Thank you. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. It’s a change in line items. If you look at TSC chargebacks in previous years, in 2010-11 it was $907,000 and in 2011-12 it was $916,000. You’ll notice that its zero on this line at this point. That’s because this number has been moved up into the new fees and payments and that’s where it is showing now.
So the obvious question is why do that then? If it’s just TSC services like other departments, why is it? Is it an accounting problem? Why would you do that if we’ve already got it listed under something? Predictably I guess it’s more of a finance question by saying this is the type of process we’d see in other departments. But as far as Human Resources goes, why would we change line items if you’re trying to follow the budget?
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Bassi-Kellett.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. This is a reflection of what intrinsically meets the test for fees and payments. So instead of having the Technology Service Centre charges as a stand-alone, we felt it was better reflected to be incorporated into the fees and payments section. Thank you very much.
Just of particular note, I paged over to 6-7, which happens happily to be of course Municipal and Community Affairs, and coincidentally it’s also the DM’s old department, but TSC chargeback is consistent under that heading. Therefore, it does beg to wonder why we’re changing the heading under this particular one. It doesn’t follow any consistent practice. Now, I only went to one department, but it was the first department I went to and I’m just curious, does it come to a formal direction by some accounting experts? I’m not trying to put too fine of a point on it, but we’re changing the language. The public itself could have some trouble with this.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is correct; it’s actually an error within the Department of Human Resources and it needs to be put into the right category.
I thank the Minister for coming so clear on that. The question would then beg: What are the fees and payments for this particular department if there is a number there in that column?
That would be $916,000, similar to previous year.
So I’m going to suspect that it’s $21,000 for the account. I’m seeing a nod, so no need to go to the Minister. I’m happy with that answer.
That’s correct.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Anything further, Mr. Hawkins? Okay. On this activity I have Mr. Dolynny.
Great, thank you, Madam Chair. This category contains issues like major programs and service initiatives. More importantly, I believe French language services falls under this particular category. Can the Minister or delegation give us a status or progress update on the advisor position for the French position?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The position is currently out for competition. We hope to have it filled very shortly.
Keeping within the parameters of this category here, we know that with other programs and services we have the transition within PeopleSoft from 8.9 to 9.1. There’s also an e-Performance project initiative that I believe is happening within this fiscal framework. Those two initiatives, can we get more clarity as to exactly what those costs will be for those changes?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Ms. Bassi-Kellett.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The overall cost of the PeopleSoft upgrade to go from version 8.9 to version 9.1 is approximately $1.6 million that we have been funding over two fiscal years, over the 2011-2012 fiscal year and then now in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The e-Performance project will be something that we will build onto once we’ve finished the upgrade, and that’s going to enable department managers to be able to really effectively manage an on-line performance management system with employees to really make it a very attractive and useful and much more constructive tool. We’re looking at a cost again straddling two fiscal years of $600,000; $300,000 in each fiscal year 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. The e-Performance module is funded through the capital process as well.
Thank you, Ms. Bassi-Kellett.
Thank you, Madam Chair. No further questions on this section.
I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that.
No further questions, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Page 3-17, operations expenditure summary, human resource strategy and policy, $7.134 million.
Agreed.
Thank you. On the following page 3-18, human resource strategy and policy, active positions, information item. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We may have to go back. I’m just seeking clarification from the department. Bilingual services, there’s an allowance program built into Human Resources. Is this under this particular section or can the Minister point to a more specific page that should be referenced on it and we can talk about it then?
What is the wish of the committee? Are we amenable…
---Interjection
Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. If I understand correctly, the Member is asking about bilingual bonuses that employees can get. That comes out of each individual department out of their compensation and benefits section. So it will show up in every department under compensation and benefits. It’s not broken out specifically because the number changes fairly regularly as people come in that are receiving the bonus, but it all comes out of individual departments’ compensation and benefits.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m not sure if I’m in the right place but I would like to ask a question with regard to service level agreements. The Auditor General recommended that Health and Social Services and Education, I believe, develop service-level agreements. They were to be developed in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources. I would like to ask the Minister where things are at in terms of the service-level agreements for both health and social services and education authorities.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The service-level agreements are a critical component and we do need to get those in place. Right now we’re working with Health and Social Services to set up some service-level agreements which we’re going to be piloting. We’re having those negotiations and discussions this week and hopefully we’ll have those in place soon. We wish to pilot through the 2012-2013 fiscal year and then assess, figure out what works and what doesn’t, fix the more appropriate, and start implementing them across the government over the following years.
