Yes, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I am pleased to present the Department of Human Resources’ main estimates for the fiscal year 2012-13.
For 2012-13 the department is proposing an operations expenditures budget of $42.796 million. This reflects an increase of $375,000 from last year’s main estimates, or slightly less than 1 percent. Of this amount, $9.692 million or 22.6 percent of the total budget is allocated in the form of direct supports to employees, including dental benefits, medical travel assistance, recognition awards and the Employee Family Assistance Program. As a shared service provider, another $2.394 million or 5.6 percent of the total budget is allocated in the form of direct supports to departments, boards and agencies for intern and summer student programs under the Maximizing Northern Employment Initiative.
Through its mandate to provide leadership and direction in all areas of human resource management, the Department of Human Resources works with departments, boards and agencies to ensure the public service is managed as a corporate resource in a way that promotes stability, retention and maximum effectiveness. 20/20, the NWT Public Service Strategic Plan, describes the long-term strategic goals and key initiatives necessary to guide the development of the public service and make the GNWT an employer of choice. In turn, this supports the interests of the government and the vision of Believing in People and Building on the Strengths of Northerners. A key role for Human Resources is in seeking to build the capacity of Northerners in order to sustain a strong future for our territory.
For example, the department has a key role to play in ensuring GNWT’s interests in devolution are
realized, including welcoming affected federal employees into the GNWT, ensuring fairness and equity for all impacted employees including existing GNWT staff, and developing a northern workforce. The department is assessing strategies for public service employment opportunities across the Northwest Territories and is working to support creative approaches to government organizational design that can implement this. As well, the department works to support a thriving public service with terms of employment that balance respect for our staff with prudent financial fiscal management and the ongoing delivery of quality programs and services.
Guided by the initial 20/20 three-year action plan, investment in the public service has created a positive foundation of human resource management practices and services through strategic program development, business process improvements, enhancements to the HR PeopleSoft systems and improved partnerships with client departments, agencies and the unions. A new four-year action plan is currently under development and will build on the successes of the first three years.
As Members are aware, the department led our government’s efforts, in partnership with employees’ bargaining representatives, to successfully negotiate collective agreements that will provide our employees and the GNWT with certainty and stability for the next four years. Pending ratification, the department’s immediate priority is to implement the new terms and conditions of employment negotiated through collective bargaining. As agreed to with the Union of Northern Workers, this includes the creation of an interim whistleblower process for employees who feel compelled to come forward with allegations of wrongdoing within the GNWT. Once this is in place, I will work with the Members of this House to establish legislation that offers public service disclosure protection for all GNWT employees.
Our continuous improvement approach with clients and stakeholders to enhance services will continue in 2012-13. The department will focus on implementing streamlined processes around core business to better serve individual employees and client departments. Service partnership agreements are under development to affirm the respective roles and responsibilities between Human Resources and our client departments. Improved clarity around service delivery will benefit employees, managers and departments, which in turn will enhance client service. Service Partnership Agreements will be piloted in 2012-13 with the health and social services system.
The department has two major enhancement projects this fiscal year to make better and more
efficient use of HR PeopleSoft systems and to streamline work for employees and managers. Overseen by a project steering committee, the upgrade to comply with tax requirements and enhance user access is now underway and should be completed by this fall. In the latter part of the fiscal year, work will begin on the ePerformance project. This tool will enhance employee development and increase managers’ ability to manage, by streamlining the manual performance evaluation process currently used in the GNWT.
Complementing our work to fix and maintain the foundation strategies for attraction to and retention in the public service have been a priority. Recruitment and marketing strategies are under development, including an inclusive public service recruitment strategy with initiatives aimed at increasing the representation of Aboriginal employees and employees with disabilities throughout the organization. The department will continue to modernize recruitment with the creation of a new careers website as well as utilizing social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In. The department recently launched a well-received Facebook page to engage with current and potential future employees across the NWT and elsewhere.
In 2012-13 the department will continue its work on strengthening the public service through diversity. The recently completed inclusive public service survey will soon provide us with reliable statistics about the number of GNWT employees with disabilities and how they are being accommodated at work. The department continues to deliver disabilities awareness training and will also start offering Aboriginal cultural awareness training this fiscal year to promote an inclusive workplace that embraces understanding and awareness between cultures.
As part of its work to increase public service capacity, Human Resources continues to partner with Municipal and Community Affairs to invest in the training and development of community and Aboriginal government staff. The GNWT supports the use of intergovernmental secondments to build public service capacity at all levels of government, and I have recently written to community and Aboriginal government leaders to reaffirm the GNWT’s commitment to supporting secondment opportunities to share skills and experience.
In 2012-13 the department will continue to offer the Associate Director/Superintendent Program to strengthen Aboriginal representation in senior management. As well, work is currently underway to update the Leadership Development Program to build emerging, middle and senior management skills in the public service.
Mr. Chair, the Department of Human Resources expertise is also required for corporate
reorganization projects. The Financial Shared Services project as well as devolution creates a significant upfront workload for the department related to organizational design, job evaluation, labour relations and data management. The department is strategizing to ensure that seamless corporate support is provided to the stakeholders involved in these and any other reorganization initiatives.
The Department of Human Resources will use 20/20, the NWT Public Service Strategic Plan, and Believing in People and Building on the Strength of Northerners together as our compass as we navigate new directions, opportunities and issues. We will continually monitor our progress, maintain a continuous improvement mindset to serve clients and employees effectively, and build upon our successes to ensure that the GNWT remains an employer of choice.
That concludes my opening remarks and I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have. Thank you, Madam Chair.