial, material and human resources needs, coordinates operations with other areas of the branch and division, and organizes work to meet program objectives. Participates in divisional results based and strategic planning, processes.

Coordinates consultation and advisory meetings relating to program/service initiative with external and internal stakeholders, partners and consultants.

Plans and leads the development of standardized and customized progress/activity reports for senior management and stakeholder executives; and recommends program, service delivery and operational improvements to integrate the branch/division business plans and operationalize the ministry's stewardship role.

Develops and manages relationships with colleagues at the regional level to ensure linkages for successful processes and quality. Collaborates with colleagues to discuss and advise on regional trends impacting programs and to provide regional input and influence to the modernization of legislation, policy and program development.

Leadership/Guidance :

Manages its team(s) by communicating values, strategies, expectations, and promotes an engaged and inclusive environment.

Ensures that identified organizational standards and operational goals are met by: contributing to succession planning; establishing performance standards; conducting regular performance management reviews; recommending merit increases; determining the organization of the work unit and by building individual and team competencies

Identifies and recommends staffing needs, conducts recruitment and selection activities, manages orientation/training, develops remedial plans; addresses employee/labour relations/employee matters.

Independence of Action :

Works under the general direction of the manager /management team and within the framework of ministry, division, branch policies, directives, guidelines and objectives.

Exercises independence of action in participating and providing program/service recommendations as a member of the management team. Provides expert opinions/briefings, advice to senior management on identified and emerging issues impacting program or service goals, outcomes or efficiencies.

Exercises discretion and independent judgement to determine and manage work activities where past practices may not exist.

Manages a monitoring and enforcement program to ensure compliance with legislation.

Plans broad strategies and practical approaches to the delivery of services in its region and in developing sound performance measurement/risk management frameworks, accountability instruments and agreements with stakeholders.

Develops and implements coordinated and consistent methodologies, tools, techniques and approaches to compliance inspections that are in compliance with the government's financial controllership, governance and accountability frameworks and the ministry's stewardship/customer service role.

Interpersonal/Communication :

Collaborates with branch colleagues on program issues, guidelines, standards and to develop/implement operational review and assessment framework and to participate in development of annual business plans, results based planning, estimates, target business/division delivery objectives and strategies.

Consults with senior management in key stakeholder organizations to discuss and resolve compliance inspection issues, to provide consultation, information, advice on transitional/transformational initiatives and operational/service reporting requirements and to develop effective partnerships, funding agreements and service relationships.

Influences both internal and external partners and stakeholders in amending or revising their policies, processes and practices and ensure a consistent application/recognition of compliance standards.

Prepares discussion papers, stakeholder presentations, briefing notes, contentious issue reports, and information reports for senior ministry management.

Physical Effort :

Most of the time is spent in an office environment with frequent opportunity to move about. Occasionally, moves/lifts light objects such as files and inspection reports.

Sensory Effort :

Requires concentration (i.e. reading without interruption) to plan and coordinate diverse activities, develop enforcement compliance assurance frameworks and standards. Concentrated effort is required to resolve compliance inspection issues, to listen to feedback, and to ensure that issues and information have been understood and communicated.

Working Conditions :

Work is performed in a typical office environment with occasional travel throughout the province.