So, could I get a bit of an explanation as to what engagement means? Thank you.
Engagement means basically that people are motivated to do their work, whether it’s through interesting work, it could be in the feedback they receive with their work to whether they’re engaged with the benefits that they receive. So it could be different things that would support their engagement. What we’re doing is looking at some research on all these kinds of engagement tools that we can utilize to support why and determine why people are leaving the GNWT and the Northwest Territories. So right now we’re looking at all these different strategies to support our clients.
Thanks to the deputy minister for the answer. I wanted to lastly ask about succession planning. We know that we have a large number of our fairly senior staff who are going to be leaving the employ of the GNWT due to retirement over the next five to 10 years, and I believe that in the last year or so we’ve heard from the Department of HR that they are working on succession planning.
I would like to know how they assist various departments in this succession planning, and I think there are one or two initiatives that are out there. How are those initiatives working? Do you feel that there’s been some success? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Beaulieu. I`m sorry, did you want me to give it to the deputy? Okay, Ms. Desjardins. Sorry.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We do have some management training programs, leadership programs for the departments. Besides that, we are refocusing our services into succession planning, which includes the departments, our client departments, human resource plans. With that we are going to be looking at targeting our retirement workforce in working down from their retirement dates and looking at some tools that will support them with their succession planning and looking at initiatives that is best practices that will support them, whether they’re difficult to recruit positions or not, we need to help support and identify them. We’re looking at different initiatives that would support them with these plans, so that’s going to be our refocus is with those. Also, we’re going to provide some more tools about the aging workforce and our other generation that’s coming in, the millenniums, about doing some education for engagement because they have different values than the different generations so we’re also going to be providing some tools on that for engagement.
My last question. I asked yesterday about direct appointments, and in response the Minister advised me that there was no change to the Direct Appointment Policy. I guess I would like to ask the Minister, I wasn’t so much asking about the policy itself but I was asking whether or not there’s been a change in how we apply that policy. So if he could advise me.
I had stated that I understand that we’ve made some changes in how we use direct appointments and I guess I would like to ask that question again and not to the policy but to how we apply the policy. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Ms. Desjardins. I’m sorry; I can’t understand. Minister Beaulieu.
Sorry, Madam Chair. I guess the only change to the direct appointment had occurred when there was an accommodation, a duty to accommodate employee had occurred. Then in that case, the Minister could do the direct appointment. That duty to accommodate had a bunch of prerequisites to it where we would be dealing with the union, the receiving department, the department the individual was leaving and so on, and we could do a direct appointment, I as Minister could do that direct appointment. Also, the direct appointment at the timing of an individual that was affected, so individuals where their job may be moved or where their job is no longer used in the public service would be looking for another job and would be affected. Up until that was approved, the direct appointment can only occur after the individual had been terminated from their current job.
So now what we do is before the individual is terminated, as soon as they are affected we can then direct appoint them. So that would be a direct appointment by Cabinet, but it would be a direct appointment that could occur before the individual actually lost their job. That’s really the only change.
The other direct appointments are, like I had indicated, it is a Cabinet policy and those direct appointments are not changed and the process in which we applied the direct appointment has not changed.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Next on the list I have Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to follow up on a couple of things in terms of recruitment and retention as well.
Yesterday the Minister stated, I believe, that it takes about six to eight weeks for when a job that’s available to the general public closes to the hiring process. So about a month and a half to two months before someone can get a job within government. I know we’ve got to go through the interview process and all the areas to make sure that this individual is qualified and ready for the job; however, that seems like a long turnover time for when I put my application in to get a job and the job is actually offered. I’m thinking that if we’re all competing for jobs in the Northwest Territories, the high cost of living here, you know, six to eight weeks of expenses while waiting on a job can be a financial burden on individuals, or they might actually take a job elsewhere while waiting for this to happen.
So I want to ask the Minister and his department what steps have they been taking to decrease that time of the job hiring process so we can get more people into the public service and working in our programs and services. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you Madam Chair. One of the areas that do take time is due process. It’s in the Public Service Act, and now we are looking at modernizing the Public Service Act to streamline that specific process of the appeal. The Member is correct; from the time the advertisement goes out until the actual job offer is made is a long period because we allow for the appeal process.
So, recognizing that, we are looking at reviewing or modernizing the Public Service Act so that would take a lot less time. Perhaps the deputy minister can also offer some assurance on the process and what other practices we’re looking at.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Deputy Minister Desjardins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. With the modernization of the Public Service Act we’ll be looking at streamlining two best practices. As well, any of our processes that we do to support our clients will be streamlined, so it’s in our work plan starting right away. We’ve already started on that and looking at each of our processes to determine what efficiencies we can remove as part of our accountability with restraints into ensuring that we provide efficient services to our clients. Everything that we do with recruitment is being reviewed right now to determine what’s efficient and effective.
Thank you, Ms. Desjardins. Mr. Moses.
Thanks, Madam Chair. In terms of streamlining the appeals process, there were a couple that were referred to but I wasn’t given specific details on. How long is the appeals process now and how do you streamline an appeals process? How do you streamline an appeals process and currently how long is that right now?
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Madam Chair. For the times and what we’re using as opposed to maybe a conventional letter of appeal, it could be using some e-mail process, but using the Internet and so on, so I’m going to just ask the deputy to provide the details of what we’re streamlining.
