Job Specification

Purpose :

To oversee and manage the analytical work of the section including research, development and evaluation of strategies, policies, plans, legislation and regulations to address global air issues, regional air issues, and air policy instruments conducted by section staff.
To maintain analytical standards-of-analytical practice to ensure the section's methods and analysis are up-to-date.
To provide expert policy advice to ministry senior management, Deputy Minister, and Minister on matters related to area of specialty.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Policy Development/Project Management
Oversees/supervises section analytical project teams to ensure appropriate project design, work plans, project management and approval of deliverables, including quality assurance/quality control; provides coaching and mentoring to staff and acts as an expert on policy analysis and policy decision .
Manages planning, development, and evaluation of strategic policies, legislation, regulations, plans and program frameworks addressing climate change and air issues. Ensures policies are consistent with government and ministry strategic goals for global and regional air issues, and air policy instruments.
Leads concurrent policy, planning and research project teams of stakeholders and staff from across government. Establishes project charter, resources, methodologies and deliverables; monitors and guides progress to maintain project focus; ensures validity of research and analytical approaches by quality assurance/quality control; advises team members to support collaboration between diverse team members with different backgrounds and agendas.
Manages development of comprehensive regulatory/non-regulatory compliance strategies, tools and incentives to promote continuous improvements in environmental performance and accountability.
Manages and provides leadership to project staff who manages contractual and partnership agreements with external consultants and the academic community, including developing project plans, terms of reference and associated RfPs, reviewing proposals, awarding and developing contracts, and monitoring deliverables.

2. Issues Management/Advice
Manages analysis and assessment of environment initiatives, trends and directions affecting air issues and air policy instrument strategies, policies and legislation, including stakeholder group interests, and developments in other jurisdictions.
Leads environmental scans and quantitative/qualitative analysis to identify and assess impacts of external factors on the ministry's position, and consults with stakeholders and partners to protect ministry interests.
Identifies emerging issues, analyzes and responds to correspondence and issues raised by other ministry partners, and provides responses to questions in the legislature or from public/environmental groups. Ensures ADM, Deputy and Minister are alerted to emerging issues, and that responses reflect ministry directions and position.
Provides strategic policy and program advice and expertise to the Director, ADM, Deputy, and Minister. Contributes to briefing materials, issues papers, speeches, and public announcements for Deputy, Minister and Premier.

3. Stakeholder Relations
Establishes partnerships with other governments, jurisdictions and stakeholders to coordinate joint research studies and program initiatives; to discuss research findings; and to advise on ministry/government policy and related programs.
Builds networks/linkages within the ministry and OPS policy development community and ensures consultation processes and partnerships are developed and maintained. Ensures integration and harmonization of government's globe and regional air issues, and air policy instruments strategy, with other policy initiatives across across the OPS.
Manages external advisory committees and stakeholder groups in the completion of projects, research studies and reports.
Represents the ministry on corporate and special projects, task forces, policy and planning forums, committees and working groups within and outside the OPS.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
Policy/program development principles, theories, practices and techniques, and government legislative and decision-making processes to lead development of provincial policies, legislation, regulations and program frameworks related to global and regional air issues, and air policy instruments.
Government policy decision processes including those of Ontario ministries, central agencies (e.g., Cabinet, Treasury Board, Ministry of Finance), arm's-length agencies (e.g., Ontario Energy Board), Legislative Assembly and Officers (e.g., Environmental Commissioner) and the federal government (federal Cabinet processes).
Government/ministry strategic directions, legislation, policies, priorities and programs to ensure policies are developed within the broad context of government environmental management priorities and commitments.
Legislative authorities (e.g. Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, etc.) and regulations to ensure compliance and integration of new/proposed policies and procedures, and compliance of consultative processes.
Theories, principles, and practices of environmental management and performance, environmental issues and trends to address a range of environmental issues within the context of policy, planning and program development, to direct the research and analytical activities of scientific/technical staff; and to provide expert advice to senior management on issues related to air issues and air policy instruments.
Environmental management trends and developments in academic/scientific communities, policies, programs and initiatives of other jurisdictions to identify best practices, and emerging issues which may impact provincial strategies.
Program planning, analysis and evaluation to lead development of regulatory and non-regulatory compliance and accountability strategies, tools and incentives, performance criteria to assess effectiveness of new/changed policies and programs, and to oversee the development of recommendations for policy/program change.
Research methodologies, techniques and tools to lead and coordinate identification, analysis and assessment of environmental initiatives, trends and directions which may have an impact on government strategies.
Project management skills to direct, oversee and provide quality assurance for multiple project team leaders and project teams engaged in concurrent research and analysis.
Oral and written communications, skills to prepare and present complex research analyses, detailed policy, planning and program frameworks, speeches and briefing papers.
Software programs, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, e-mail and internet, to conduct research and analysis, prepare materials, and maintain contact with stakeholders, colleagues and management.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

