Job Specification

Purpose :

To lead and manage planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of program delivery strategies and frameworks to delivery mandated ministry programs and services, as well as business improvements, and to lead and oversee related partnership development and stakeholder/Indigenous consultations processes.

To provide expertise and advice to ministry executives, senior management and staff on program delivery options, recommendations, risks, and issues management strategies.

To lead and direct stakeholder and Indigenous partner relations and the ministry’s consultations, engagement and facilitation, and to oversee partnership and consensus building in developing, promoting, and delivering programs that support ministry strategies and goals.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Oversees and leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of program delivery strategies and methods, including development of guidelines and criteria, funding, resource allocation, performance measurement frameworks, stakeholder capacity building, and implementation plans, and participates in the formulation of goals, objectives, program initiatives, budget development and management plans.
2. Oversees the preparation of project reports and recommendations, House Book Notes, discussion papers, input into policy analysis and Cabinet Submissions, briefing documents, and executive correspondence on operational issues, and leads presentations and briefs to executive management.
3. Leads program and service delivery review/evaluation processes to assess and measure effectiveness and accountability, identify needs and gaps, ensure consistency with ministry/ government standards, best practices, and alignment and integration with strategic program directions, and program plans of other ministry divisions. Leads the development of education/training strategies, delivery of training.
4. Provides advice and program planning and management expertise to ministry executives and senior ministry management on program decisions and directions, and on issues and risk analyses impacting achievement of government program commitments. Leads issues resolution, and develops communication strategies, including program recommendations, to mitigate any identified risk and to manage and identify critical and emerging issues.
5. Leads projects to research, analyze, and develop business change management options/proposals and strategies to maximize the effectiveness of programs and service delivery. Plans and forecasts any resource requirements to implement changes to service and program delivery and to operationalize strategic directions and plans.
6. Develops and directs critical relationships, sustainability and revitalization strategies to coordinate program delivery and program review processes, facilitate consultations, and address program delivery issues. Leads the development and implementation of stakeholder and Indigenous community management strategies to ensure consultative mechanisms are in place for the identification of emerging trends, issues and challenges to help inform future policy direction and to maintain ongoing stakeholder relations with other ministries and levels of government.
7. Manages and leads a multi-disciplinary project team(s) and oversees and coordinates the development and implementation of program and service initiatives to support ministry business plans. Develops implementation frameworks and processes related to priority setting, project integration, and critical program delivery linkages, and establishes work plans and schedules to meet key delivery timelines and objectives.
8. Serves on ministry, inter-ministry and inter-jurisdictional committees, forums, and working groups, to establish consensus on strategic program development, delivery, and issues management. Leads development of innovative stakeholder/Indigenous partnerships that promote and foster best practice program design, development and delivery, and leads and manages stakeholder/Indigenous consultation processes.
9. Leads, plans, and develops the implementation of communications strategies, processes and guidelines, and establishes and manages a divisional information network covering all program areas. Develops specifications and guidelines for information sharing and messaging within and outside the division.
10. Develops networks and ensures connections with key government and non-government business partners including indigenous communities, decision-makers, leaders and influencers in obtaining their active commitment and support by communicating strategic directions and managing engagement initiatives. Establishes and evaluates the effectiveness of working partnerships, taking pre-emptive action to dissolve barriers and build strengthened relationships.
11. Manages and leads the implementation of transition and change plans, including human transition and change factors that address staff skills development, understanding cultural resistance and acceptance, to promote support, optimize learning, and ensure the effective handover and ongoing support for ministry operational units. Develops and implements post-change reviews/assessments to ensure compliance with current/new corporate administration policies and procedures.
12. Participates in ministry senior management strategic planning, budgeting, work planning, and decision-making process by providing authoritative strategic advice and ensuring the provision of expertise to address specific policy, procedure and operational problems/issues and their resolution. Oversees/prepares complex written resources such as priority and discussion papers, briefing/issue notes, reports and other materials involving senior executives’ decisions.

MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Develops and oversees ministry strategic plans in the program area and provides advice and expertise to executive levels on issues impacting the OPS and ministry service deliverables.
2. Controls financial resources and reporting, develops the multi-year budget and resource plans. Leads business, financial, and results-based planning processes for Ministry programs/operations and services.
3. Builds organizational capacity through effective human resources development by authorizing recruitment activities, labour relations management, talent management, organizational design and succession planning.
4. Establishes and maintains strong working relationships with key partners and stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate information flow and identification of issues; presents and advocates the ministry’s position at various forums.
5. Responsible for the overall compliance with legislative statutes, collective agreements, government and ministry policies, directives, guidelines and commitments related to programs and services.

