Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Public Accounts also wishes to highlight a number of concerns with respect to the way the Department of Health is managing people within the staffing structure. First and foremost among these, is the department's completely unacceptable performance in terms of aboriginal hiring. Clearly Health administration should reflect the cultural character of the people it serves. With only 11 per cent aboriginal representation within headquarters personnel and around 40 per cent in health and hospital boards, this has not been accomplished. The standing committee is proposing that the department target planning and strategic resources toward increasing aboriginal access to the health care profession and health administration careers.
The standing committee is also concerned about the fact that employee orientation, cross-cultural awareness, staff performance appraisal, and exit interview procedures within the department are presently inadequate.
Managing information is a notable weak point within the Department of Health. Currently computerized statistical systems are inflexible and cannot interface with each other, while board accounting systems are neither standardized nor efficient. Although medical research is taking place in northern communities, the department lacks policy and procedures which allow it to benefit. Boards are unfamiliar with what other boards are doing. Managers are unfamiliar with what other managers are doing. In many ways, Mr. Speaker, information management is driven largely by ad hoc needs to respond to public events or administrative prices. The standing committee is of the opinion that this situation cannot continue and has identified a number of potential areas for improvement.
The management of capital assets by the Department of Health has not been carried out as well as it might have been, according to the Auditor General. Although some impressive work is under way with respect to revising capital standards and criteria for health facilities, as well as the development of a new system for tracking capital assets. Further improvements can be made by ensuring that follow-up evaluations are completed after the construction of new facilities.
A number of specific financial issues were also identified by the Auditor General. Again, the standing committee was encouraged to see that progress has already begun on most of these including the improvements of forecasting models and procedures for budgetary monitoring. Progress in this area should continue to be a priority of the department.
Management reporting and accountability procedures have not been carried out as well as they should have been. Specifically there is an inadequate use of the government's management for results system within the Department of Health. The standing committee is of the opinion that this department is probably not unique in that respect, but nevertheless, proposes that a program of staff in-service training should be carried out to build expertise and awareness in this important management area.
Throughout the public review, Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts was astounded by the number and the complexity of problems facing the Department of Health. At the same time the committee was provided with information which suggests that at least some of these issues are now being addressed.
The very positive initiative to establish a memorandum of understanding with health boards and indeed an earlier indication of a different attitude toward building partnerships with health stakeholder organizations seems, to offer some promise for a change in working relations.
Departmental working groups have been established to revamp board accounting procedures and to address time lags in receipt of cost data from health insurance programs.
The announcement that a nursing diploma program will commence this September at Arctic College holds potential for effecting an increase in aboriginal health care workers.
The consolidation of all medical travel programs within the Department of Health should remove policy inconsistencies with respect to GNWT employees.
In short, progress is being made in a number of important areas. There is still much work to do, however, and the work will require a collaborative approach on the part of all health stakeholders including the Department of Health.
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts is of the opinion that the Auditor General's report can serve as the framework document for the Legislative Assembly to use in elevating continued progress in these areas.
To further assist the process, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts also offers a number of recommendations dealing with the specific areas identified by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, that concludes the summary of the standing committee's report and prior to making a motion to refer this to committee of the whole, as the report is very lengthy and detailed, I would request the consent of the House to have the report considered read and printed in Hansard.