Thank you. Ms. Desjardins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. What we’re doing with the appeal process is looking at it from beginning to end on determining what’s best practices out there, what is more effective across jurisdictions, because there are organizations in unionized environments that have appeal processes, so we’re looking at that right now to see what they do. We haven’t really made any decisions what it’s going to look like until we look at best practices, but most jurisdictions’ appeal process for filing appeal is four days. We’re looking at taking that into consideration with everything else from beginning to end, whether it’s filing an appeal or how you review an appeal. All of that is being researched right now.
Thank you, Ms. Desjardins. Mr. Moses.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think that’s a good practice, because you heard some Members here say that some people don’t even get an interview and they don’t even understand why they didn’t get an interview in the first place. They don’t have an opportunity to appeal because they didn’t have a chance to even get to the interview process. I mean, we might be screening out people that are long-time residents and might be screening out people that have the community experience but maybe not the education that is always required, so that is something that could also maybe be looked at.
We talked about vacancies yesterday and didn’t get around to asking again, but there were a lot of vacancies. Does the Minister, well, not off hand know right now, but how many of those jobs are entry level jobs that we have right now, and has he been talking with, I guess, Aurora College, specifically office admin students or people in those entry level positions to try to fill these jobs, and if he’s meeting with Aurora College on a regular basis or when individuals are slowly coming up to graduation time that these individuals are recognized for potentially filling some of these entry level jobs? Is he talking to the Aurora College on that front?
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Deputy minister.
Thank you. We do have several working groups across government that are looking at different initiatives that are targeting colleges, especially northern colleges, to determine what our needs are. Not only just our needs within government but needs across sectors and are looking at different initiatives where we could have potential where they align to the services and jobs that we have. We have several working groups that are currently working on these initiatives and are in the planning stage right now.
Will those recommendations in a report come before standing committee so that the department and these several working groups that we have throughout the Northwest Territories are held accountable for the work that they do? It seems like there are a lot of working groups out there trying to do the same thing and I think Members sitting at this table have given some good recommendations already.
Thank you, Mr. Moses. Should we take that more as a comment or did you have a question?
Will the recommendations from these committees or the reports that they have become come before standing committee so we can hold them accountable to the work that they’re doing and ensure that these recruitment and retention practices are best served?
Thank you for the clarification, Mr. Moses. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the committee wishes to have the department appear, then we would go through the regular process of appearing in front of committee specific on these items.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Committee, we’re on page 247, strategic, human resources, operations expenditure summary, $8.339 million.
Agreed.
Page 248, strategic, human resources, active positions. Questions?
Agreed.
We will return to page 227, department total. Department of Human Resources, department total, $24.324 million.
Agreed.
Does committee agree that consideration of the Department of Human Resources is completed?
Agreed.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Thank you, witnesses. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses out of the Chamber.
Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. I am pleased to present the 2015-2016 Main Estimates for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. Overall, the department’s estimates propose an increase of $110,000, or 1.2 percent, over the 2014-2015 Main Estimates. These Estimates continue to support the objectives of limiting expenditure growth in order to sustain the long-term sustainability of the fiscal framework.
Highlights of the proposed estimates include:
$201,000 in forced growth for collective bargaining adjustments;
$25,000 in forced growth to increase the level of core funding provided to the Status of Women Council and the Native Women’s Association; and
$122,000 in expenditure reductions.
The proposed estimates support the priorities of the 17th Assembly. Specific activities in support of these priorities include:
continuing to strengthen the Government of the Northwest Territories’ relationship with Aboriginal governments through the negotiation of bilateral intergovernmental cooperation agreements that reflect the unique interests and challenges of Aboriginal governments;
ensuring that appropriate leadership and support is available to all departments in fulfilling the Government of the Northwest Territories’ objective of strengthening and maintaining relationships with Aboriginal governments through the creation of a new Aboriginal consultation and relations division;
ensuring the effective ongoing implementation of devolution plans and agreements, including providing leadership to the Intergovernmental Council on Lands and Resource Management;
continuing to work effectively with our federal and Aboriginal partners to finalize and implement land, resources and self-government agreements in all regions of the Northwest Territories; and
supporting the Government of the Northwest Territories’ more prominent and active role on the national scene by assuming the chair of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group, providing a leadership role in the planning for a National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and co-chairing a national working group established to find solutions for reducing the disproportionate number of Aboriginal children in the child welfare systems across Canada.
That concludes my opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Do you have witnesses to bring into the Chamber?
Yes, I do.
Agreed?
Agreed.
Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Thank you.
Premier McLeod, could you please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my left I have Martin Goldney, deputy minister. To my right I have Richard Robertson, director of finance and administration.
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Committee, we will begin on page 31, Aboriginal Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations. We will defer this page until we’ve completed detail and information items. Page 35, corporate management, operations expenditure summary, $4.018 million. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a couple of questions, but first really a general comment in response to the Premier’s remarks. I notice the establishment of a new Aboriginal consultation and relations division. Overall, I think we’ve been doing pretty good in that area. Where I see us falling down is consulting with the rest of the residents of the Northwest Territories. Can we expect that there will be a division established to finally bring that up to standard as well?
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have set up that division in order to fulfill the consultation requirements with Aboriginal people and treaty rights, which is a specific and unique Aboriginal rights relationship with the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
That wasn’t what I was asking. I think that’s obvious and appropriate. I’m asking what is being done to set up an equivalent one where we also have a responsibility to consult with our people and our residents on issues that are important to them, which are the activities of this government. Thank you.