Communication, consultation, negotiation and mediation skills to determine client requirements; make presentations; prepare proposals, business cases; develop and negotiate service level agreements; resolve conflicts; negotiate and mediate resolutions to policy/program issues; develop and sustain effective working relationships.
Persuasion and advisory skills to explain the risks and benefits of specific solutions, tools and approaches; encourage acceptance; and recommend specific courses of action to project stakeholders, including executive and senior management, colleagues, planners, coordinators, and committee/working group/forum/task force members.
Leadership, coaching and mentoring skills to direct the activities of multiple concurrent project teams of scientific and/or technical specialists engaged in specialized research and analysis, to manage deadlines and competing priorities and to provide input into individual staff learning plans.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
Monitor and analyze a broad range of environmental issues, initiatives and trends.
Assess section project team needs; design/prepare standard protocols for analysis and direct staff on quality assurance and quality control.
Work with project team leads to determine requirements for planning documents and submissions that will best facilitate senior level decision- making.
Evaluate and define project management requirements, identify policy options for Government consideration, make recommendations, coordinate and implement processes for diverse projects.
Balance environmental, economic and health aspects of policy initiatives.
Plan, coordinate and control all phases of assigned projects within a sensitive and high profile environment, including determining methodologies, identifying priorities, scheduling, determining deliverables and project resource requirements, assessing and mitigating risks, issues and constraints, recommending action plans and ensuring contingencies are in place.
Establish standards and measurement criteria to evaluate performance against objectives and plans, and determine the course of action required to address variances from plans.
Identify policy, program, planning l or other issues, conduct analyses, and determine most appropriate course of action to resolve them.
Provide expertise and advice to clients on environmental and analytical issues.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
Leading, coordinating, planning and managing the interpretation of analytical results and the development of recommendations for environmental policies, programs, legislation and regulations in global air issues (incl. climate change), regional air issues (incl. air contaminants), air policy instruments (incl. emissions trading and economic incentives), emerging environmental issues, environmental science and research and environmental best practices and innovation in environmental management.
Providing senior-level expertise on all air policy, strategic, and legislative issues related to air quality issues and air policy instruments.
Providing leadership to multiple project teams, and coordinating/guiding research and analytical activities of assigned technical/scientific project staff.
Provides recommendation to manager on allocation of project resources/budgets, overseeing the effective administration, monitoring and control of project budgets for multiple project teams; managing contracts and agreements with external consultants, including developing and managing large RFPs, selecting successful bidder, and determining contractual terms.
Has latitude to: direct and monitor the analysis and assessment of a broad range of environmental issues, initiatives, and trends affecting the development of policies; to set the scope/objectives for policy options; to determine and apply project methodologies, resources, and deliverables; and to establish standards and measurement criteria for evaluating and reporting on performance.
Position works under general direction of manager and within broad strategic framework of the branch and ministry/government legislative authorities, regulations and directions in environmental management.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

Ministry senior management to provide briefings, policy advice and issues analysis.
Ministry colleagues across ministry to provide policy expertise and analysis on issues, and to develop partnerships to resolve environmental issues.
Colleagues in other ministries to coordinate policy issues and to lead/participate on corporate and special projects, task forces, policy forums, committees and working groups.
Stakeholders, including members of the scientific/technical community, representatives of other domestic/international jurisdictions, environmental NGOs', industry associations, and members of the public, to develop partnerships on policy issues, negotiate project activities, and to provide information on legislation and regulatory issues.

Guidance / Supervision :

Provides expertise, guidance and leadership on environmental management matters, processes, standards and issue resolution to project team leads, project team members, working groups, task forces, committees, policy and planning forums, and partners.
Provides advice and guidance on projects, and expertise and advice on environmental issues, strategic planning, policy, legislation and program frameworks to project stakeholders, Ministry, Division and Branch managers and staff and partners.
Plans, coordinates and manages the work to ministry/division/branch/section project teams and section staff.

Demands / Pressures :

Occasional unexpected work demands, changes to deadlines on short notice, and tight time pressures.
Frequent conflicting work demands from multiple sources.

Mental / Sensory :

Occasional periods of uninterrupted reading to read/review legislation, regulations, policy and planning documents, proposals.
Frequent periods of concentration to analyze options in developing strategic policies, legislation, regulations, plans and program frameworks; to analyze and assess environmental initiatives, trends and directions; to establish standards and measurement criteria to evaluate performance against objectives and plans; and to provide policy analysis on various issues.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.