Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide project leadership and policy expertise in the evaluation, development and implementation of policy options on infrastructure funding programs, policy and planning and to provide related consultation and outreach services.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Policy Analysis and Development
- Leads, coordinates and / or participates in ministry and/or cross-ministry studies/projects, to conceptualize, develop and recommend strategies and policy options, and to facilitate collaborative approaches to growth management issues and planning and implementation of federal-provincial infrastructure programs.
- Analyzes and evaluates planning and development decisions, negotiations, and central agency submissions, and develops policy options/ responses for strategic planning/ decision-making purposes.
- Identifies, monitors, analyses, and assesses current and emerging issues, indicators, and trends, that encompass a range of factors and socio-economic perspectives: e.g., sectoral issues/interests, inter-ministerial integration, system pressures and impacts, expenditures, long range forecasts. Formulates recommendations and strategies to address identified issues.
- Leads and or undertakes analysis of client programs and proposals, including funding and program design that may impact infrastructure policy/planning and/or intergovernmental and/or external stakeholder relations. Monitors the implementation of provincial infrastructure programs/initiatives in order to ensure that reporting and audit requirements are being met.
2. Research Analysis and Coordination
- Plans research, and where leading policy and research projects, oversees all aspects of project planning and management, including building project teams to provide requisite expertise, establishing timelines and deliverables, managing consultant procurement, selection, and contracts, and organizing/reviewing work.
- Develops and prepares reports, position papers, briefing notes, speeches, correspondence, and communication materials to address identified issues requiring response or to advance and promote the Infrastructure policy and planning agenda.
3. Outreach/ Stakeholder Relations:
- Develops consultation processes, and establishes and manages relationships with a network of municipal, provincial, and national stakeholders as a resource and for consultation, advice and collaborative purposes.
- Participates in and/or leads ministry, inter-ministerial and inter-jurisdictional committees mandated to develop a coordinated approach to infrastructure policy and planning initiatives.
- Disseminates information, education, methodologies, and tools throughout the province, and prepares and presents multi-media updates, communications products (news releases, web content, backgrounders) and messaging for audiences throughout the province.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Theories, principles and methodologies of government capital planning, and policy development processes, as well as macro and micro economic theory in a policy and planning environment, in conjunction with the provincial and ministry strategic directions, policy, and legislation to provide sound advice and analysis, and to ensure that ministry and government objectives and directions are considered in the development of policy options and outreach strategies.
- Project management techniques, and policy development and government decision making processes, to lead and/or participate in projects and studies and to effectively develop policy proposals.
- Program analysis/evaluation techniques to assess the effectiveness of new/changed policies and to evaluate client policy and program proposals to evaluate impact for infrastructure policy and planning.
- Policies/fiscal and operational/structural aspects of municipal governance to develop policy that can be implemented within municipal policy frameworks and to identify potential issues.
- Research techniques and economic evaluation tools, including quantitative and qualitative analysis and modeling, to plan/conduct environment and trends scans, analysis of best practices, analysis of options, and impacts.
- Oral and written communications to respond to issues, provide recommendations, prepare reports, position papers, speeches, briefing materials and correspondence, and to represent the ministry on inter-jurisdictional task forces/working committees mandated to discuss issues and concerns.
- Standard software programs and tools to research and prepare own materials, and multi-media software for development of communications messaging and educational materials.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Consultation and negotiation skills to gain support for ministry infrastructure planning policy and principles from other ministries and stakeholders, and to resolve arising problems.
- Consensus-building and relationship management skills to build and maintain strong relationships with partner branches and ministries and to ensure that policy and initiatives reflect coordinated input from all key and affected players.
- Relationship building and collaborative skills to build working, collaborative relationships, within the ministry, cross-OPS, and in other governmental, and non-governmental and private and voluntary sector organizations, and to address diverse need/interests for integrated planning and development purposes.
- Facilitation and persuasion skills to provide policy and/or program advice; to explain policy and/or program recommendations; propose ministry responses/positions on contentious issues.
- Presentation and multi-media communication skills to prepare and present ideas/analyses through a range of materials for educational and outreach purposes.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
- Plan/carry out economic research studies, undertake environmental scans and trends analyses, analyze issues, and best practices in other jurisdictions, to identify policy gaps and issues, and to make recommendations.
- Assess both qualitative and quantitative information in conceptualizing /developing proposals, evaluate the immediate and long term implications and impact of proposed changes, and modify/make changes to mitigate identified potential risks.
- Analyze client proposals and competing interests of stakeholders, to develop policy options/ solutions that meet the needs /interests of partners, resolve identified concerns, and promote best practices.
- Process and distill information from a range of sources, including research, trends analyses, and independent research, to discern salient points for roll-up and input to decision-making processes.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Leading and / or participating in ministry and/or cross-ministry studies/projects, to conceptualize, develop and recommend strategies and policy options that promote infrastructure policy principles and integrated planning and development approaches.
- Identifying issues requiring policy response to address a broad range of sectoral and multi-jurisdictional policy/program concerns and interests.
- Planning/carrying out research to evaluate trends and directions, evaluating/assessing impacts of planning /development options/decisions, and managing contractual agreements with professional consultants.
- Participating in ministry, inter-ministerial and inter-jurisdictional committees mandated to develop a coordinated approach to infrastructure policy and planning.
Has latitude to identify issues and recommend options/solutions to senior management, and to determine research scope for developing policy options and evaluating impacts of planning and development approaches/decisions.
Decisions are guided by provincial and ministry strategic directions, existing legislative/regulatory and policy framework, best practices and government directives and procedures.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Ministry senior management to provide information, issues and impacts analysis, and /or to present reports and recommendations for policy options, and communications/outreach strategies.
- Policy counterparts in own and other ministries to consult on policy development, to collaborate on research and issues resolution, and to develop an integrated approach to planning and decision-making.
- Federal, municipal, and other provincial government stakeholders, to collaborate and share information on inter- jurisdictional planning and development policy, principles, and approaches.
- Advocacy/interest groups, professional associations and other voluntary stakeholders, to share information, and to discuss/address the concerns/issues of such groups for inclusion in policy analysis and reports/media releases.
- Professional consultants/ experts to provide functional advice/guidance, and to participate in, or contribute to, inter-jurisdictional studies/projects.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides guidance to other policy analysts when leading/coordinating 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 occasionally 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.

Mental / Sensory :

- Continuous requirement to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing fiscal documents and research, and when drafting reports, briefing notes 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.