Legislative Planner

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director, Legislation and Community Partnerships, the Legislative Planner is responsible for providing legislative planning, development and legislative project management supports to the Ministry, ensuring that Mental Health and Addiction's (MHA) legislation reflects policy decisions and direction. In addition to providing expert technical advice and managing legislative projects for the Ministry, the position includes legislative research and provision of information to resolve complex issues respecting proposed legislation. Working with the Directors overseeing the Legislative Units, the position helps develop legislation (and other non-legislative solutions) that will assist the Ministry to fulfill its mandate and provides Ministry officials and program areas with the information they need to administer the Ministry's legislative agenda. 

The main responsibilities of the Legislative Planner role include (but are not limited to): 
 

• Manage the Ministry's legislative planning, review and development processes.
• Provide strategic advice regarding legislative and related matters.
• Assess and coordinate Ministry legislation to review and mitigate risk.
• Represent the Ministry's needs and responses to cross-ministry and cross-jurisdictional legislative requests.
• With support from Justice counsel, provide advice to senior officials and Ministry staff related to the delegation process, appropriateness of delegation, legal authority for delegations, and accountabilities relating to delegated authorities.
• Assist and support the Executive Director of the Legislation and Community Partnership branch and other ministry colleagues in the strategic oversight to the branch and ministry.

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

The behavioral competencies deemed most critical for this role include:
 

Develop Networks: Maintains stakeholder relationships
 

Build Collaborative Environments: Involves a wide group of stakeholders when working on outcomes:
 

• Involves stakeholders and shares resources
• Positively resolves conflict through coaching and facilitated discussion
• Uses enthusiasm to motivate and guide others
• Acknowledges and works with diverse perspectives for achieving outcomes 
   

Develop Self and Others: Supports a high-performance team by developing their capabilities for leadership and the resiliency to the everyday stressors that occur in a demanding environment. This will include coaching, mentoring, creating the conditions for autonomy and ownership, as well as fostering a positive and cohesive team environment


Systems Thinking: Integrates broader context into planning:
 

• Plans for how current situation is affected by broader trends
• Integrates issues, political environment and risks when considering possible actions
• Supports organization vision and goals through strategy
• Addresses behaviours that challenge progress

Agility: Proactively incorporates change into processes:
 

• Creates opportunities for improvement
• Is aware of and adapts to changing priorities
• Remains objective under pressure and supports others to manage their emotions
• Proactively explains impact of change on roles, and integrates change in existing work  and readily adapts plans and practices

Drive for Results: Works to remove barriers to outcomes, sticking to principles:
 

• Forecasts and proactively addresses project challenges
• Removes barriers to collaboration and achievement of outcomes
• Upholds principles and confronts problems directly and considers complex factors and aligns solutions with broader organization mission

Creative Problem Solving: Works in open teams to share ideas and process issues:
 

• Uses wide range of techniques to break down problems
• Allows others to think creatively and voice ideas
• Brings the right people together to solve issues
• Identifies new solutions for the organization

Qualifications

Education and Experience 
University graduation in Law, Public Administration, Social Sciences or a related field supplemented by four years of related experience. Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis.

Equivalency: 
Directly related education or experience considered based on:
 

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

Assets:
 

• Experience identifying and interpreting potential legal issues and providing sound advice/solutions that senior management and officials can rely on.
• Experience drafting delegation instruments, Ministerial Orders and Recommendations for Orders in Council.
• General experience with policies, procedures and developing/interpreting legislation. Experience with legislation is strongly desired.
• Mental Health and Addiction knowledge and experience is strongly desired, including familiarity with relevant legislation (e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Health Services Protection Act).
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field such as public administration, social sciences and related work experience; Law degree is strongly desired.
• Specialized knowledge of rules of statutory interpretation, drafting principles and use of alternative legislative instruments (e.g. placement of a policy in an Act versus regulation or a Ministerial Order).
• Knowledge of related other legislation impacting the Ministry (e.g. FOIP Act, Government Organizational Act, Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, etc.) and knowledge of related legislation in federal and other provincial jurisdictions.
• Strong understanding of the theory and practice of policy analysis, including complex, multi-stakeholder policy and program development process, policy planning and decision making processes.
• Understanding of theory and practice of problem-solving and analytical techniques.
   

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

Hours of Work

• 7.25 daily hours
• 36.25 weekly hours
• 8:15AM to 4:30PM (Monday to Friday)

Location: Edmonton

Other information: 
 

• Top candidates will be required to undergo security screening. 
• This competition maybe used to fill future vacancies across the Government of Alberta, at equal or lower classification and salary. 
• Written assessment may be used as part of the screening/selection process.
• Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.)

What we offer:
 

• Comprehensive benefits plan: https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits-programs.aspx 
• Pension plans: Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) – https://www.mepp.ca
• Leadership and mentorship programs
• Professional learning and development
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Hybrid work option
• Accessible career consulting services