Senior Policy Analyst

Role Responsibilities

The Senior Policy Analyst will be responsible for:
 

1)    Manage multiple grants to support innovation across the addiction and mental health system in Alberta. (e.g. funding research, pilot testing new models of care or service delivery improvements, building integration frameworks)

• Participate in the development of grant funding processes and approvals.
• Develop and present updates and summaries within and across a suite of grants to branch leaders.
• Participate on steering committees to govern grant funded projects.
• Monitor grants in accordance with the terms and conditions of the funding agreements. (e.g. financial allocations, project milestones, reporting requirements)
• Work with grant recipients, as needed, to ensure projects stay on track and in compliance with grant terms and conditions and with emerging issues.
• Review grant reports for quality assurance.
• Identify and leverage linkages between grant funded projects to broader ministry and GoA initiatives. (e.g. Valuing Mental Health, child and youth integrated services, clinical pathways developed by strategic care networks)
• Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care (ROSC), clinical pathways developed by strategic care networks).
   

2)    Foster sustainable, positive working relationships with diverse stakeholders to support achievement of system priorities.
 

• Sustain and develop linkages with key stakeholder groups to facilitate collaboration and innovation in strategic initiatives and policies.
• Facilitate meetings with stakeholders, key Ministry representatives and other provincial and/or federal stakeholders.
• Support and/or lead stakeholder consultation to determine needs and inputs into the research.
• Represent ministry and provincial perspectives and priorities on department or cross-ministry, working groups and projects to foster integrated approaches for developing policy options.
• Represent branch advice and content expertise to diverse stakeholder groups.
• Liaise with other jurisdictions (e.g., Health Canada, foresight organizations) to share information and maintain awareness of emerging themes and leading practices.

Role Responsibilities

3)    Support branch leaders in achieving the mandate and goals of the branch and unit.
 

• Provide advice and recommendations to the Manager and Director to inform unit planning and reporting.
• Provide input and recommendations relating to issues, opportunities, and challenges associated with branch functions.
• Collaborate with unit and branch staff on common initiatives.
• Manage assigned projects using project management techniques and tools and adjust project portfolios and plans accordingly to effectively and efficiently achieve high quality, sustainable results.
• Support other unit functions as needed. (e.g. Action Request response development and processes, training branch users on AR process, performance measurement and evaluation)
• Participate in or lead ad hoc projects, initiatives, and cross-functional working groups as assigned to support evolving branch or ministry priorities

4)   Lead the coordinated development of plans and reports to reflect achievements across broad provincial priorities for the addiction and mental health system and department business goals.
 

• Represent the branch’s input on broader division and department or system planning and reporting initiatives.
• Work with the branch leadership to ensure the emerging priorities of the system are appropriately reflected in the branch operational plans and reports.
• Develop and maintain the planning and reporting calendar to guide other branch units’ input to the branch plan.
• Consolidate inputs and develop draft planning and reporting documents.
• Work with units to develop branch and system performance measures and goals in line with department overarching goals.
• Liaise with division planning and reporting staff to supply the branch’s input to division plans and reports.
• Develop and implement branch dashboards that provide status updates across multiple initiatives and highlight opportunities to advance the addiction and mental health system.

Role Responsibilities

5)   Lead coordinated issues management functions including identification, response development, and tracking to support and inform the system’s advancement on its priorities.
 

• Proactively identify emerging issues through multiple avenues. (e.g. ongoing relations with stakeholders, e- scanning, and monitoring system reporting, consultation with other branch units)
• Develop complex responses to ARs in consultation with branch units.
• Leverage responses and standard messaging that can be used to inform branch communications and strategies.
• Review branch AR responses for quality prior to submission to Director and Executive Director for approval.
• Analyze existing issues management data to identify trends and themes that can be leveraged to inform branch planning and priorities.
• Provide process training and coaching to branch staff on using tools to integrate intelligence gained via information analysis when developing strategies and policies. information analysis when developing strategies and policies.
• Lead the evolution of tracking systems to optimize utilization of branch information and responses.
   