Factors :

Knowledge :

Ministry strategic corporate directions, multi-year business and results based planning processes, and ministry service delivery models, to lead and manage a significant ministry program area, to determine program objectives and resource requirements and to ensure alignment of programs and projects with corporate strategic goals.

Government and ministry financial, administrative and procurement policies and directives to plan and manage fiscal and material resources. This includes reviewing and approving budgets, managing facilities, assets, and contract service providers, leading long range fiscal planning, providing regular financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with financial protocols, audit principles, directives and guidelines.

Human resources theories, principles, policies and collective agreements to develop organizational capacity which includes succession planning, talent management, organization and job design and labour relations management.

Project management principles and methodologies to oversee and guide the overall delivery of mandates and strategies.

Consultation and negotiation methods, techniques and best practices; new and emerging trends in communications (e.g. social media and the government's vision) to manage the development and implementation of stakeholder, Indigenous and key partner relations and communications strategies and to support ministry initiatives.

Vendor management and government procurement principles, practices and methods, to authorize project contracts.

Transfer payment management techniques and methodology to lead negotiations and risk assessment and ensure existing and newly developed policies and guidelines adhere to the ministry’s strategic direction.

Understanding of ministry strategic direction and objectives, business plans and program and service delivery models, as well as policy and procedures to coordinate and prioritize and administer program and operational requirements, formulate operational policies and procedures and manage information across the ministry and broader public service agencies.

Ability to interpret and apply legislation, ministry policies, standards, priorities, mandates and OPS policy direction to provide legislative and policy advice to staff and various stakeholders.

Program evaluation methods, and change management principles, to lead the development of business and change management strategies to maximize the effectiveness of programs and service delivery, and to oversee the analysis and evaluation of program effectiveness, in order to identify gaps, costs, impacts and issues, establish best practices, and provide evidence based program planning and delivery recommendations.

Government and ministry communications and issues management processes and methods, to provide critical identification and analysis of issues and stakeholder concerns potentially impacting program delivery and to provide strategic advice and recommendations to senior managers on issues mitigation.

Change management to provide leadership, expertise and tools to support ministry-wide business improvement initiatives and address human transition and change factors.

OPS policy development to manage/influence the development and implementation of the ministry policy and procedural framework and to provide authoritative interpretation.

Strategic planning, leadership and issues management skills to provide strategic expertise and recommend mitigation strategies that support efficient program delivery and business improvements for program delivery.

Program Responsibility :

Responsible for the planning, development, delivery, and evaluation of a range of ministry programs and services, and for ensuring that program development, input into policy development and implementation reflect government standards and best practices, accountability, and alignment and integration with strategic policy/program directions.
Leads the formulation of goals, objectives, program initiatives, budget development and management plans.

Responsible for providing strategic advice and expertise, including analysis and development of options, risk management approaches, and communication strategies to the Director, Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister's office, and Minister's Office on stakeholder interests/issues and recommendations.
Responsible for ensuring that ministry, divisional and/or operational performance measures and service standards are achieved, and for providing advice and expertise, including analysis and development of options, risk management approaches, and communication strategies, for senior ministry management regarding issues, stakeholder interests, and identified concerns that potentially impact program and service delivery.

Responsible for developing partnerships with government, non-governmental organizations and Indigenous communities that promote and foster effective and efficient program delivery, review and evaluation.

Responsible for contributing to and implementation of transition and change plans to enable diverse ministry program and service areas to adopt improvements.

Responsible for influencing decisions in the resolution of conflicting values and priorities between the ministry and other ministry requirements.

Responsible for supporting divisional and ministry corporate obligations in the development of policies, operational guidance and implementation of business/programs, policies as well as related projects/initiatives and contributing to achievement of ministry goals and objectives.

Responsible for leading and managing projects, analyses, and initiatives to improve program delivery and participating on inter-ministry and inter-jurisdicational committees, forums, and working groups, to establish consensus on strategic program development and delivery. Responsible for leading development of innovative stakeholder /Indigenous partnerships that promote and foster best practice program design and delivery.

Analytical Thinking :

Analyzes critical program issues and risks with potential impacts for the ministry/government, and leads development of mitigation options, issues management, communication strategies and recommendations for program changes.

Assesses and measures program effectiveness and accountability, identifies needs and gaps, ensures consistency with ministry/ government standards, best practices, and alignment and integration with strategic program directions, leads development of mitigation options and recommendations..

Assesses and monitors program performance and productivity, evaluates directions, trends, standards and policies using multiple sources of information, leads development of mitigation options and recommendations and provides strategic communications to senior management.

