Mr. Speaker, the effectiveness of the government’s programs and services is determined by the quality of the people who deliver them. In today’s highly competitive labour market we need to do more to recognize that our staff are the government’s most valuable resource.
To attract qualified staff and create an environment that encourages them to remain with the Government of the Northwest Territories, it takes more than an investment of money. It also takes planning, vision and commitment. We believe that the government is a challenging and exciting organization that can provide staff with a range of opportunities. We need to invest enough effort and resources into making our government an employer of choice.
This means doing more than providing a competitive salary and benefits package. It also requires that staff have access to mentorship and training and that they have opportunities to advance within the organization. It means ensuring we have a government that actively strives to attract a workforce that is representative of the population it serves.
We need to find more effective ways to attract aboriginal people into the government and support them to succeed. We need to model other employers who have made it a priority to accommodate persons with disabilities in the workplace.
Mr. Speaker, in order to accomplish this, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Human Resources is proceeding with the development of a comprehensive corporate human resource strategic plan for the Northwest Territories’ public service.
The strategic plan will describe the goals of the public service, document our internal and external challenges and outline the key initiatives that will be undertaken to achieve success. The plan will be based on consultation with stakeholders, including Members of this Assembly, as well as best practices from other public services. It will be grounded in the realities of working within the political, cultural, social and environmental landscape of the Canadian north. We will also provide a framework for the development of individual departmental human resource plans.
Finally, the plan will include a companion three year action plan that details specific short term objectives, actions, time frames and performance results to be achieved over the life of the 16th Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, the strategic plan will reflect the aspirations of multiple stakeholder groups. It will reflect the 16th Legislative Assembly’s priority to “improve human resource management within the GNWT through training, career planning and encouraging innovation by employees.” It will be a foundation document guiding the work of thousands of public servants who will continue to provide the highest calibre of programs and services to the people of the Northwest Territories. And, finally, it will reflect the needs and aspirations of residents.
I look forward to keeping the Members of this Assembly informed as we move forward with this important initiative.
