Job Specification

Purpose :

' To participate in multiple research projects related to technology-enabled learning issues, and to provide advice and policy expertise to senior management and stakeholders on digital learning.
' To prepare policy, funding and legislative recommendations and options for senior management and government consideration, consistent with government direction on digital learning matters.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Policy leadership/advice expertise
' Participates in research and analysis of digital learning issues, and works in a collaborative team context, to conceptualize, develop, and recommend policy options and/or program frameworks that address service specific or systemic issues and needs within the educational sector.
' Undertakes all aspects of policy and program development and evaluation, from research and analysis of trends and directions, issue identification and management, synthesis of research and related materials, stakeholder consultations, impact analysis, development of options and recommendations, and preparation of legislative documentation.
' Assesses the effectiveness of new/changed policies and programs to support further policy development, and undertakes program evaluations to identify program performance benchmarks/strategies/best practices.
' Ensures that options and recommendations meet strategic digital learning objectives, and consider factors such as funding, governance, horizontal policy development, stakeholder needs and interests, cross-sectoral implications, implementation issues, and immediate and long term impacts across the educational system.
' Maintains current knowledge of innovative trends impacting technology-enabled learning in other jurisdictions and identify and asses emerging issues to determine applicability/impact on new or existing provincial/ministry policy and strategies.
' Plans/designs research and conceptual frameworks for policy studies, develops/recommends project goals, parameters, resources, and deliverables, and conducts or coordinates qualitative and quantitative analysis, trends, options and impact analysis, to support policy and program recommendations.
' Develops in-depth reports and analyses, presents policy options and recommendations to ministry senior management for decision making purposes, and prepares policy documentation [e.g., Cabinet submissions, legislative amendments].

2. Partnerships/Stakeholder Relations
' Consults and solicits input on proposed policies with key ministry and external stakeholders, to gather intelligence, obtain data, develop consensus, identify concerns and issues, and ensure consistency of policy approach and integration with the overall education mandate.
' Leads and /or represents the Branch on ministry, cross-ministry or inter-jurisdictional working groups and committees, and consults with educational experts in other governments, to strategically position educational issues, and develop a consistent and integrated approach to educational policy development.

3. Issues management
' Provides advice, research, and interpretation to senior management with respect to digital learning policy, programs and services, and negotiates/mediates contentious policy issues with stakeholder groups. ' Prepares a range of analyses/communications (e.g., briefing notes, correspondence, policy papers, presentations, speeches) requested by senior management and other stakeholders.

Knowledge / Skill :

' Policy and program development principles and techniques and government legislative/decision making processes to lead and/or participate in the development of funding strategies and policies.
' The broad socio-economic issues impacting postsecondary education in the province, relevant legislation, provincial and ministry strategic directions pertaining to digital learning in the province, funding, governance and related critical issues, to ensure that ministry and government objectives and directions are considered in the development of policy and program design submissions, to develop comprehensive and sound policy proposals that integrate a range of social, fiscal and governance factors, and to provide sound information and advice to clients and stakeholders.
' Provincial and Ministry strategic directions, policy priorities, and legislation governing, to ensure that the ministry/government agenda governs the development of policy proposals.
' The decision-making and accountability framework of the provincial government, and the legislative approvals and allocations processes, to review policy proposals and Cabinet submissions from other Ministries, and to lead development of strategic policy options and initiatives from conceptualization through to development of policy options.
' Research methods, quantitative/ qualitative methodologies, postsecondary education survey research and statistical analysis, modeling and forecasting tools, combined with project management techniques, to plan, design/conceptualize and lead/organize multiple research projects/studies requiring integration of crossjurisdictional information, and analysis of alternatives and impacts.
' User-centered design principles and journey mapping techniques to plan, design/conceptualize and lead/organize multiple research projects/studies requiring integration of cross-jurisdictional information, and analysis of alternatives and impacts.
' Policies/ legislation/governance/infrastructure of other government jurisdictions to assess the impact of proposed intergovernmental changes, and to participate in or lead in negotiating inter-jurisdictional agreements.
' Oral and written communications skills/techniques, and public consultation and communication principles, to lead an/or represent the ministry/provincial position on inter-jurisdictional policy consultations and negotiations, to coordinate/prepare and present reports, policy analyses, and briefing notes, and issues analyses to senior management, the Deputy, Minister.
' Standard software programs and tools to research and prepare own materials.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

