Next we have services to government on page 7-14 through 7-16. Details, financial details on 7-15. Committee, we have the Department of Justice, activity summary, services to government, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $150,000.

Thank you, committee. I believe that sends us back to the departmental summary on page 7-2. The Department of Justice, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.096 million

Does committee agree that that concludes the capital estimates for the Department of Justice?

Thank you, committee. Thanks very much to the Minister and to your witness, Ms. Watters. I would ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort Ms. Watters from the Chamber.

Committee, next on our list of departments is the Department of Human Resources. Does committee agree?

I will ask the Minister if he wishes to bring in witnesses. Minister McLeod.

Yes, I do, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Minister. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses into the Chamber.

Committee, we are going to proceed with the Department of Human Resources. I would like to call on Minister McLeod to introduce the witness.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me I have Tom Williams, deputy minister of Human Resources.

Thank you, Minister. Welcome to the House, Mr. Williams. Committee, we have, to begin with, the department summary on page 2-2, which we will defer until we complete the detail. We’re starting with human resource strategy and policy. It begins on page 2-3 and goes through 2-5. Financial details are on 2-4. Mr. Abernethy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. There’s one item here on shift scheduling software. I was wondering if I can get the Minister to just give me a quick update. I understand that primarily or initially this is going to be used for shift scheduling at Stanton, but I understand that in the future it will be available for other facilities like corrections facilities. Can you confirm that?

Also, has any analysis been done on how much we expect this could save us over time by way of scheduling more effectively with less redundancy and overlaps and double times and things like that? How much do you think we’re going to save and is it going to be available to go into other areas other than health?

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Payback, Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. What this project will do is it will allow us to streamline our administrative processes through fixing the foundation as part of our 20/20: A Brilliant North, the NWT Human Resources strategic plan. This will

allow us to reduce the significant inefficiencies of people and manual-based shift scheduling.

With the software based shift scheduling, services will be used to maximize resource usage. This will include having the right qualified staff in the right place at the right time, monitoring rules for overtime to maximize regular hours versus overtime, and utilizing existing staff to the maximum within collectively bargained working hours.

Now, our preliminary estimates indicate that we will save about $550,000 per year in avoided overtime and third weekend time costs. As we go further into the process, it is our expectations that it will allow all departments and agencies that have shift workers... In addition to Health and Social Services, there is the Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources, and those departments will also be able to streamline shift scheduling, reduce administrative costs and make more time available for core services.

That is really great news. It’s nice to see us come forward with a program that is going to pay for itself in a year and a half, so I am quite happy with that and I look forward to you getting that implemented and utilized across the government. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Just a comment there and I think, committee, we are on page 2-4, Department of Human Resources, activity summary, human resource strategy and policy, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $940,000. Does committee agree?

Thank you, committee. That concludes the detail for the department and we will return to the departmental summary on page 2-2. Department of Human Resources, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary $940,000. Agreed?

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that this concludes the Department of Human Resources 2011-2012 capital estimates?