6)    Plan and complete research and scanning to inform addiction and mental health system strategic direction and priorities.
 

• Lead environmental scanning on a range of topics that will shape policy and strategy development and implementation.
• Plan and complete foresight activities to inform mid-to-long term system planning.
• Liaise with other units across the department, GOA and nationally to engage in scanning and foresight activities to build linkages and leverage data for common purposes.
• Explore potential areas for the application of foresight strategies by identifying emerging issues, trends, opportunities, and risks relevant to branch policy and strategy.
• Seek and analyze trends in frequent and common emerging issues presented to the branch. (e.g. common AR and briefing note themes, common issues across implementation of specific strategies)
• Synthesize concise yet comprehensive reports, briefings and presentations for multiple audiences, including senior and executive decision-makers.
• Provide advice and guidance to other branch units to integrate the results of scanning and foresight activities as key factors in developing strategies and policies.
• Engage system stakeholders in foresight and scanning initiatives, communicating findings and reports to enhance system capacity for continuous improvement and innovation.
   

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

In this role, you will contribute to our team by demonstrating the following behavioral competencies:

Drive for Results: Takes experience into considerations when making plans and adjusts plans based on past learning and identifies and acts on opportunities to partner with other groups to achieve desired outcomes.

Creative Problem Solving: Asks questions to get a deeper understanding of present issues and contributes ideas for how work can be done differently to solve common problems.

Agility: Asks questions, seeks clarification and assess how things will be different when change is introduced or anticipated and takes advantage of opportunities to change how work is completed to better anticipate obstacles and improve service.

Develop Networks: Identifies key stakeholder contacts with whom a relationship must be established and maintains contacts with a range of colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards 

University graduation in a related field (Ex. Public Health, Health Sciences, Health, Public Policy, and other related fields), plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience; or equivalent as described below.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:
 

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education

The Senior Policy Analyst requires knowledge and understanding of: 
 

• Quantitative and qualitative, primary, and secondary research processes, data analysis techniques, results synthesis and presentation.
• Systems thinking, design and foresight methodologies, techniques, and tools.
• Ministry and GoA policy for e-scanning and foresight.
• GoA policy and requirements for grants to external organizations.
• Current and emerging addiction and mental health issues, including concurrent disorders, complex needs, health promotion strategies and theories, addiction and mental illness prevention and integration of strategies and services across sectors.
• Ministry and GoA frameworks for operational business planning and reporting, including timelines, formats, and standards.
• Policy, planning and strategy approval and decision-making processes applicable to the ministry.
• Government strategic and policy directions and priorities as they relate to the branch mandate and initiatives.
• Project management approaches and methods.
• Relevant stakeholder network, including health and non-health sector groups as well as government and non- government stakeholders.
• Addiction and mental health related legislation and ministry priorities.
• Systems thinking to design projects and identify linkages across initiatives.
• Creative problem-solving ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.
• Agility to anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• Imagination and a level of comfort in challenging the status quo and considering a range of possible futures.
• Strong interpersonal skills and relationship building skills with varied stakeholder groups.
• Ability to apply information integration skills, including analyzing, interpreting and synthesizing information drawn from disparate sources to develop recommendations.
• Oral communication skills, including ability to communicate with multiple stakeholders in a politically complex environment (develops networks).
• Written communication skills to draft responses, develop various types of reports and presentations for diverse audiences.
• Organizational skills, including ability to self-direct work and to prioritize multiple responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Commitment to innovation.
• Effective project management skills to ensure progress is on time and on track and that outcomes are being achieved.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

This a temporary position. The working days are Monday – Friday, 36.25 hours/week. A cover letter is mandatory. 

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

•    Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
•    Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
•    Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
•    Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
•    Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
•    Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
•    Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.