Thanks to the Minister for the response. I’m not sure again if this is the right place. I could be directed to the right section if I’m out of line here. I wanted to ask a question with regard to the role of Human Resources in our devolution negotiations and implementation. I believe that there is an employee within Aboriginal Affairs who is working on human resource matters. Is there any money within this budget for the Department of Human Resources that is going to the devolution work that we’re currently doing as a government?
The Department of Executive has a committee that’s working on the devolution issues with respect to where positions may go. With respect to devolution in general and bringing in employees, we are there to provide guidance and direction with respect to Human Resources policy. We don’t have additional money in our budget to do that. We are doing it out of Human Resources strategy and policy with the resources we currently have.
I guess I’m just trying to clarify, I don’t remember where I read it but I believe I read that there is an employee working in DAAIR who is doing nothing but human resources work. I wondered if that is somebody who has been seconded from Human Resources to DAAIR to do that work. Maybe the Minister could speak to that for me.
We do have an ex-employee of the Department of Human Resources who is working in DAAIR on this file. He’s not our employee currently, though. He is on a transfer assignment, which makes him their employee right now.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Anything further, Ms. Bisaro?
No. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Okay. Page 3-18, active positions, human resource strategy and policy, information item.
Agreed.
Page 3-21, management and recruitment services, operations expenditure summary, $3.97 million. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Again a little bit of uncertainty on whose mandate. I know that during the middle part of the 16th Assembly there was a website and other resources established specifically to enhance recruitment and retention of health professionals. I’m wondering, if this is a Human Resources responsibility, what is the success of those programs that were put in place specifically for this purpose and what’s the result of the evaluation. If it’s not this Minister’s responsibility, I’ll direct that later.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Madam Chair. In the Department of Human Resources within this – it’s actually not in this section, it’s in the corporate human resources section – there is a recruitment and retention unit that’s responsible for the big picture recruitment. Planning, figuring out how to convince people to come here, also supporting programs that will actually train people here in the Northwest Territories. Programs that they do run out of there, there are a number of health-specific programs. They do the bursaries, they do the professional development initiative, they do some marketing on the big scales, not for individual jobs, the Community Health Nurse Development Program. A whole variety of programs. It’s complicated. It’s a joint responsibility because ultimately the budget for those programs is a Health and Social Services budget even though it’s administered by the Department of Human Resources.
The two departments have to work closely together. I don’t believe there has been a recent sort of evaluation or review of the effectiveness of the bursary program’s professional development initiative, Community Health Nurse Development Program, or a number of the programs that are being delivered in there.
I can tell you that the bursaries are being utilized. They continue to be distributed. The Community Health Nurse Program is still in place. There has been a recent intake. I believe there are four people in that program right now. So there are things that are happening in that area.
Thanks to the Minister for that clarification and additional information. We should obviously be doing some monitoring and evaluation. Can we expect that to happen and would the Minister have a time frame in mind or can he establish one working with committee here?
The Department of Human Resources and the Department of Health and Social Services will be discussing this particular issue next week, as a matter of fact, and how we want to work on this particular division to improve effectiveness. Once we have those discussions and figure out what we’re going to do, I’ll be happy to share that with the Member and the appropriate committee.
Thanks to the Minister for that commitment. Now, Madam Chair, thanks for your forbearance there returning to this section. Could the Minister tell me just for my own edification here, the allied health recruitment unit mentioned here, how does that fit into the picture and how does it relate to what we’ve been discussing?
The unit that we’re talking about which is in the corporate human resources is more of a planning unit and delivers some specific programs to encourage people to go into the health professions. The allied health recruitment unit is the unit that’s actually doing the staffing for individual jobs, out there recruiting or advertising for position X and following it through to the hiring of somebody in position X. They’re more the action unit with the actual individual jobs who are doing the actual hiring with the authorities.
