Mr. Speaker, human resources are the most important resource in an organization. Government of the Northwest Territories managers and the Department of Human Resources are becoming strategic partners in human resource management, ensuring the GNWT has the right people in the right jobs to support GNWT business program delivery.

In the months to come, I am looking forward to providing this House with an update on those efforts and highlighting some of the initiatives that will enhance our ability to recruit and retain a top-notch public service. Today, I would like to touch on a few areas for challenge and improvement.

One of the largest challenges relating to employees in addressing old issues is pay and benefits. Between now and summer 2008, the department is focusing on the backlog of pay and benefits items that are not current. Human Resources staff process approximately 7,000 transactions in pay and benefits every two weeks. This workload has resulted in delays in old file issues being dealt with. A backlog team is dealing specifically with any issues that are more than two months old. The first members of the team have already begun the work on outstanding pension estimates and final pays. The Department of Human Resources is funding this effort by focusing on the priorities and reallocating its resources. I will be providing updates on progress as this work proceeds.

Another challenge is to improve the timeliness and success rates of recruitment. The government is competing for new employees with other sectors, locally and nationally. Competitions need to be run quickly and within the hiring guidelines. Steps are being taken to review the process and to ensure timely staffing services.

While there are many challenges for human resource services, there have also been areas of improvement.

Self-service was introduced to the GNWT just over a year ago and provides employees and managers with direct secure access to their own information from anywhere they have Internet access. This month, the final group of GNWT employees, those working for Aurora College and the divisional education councils, will get access to self-service. Self-service has improved the timeliness of payments for employees of benefits such as overtime and regular pay for those who must report their hours worked. It gives employees access to their pay information, beneficiary details and the means to revise their own personal data including addresses, emergency contacts and bank account information.

While winter and the upcoming holiday season are on most people’s minds, human resource staff are beginning the annual campaign to enrol post-secondary students and graduates for possible summer and graduate work in summer 2008. Promotion of the programs and registration information will be available in the month of December.

As part of the effort to ensure that employees are properly compensated, the Department of Human Resources provided all employees with an opportunity this fall to verify their leave credits. Approximately 600 public service employees came forward with questions and they are being provided with a review and explanation of their leave. These reviews should be completed by mid-December.

Given the challenges in recruitment in the health and social services sector, an Allied Health recruitment unit was created by Human Resources in summer 2006. The results have been positive. This was the first year for a number of years where there have been no closures of health centres, ensuring that residents had access to local services. Through the development of a larger casual pool, there has been a reduction in the use of nurses hired through agencies of 70 percent, resulting in over $1 million in savings for the health and social services authorities.

As we set out priorities as an Assembly, it will be critical that the public service is ready and able to help us address those priorities. Mr. Speaker, in the months ahead, I will be providing the House with information on efforts to better support the human resource management of the public service and the efforts of all GNWT staff. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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