Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don't think I would characterize the reorganization as one linked to a change in philosophy so much as the demand for some resources to result in action. I think it was already moving in that direction. I think what the department has been trying to do for the last while in, for example, the operating assistance program, is to break the links between the types of incorporated status and the amount of operating assistance needed to provide good community governments, so there is a mechanism in place for the community government of the day to provide services.
The problem is, it takes money to improve that situation so we are looking for ways of best using the resources to best achieve that goal. What we did was take a hard look at the types of resources, whether they are staff resources or contribution resources that are available. I think the hard decision came down to determining that it made more sense to take away a layer of management, if you will, and funnel in more direct contributions to communities.
One of the structural changes, albeit minor today, which I think will pay off well for smaller communities, was the realignment of the reporting relationship for area superintendents. Rather than putting them at a second level in the organization, reporting to an assistant, we put them up on an equal status with all superintendents, whether they are regional or area superintendents. That ensures they have the best access to bring the political operating situation, as well as the operating situation, to the attention of a senior management table. There was no point in my mind, when we reviewed it, in having a reporting relationship at a second tier level of the organization. I think that gives the small communities in the area a better crack at getting the resources needed to do their job.
The other thing we've been able to do is to free up some resources, using vacant positions, to start to put some more people in the area. What we've done, in the Fort Smith region and the Fort Simpson area, for instance, is find the resources we need to staff a municipal planning engineer. There is a lot of infrastructure going into communities in that area and I think the program would benefit from having somebody who is solely focused on the work in those communities.
I think what we tried to prevent was losing the brain trust and the resources that are in the department. We didn't set about trying to get rid of people, we tried to work with the people we have so that we could keep the expertise there. I think that, in the end, will be to everybody's benefit, albeit with some stress through the summer while changes occurred. But, it has been my hope all along that we could find a way to keep everybody inside the department. Thank you, very much.