' Consultation and negotiation skills to develop key stakeholder linkages, and to gain support for ministry policy and program initiatives from other ministries and stakeholders.
' Consensus-building and mediation skills to ensure that policy and program frameworks reflect coordinated input from all key players, and to mediate/resolve identified policy issues with stakeholders.
' Presentation and persuasion skills to provide policy and/or program advice and to explain policy and/or program recommendation.
' Facilitation skills and diplomacy to communicate the Ministry policy/position on sensitive, political, issues to working committees, other governments, stakeholders, and the general public.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
' Identify emerging innovations and trends in the digital learning sector to provide advice, interpretation and policy expertise to senior management in a range of areas such as postsecondary education, highly skilled workforce, non-traditional learners, and aboriginal and francophone learners.
' Plan/ design/undertake research studies to assess/evaluate issues and conceptualize/develop strategies, policies and program frameworks, options, and operational guidelines.
' Assess both qualitative and quantitative information in developing policy proposals, and evaluate a range of policy factors such as: funding, governance, and stakeholder interests.
' Evaluate other jurisdictional policy submissions to assess implications/impacts on policy/programs. ' Identify and evaluate the implications and impact of proposed policy changes, implementation issues, and medium and long term impacts of changes, and modify/make changes to mitigate identified potential risks. ' Analyze competing interests of stakeholders, mediate issues, and/or develop policies/ solutions that integrate concerns.
' Process and distill information from a range of sources, including research and scientific data, trends analyses, and independent research, to identify issues and discern salient points.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
' Providing policy recommendations/ options and/or program frameworks to senior management that impact digital learning policy and/or service and program delivery in the province.
' Identifying and assessing issues requiring policy or program response within broad provincial strategic directions for digital learning and legislative/regulatory and policy framework.
' Planning/carrying out research and evaluation of provincial digital learning policies, programs, services, and accountability relationships.
' Assessing proposed digital learning policy changes/proposals on stakeholder interests, needs, funding, governance, and service delivery.
' Representing the ministry in consultations with inter-jurisdictional stakeholder working groups/committees to resolve identified issues and/or to participate in shaping/evaluate broad digital learning policy.

' Has the latitude to: identify and recommend policy / program options to senior management, and to determine/recommend research scope for developing policy options and program development.
' Decisions are guided by: provincial and ministry strategic directions pertaining to digital learning in the province, the existing legislative/regulatory and policy framework, and government directives and procedures.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

' Ministry senior management to submit/ promote recommendations for policies and programs, to provide information and advice on digital learning policy, programs and services.
' Policy counterparts in own and other ministries, to consult on program and policy development, collaborate on issues resolution, develop Cabinet submissions or joint recommendations, and develop recommendations for integrated policies/program services.
' Other levels of government, researchers in the educational and academic systems, and public or private sector stakeholders to forge partnerships, collaborate and share information on inter-jurisdictional on integrated social policy/programs, on digital learning policy, funding, programs and services.
' Represents the Brach on ministry, cross-ministry or inter-jurisdictional working groups and committees, to strategically position digital learning issues, to develop a consistent and integrated approach to policy development, and to negotiate agreements.

Guidance / Supervision :

' Provides technical guidance to other policy analysts/work teams when leading/coordinating assigned research and policy development projects.
' Provides advice and information on current and proposed policy and programs to other government policy counterparts.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

' Frequently required to respond to requests within short deadlines where time pressures result in the need to work beyond normal work hours for response to information requests.
' Frequently required to deal with deadlines which are subject to change without notice, priorities that are not anticipated or contentious issues which arise unexpectedly and require quick turnaround for issues management.
' Occasional travel to deliver training, or attend inter-governmental meetings and committees.

Mental / Sensory :

' Continuous requirement to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing documents and research, and when drafting reports, analyses, and policy related materials.
' Frequent requirement to listen intently when attending meetings, seeking input from stakeholders.

Conditions / Environment :

' Work is performed in a typical office environment.