Anticipates and identifies program and operational issues, and provides strategic and expert advice to senior executives on risks and mitigation, including communications strategies.

Evaluates and balances ministry and stakeholder needs to ensure coordinated development of effective consultation processes in program delivery.

Planning / Coordinating :

Leads and manages multi-year strategic business /program/service plans including the deployment of resources (human and financial) to deliver programs and services.

Coordinates and leads the planning and implementation of organizational development and complex change initiatives for the programs, services, projects or initiatives.

Plans and coordinates multiple deliverables with external and internal stakeholders, partners, Indigenous communities and consultants.

Leads, coordinates, and manages delivery of divisional programs and services, leads multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinates program planning and evaluation processes in line with ministry goals, strategic directions and program mandate.

Coordinates the review, investigation, and resolution of critical program issues which impact the achievement of the mandate of the division/ministry.

Plans and coordinates consultation and partnership relationships with stakeholders in all relevant industries, sectors and user groups to inform program implementation and evaluation.

Leads and coordinates multi-year business planning processes, ensuring compliance with financial controls and procedures, ministry and audit policies, directives and guidelines.

Leadership/Guidance :

Develops, builds and leads organizational capacity through positive and values based leadership, inclusive and engaged teams, and partnerships. Frames program vision and strategy for services, programs or operations.

Determines human resources and organizational needs for optimal performance and delivery of results and alignment with ministry objectives; leads talent management and succession planning; mentors employees; sets goals and performance standards.

Exercises managerial and strategic leadership accountability and authority in the areas of organizational design, recruitment and retention, talent management, labour relations and compensation related matters

Independence of Action :

Reports to a senior level, Director or higher and works within broad parameters and the strategic ministry/branch mandate, legislation, and strategic goals and directions.

Exercises considerable independence and judgment in the development of program/service plans including delivery/implementation to meet government and ministry strategic business objectives and priorities and in the provision of advice and recommendations to Senior Management, which is considered authoritative, and informs policy and program decisions.

Performs delegated responsibilities within the legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks of the ministry’s mandate, with broad latitude to plan and manage projects and initiatives needed to meet government/ ministry strategic business goals and objectives.

Develops and recommends long and short term operational priorities, and ensures effective program and service delivery across a broad range of legislative frameworks, while reconciling changing priorities and demand for services within available staff and program capabilities, meeting legislative and policy requirements and maintaining the integrity of a wide variety of programs.

Identifies operational risks, provides strategic operational advice, and proposes mitigation strategies and communication approaches to address identified risks to program delivery.

Coordinates input into ministry strategic policy framework and evaluation of relevant legislation, regulations, policies, programs, and standards.

Designs program evaluation/review processes to assess and measure program outcomes and effectiveness, and develops and recommends program and business changes that reflect best program practices and evidence based decisions.
Directs diverse transition and change initiatives including the provision of persuasive leadership and authoritative advice to assist ministry executives and senior management overcome program delivery challenges.

Provides strategic and operational advice, reviews materials and assesses issues for resolution and decides on appropriate action/responses.

Interpersonal/Communication :

Advises ministry senior management and executives on operational policy/ program area plans, proposals, strategic advice and issues resolution program proposals, and discusses, briefs, and makes persuasive recommendations.

Builds key horizontal relationships and leads and manages partnership negotiations and consultation processes, with a view to developing and fostering key linkages across the OPS and with government and non-government stakeholders, and identifying program delivery issues and priorities.

Chairs or participates on senior level corporate/governance committees, working groups, projects and initiatives, related to design, development, and evaluation of ministry programs.

Interacts and consults with ministry program managers/other senior managers and executives to identify needs and coordinate the implementation of the ministry business improvement strategy; report on progress and findings, identify and resolve major problems and issues; provide authoritative advice, recommendations and support on transition and change initiatives.

Obtains opinions and provides executive direction and strategically focused advice to teams within the division.

Physical Effort :

The majority of time is typically spent in an office environment with frequent opportunity to move about. Occasionally, moves/lifts light objects.

Sensory Effort :

Requires visual attention and concentration (i.e. reading without interruption) to develop, plan and manage program operations, ensure tracking and reporting for performance management and strategic business planning processes, to review detailed program analysis and research outcomes and give direction to team members (including peers across the province); focused listening to understand program or stakeholder issues and to negotiate their resolution.

Visual attention and concentration is required through sustained periods of switching between tasks with limited ability to control the pace of the work and avoid interruption.

Working Conditions :

Work is performed in a typical office environment. Frequent travel throughout the province, including locations that are remote.