Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide an update on the amalgamation of human resource services.
The decision to amalgamate human resource services into regional service centres was made in August 2004. The actual implementation commenced in May 2005 and continues today as office relocations, recruitment and training proceed. We anticipate that it will be at least another year before implementation activities are completed and we have the staff, organization, business processes and systems operating at the level of efficiency and effectiveness we need. This time frame for full transition was anticipated and is much more ambitious than what other jurisdictions have indicated as their experience with the establishment of service centres.
The amalgamation of human resource services has resulted in the creation of seven full service centres in all regions. Service centres are located in Inuvik. Norman Wells, Behchoko, Fort Simpson, Yellowknife, Hay River and Fort Smith. These service centres are supported by two corporate units, employee relations and corporate human resources. Services that were provided to employees from Yellowknife are now available from the regional service centres in each region.
There were many reasons why we amalgamated human resource functions:
- to improve consistency and fairness of staffing processes;
- to improve the quality of service being provided to existing staff;
- to improve our human resource planning and recruitment and retention strategies in light of national and international labour shortages;
- to increase our efforts in achieving a representative public service; and
- to improve our ability to effectively respond to rapid changes driven by globalization, resource development, self-government and technological change.
We knew at the outset that addressing these issues would not be easy and we expected that the change process would be difficult and it would take time to achieve the efficient and effective level of service employees and the public expect.
Staff have worked very hard and faced many challenges and after nine months in operation, we believe we are starting to see progress in the quality and consistency of the human resource services we are providing in following government-wide policies and procedures. Human resources staff are collaborating with managers to meet each department's organizational need while maintaining a consistent GNWT approach. I would like to thank our human resources employees for their efforts to date, and
encourage them to continue striving for excellence as we proceed with full implementation.
The human resource amalgamation has had to cope with additional issues over the last nine months:
- the challenge in recruiting qualified northern human resource practitioners;
- the long timelines in obtaining the office space necessary to house the service centres;
- the backlog of pay and benefits transactions that the new organization took over; and
- the volume of other changes that arose over the year, such as negotiating and implementing two collective agreements, integrating six pay offices into one location, implementing a relief worker system, the conversion of employees to the Tlicho Community Services Agency and many others.
Although there were many highly qualified human resource practitioners who became part of the consolidated human resources, there were also many vacancies to fill. With these new employees comes a correspondingly large learning curve for the first year or two and a slower move to a full level of service in all locations. In keeping with our policies and practices, as many northerners as possible have been recruited for those positions. There has been an intensive effort to provide all human resources staff a common base of knowledge and then build on that base.
Mr. Speaker, while we often focus on the problems that arise when we go through change, it is important to recognize the positive things that are happening. Because of the amalgamation, we have been able to dedicate positions to conduct workplace investigations and to address employee health and wellness. Investigations into workplace issues are now dealt with in a more timely and consistent manner, with better support to managers and employees in these situations. Because of the employee health and wellness position, there is now a resource available to assist managers and employees with difficult situations, such as employees who return to work after an extended absence due to illness. Finding ways to address workplace accommodations to deal with disabilities has also improved. Individuals interested in GNWT employment can now find information about jobs, including job descriptions and tips on how to apply, in one location on the GNWT web site.
There has also been a significant improvement in the clarity regarding employee entitlements to different types of leave. The amount of GNWT-wide staff training has also gone up. These are not changes obvious to most individuals, but they begin to address the basic concerns which lead to the amalgamation in the first place.
Employees in human resources are committed to achieving service excellence. The amalgamation of human resources is still in its early stages. There has been significant progress, but we also recognize the need to continue to improve service levels to better support excellence in human resource management. I look forward to reporting further at our next session in May-June on this important shift in our approach to human resource management in the government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause