Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

Develop, maintain and provide comprehensive information and advisory services to agricultural and rural clients, in a highly professional, informative and courteous manner, on a broad range of topics, programs and services as a member of the division's client contact centre.

Duties / Responsibilities :

Responding to inquires and requests to the contact centre (e.g. via telephone, internet, fax, mail) for general technical and business information, assessing client needs, clarifying types of products and services available, and directing clients to appropriate information and program areas, ministries, agencies and related associations.

Providing technical information and advisory services in all aspects of farm and rural business/commodities/disciplines, including product and management techniques, new technologies, business plans and new government programs and initiatives.

Responding to inquiries and providing interpretive feedback on legislation and related regulations.

Assessing and referring clients needing more scientific or detailed assistance to the appropriate program staff and following up with both the client and program staff to ensure that the client's information needs have been appropriately met.

Participating as a member of the contact centre team to develop and maintain an information resource database for use by the contact centre staff.

Liaising with division staff to exchange program information on an ongoing basis.

Monitoring services and program information delivered through the client contact centre and reporting results; assessing the needs through qualitative and quantitative processes for information services and programs for agricultural and rural clients; and making recommendations to improve the contact centre's information resources, services and technologies.

Reviewing and consulting, primarily with division staff and secondarily with clients, to identify concerns, issues, trends and new developments which may relate to and impact on the information services provided by the contact centre. Working with partners to facilitate delivery of information.

Preparing web based information material in French.

Developing and maintaining coordinated information and contact centre activities with the Business Enterprise Centres, Government Information Centres, ARD Resource Centres and ARD's Northern Ontario offices to avoid/prevent duplication of responsibilities and confusion amongst the general public and farm and rural clients

Performing the duties of contact centre Team Leader, on a rotating basis with the other Information Resource Agents, to manage the day-to-day operations of the contact centre, including: providing coaching and leadership to the agents; acting as a knowledge resource for the team agents; helping agents improve performance by observing calls; day-to-day staff scheduling of agents; ensuring answering positions are always occupied; and bringing important matters to the attention of the manager.

Staffing and Licencing :

- Proficiency in French Language - Advanced Level in both oral and written.

Knowledge :

- knowledge of agricultural production/management/marketing practices, rural economic development and program planning techniques to provide information and advisory services to clients
- understanding of the agriculture and rural issues in Ontario, and their impact on clients to assist in understanding their information needs
- knowledge of needs assessment and program evaluation methods to improve the contact centre's information resources, services and technologies
- knowledge of agricultural acts and regulations to provide interpretative information to clients
- knowledge of information methods and techniques to liaise with division program areas in the identification and exchange of information needs and the development, packaging and dissemination of technical and business program information
- knowledge of methods for collecting, capturing and storing of information to ensure electronic and paper-based information is current, accurate, easily accessible and relevant
- knowledge of the varied information requirements of the division's clients and stakeholders to ensure that information collected and disseminated is relevant to division business needs

Skills :

- customer service skills to work with clients via the telephone, internet, fax, mail and email
- interpersonal, analytical, interview, listening and conversational skills to probe clients through questioning to determine clients needs, then identify and respond to issues or client requests by gathering background information, determining the appropriate course of action, providing information, referral or follow-up
- organizational and planning skills to determine work priorities amongst conflicting demands and responding to unforeseen demands for services and changing priorities
- problem solving, facilitation, negotiation and conflict resolution skills to ensure effective teamwork
- oral and written communication skills to obtain information and to provide detailed explanations and advice to inquires from clients via telephone, internet, fax, mail and email
- interpersonal skills to understand and calm distressed or irate clients
- proficiency in the use of computer hardware and software applications (e.g. HTML editor programs, word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, presentations, scheduling, databases, email, internet/intranet)

Freedom of Action :

- researching, compiling and coordinating information for internal reports
- determining best sources of information for clients
- independently resolving most work-related problems in a client contact centre environment
- identifying errors and rectifying same
- make recommendations for improvement in client services via the centre