Manager, Legislative Services

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, Legislative Services, the Manager, Legislative Services (Legislative Manager) is responsible for providing expertise in legislative planning, development, and project management services for two Ministries. This is to ensure that Primary and Preventative Health Services' (PPHS) and Hospital and Surgical Health Services' (HSHS) legislation reflects policy decisions and direction. In addition to providing expert technical and process advice and managing legislative projects for the Ministries, the position includes legislative research and provision of information to resolve issues respecting proposed legislation. The position helps develop legislation and other non-legislative solutions that will assist the Ministries to fulfill their mandate, and provides program areas with the technical and process information needed to administer the Ministries' legislative agenda.

Role Responsibilities
As the Manager, Legislative services, you will be accountable for the following key responsibilities; 

Lead and manage the Ministries' legislative planning, development, and review processes: 
•    Review statutes and regulations under the authority of the Ministers to identify emerging legislative issues.
•    Consult early and regularly with program areas (and Legal Services, Legislative Counsel, and Executive Council offices) to understand legislative planning and developing, to ensure all statutory and regulatory needs are being met, and help identify potential issues that may require their consideration; provide ongoing support to achieve policy goals including determination of appropriate legislative instruments based on circumstances of program area.

Provide strategic, technical, and process advice regarding legislative and related matters: 
•    Ensure awareness of the Ministries' business plans, objectives, priorities, supporting strategies, and provincial and federal legislation to ensure alignment with implementation of Ministry legislation or legislative amendments.
•    Provide strategic advice related to legislation to program areas and Senior Ministry officials.
•    Develop and propose innovative options and strategies (both legislative and non-legislative) to address issues in collaboration with program areas (e.g. policy alignment and legislative impacts of policy changes).
•    Provide strategic consultation and advisory services to assist the Ministers and Ministries in exercising their legislative responsibilities and their abilities to make effective legislative decisions.

Lead the implementation of strategies to enhance capacity for legislative excellence:
•    Lead the development and provision of training, including guidance and information, of Ministry staff with respect to the legislative process, including required steps and documentation.
•    Develop relevant resources on the legislative process and make accessible to Ministry staff.
•    Support Division leadership and Divisional Issues Managers by providing technical and process advice when the Legislative Assembly is in session.

Assess and coordinate Ministry legislation to review and mitigate risk:
•    Guide and foster the coordination of legislation across the Ministries in alignment with Ministry's mandate and GOA's goals and priorities.
•    In consultation with the Legal Services, develop strategies to mitigate risk by ensuring Ministry legislation is legally authorized, is consistent with applicable statutes and principles of common law, constitutional law, and administrative law.

Role Responsibilities continued

Represent the Ministry's needs and responses to cross-ministry and cross-jurisdictional legislative requests: 
•    Coordinate or draft responses for requests related to other Ministries' legislative planning initiatives, ensuring that the Ministry's position is clearly stated and its interests clearly reflected.
•    Liaise with other Ministries and other governments when required to represent PPHS or HSHS position's on emerging legislative issues or initiatives.
•    Represent the branch, division, or Ministry perspectives and objectives to Ministry and cross-ministry working groups and committees as appropriate.

Manage legislative Recommendations for Orders in Council (ROCs) and Ministerial Orders (MOs):
•    Provide technical advice, process advice, and interpretation to senior officials and Ministry staff regarding legislative authority and approval processes for MOs and ROCs.
•    Draft or review MOs and ROCs for the Deputy Minister or Minister, in accordance with their delegated powers under the various statutes and regulations for which they are responsible.

Delegation of the Minister's legislative authority:
•    With support from Legal Services, provide advice to senior officials and Ministry staff relating to the delegation process, appropriateness of delegation, legal authority for delegations, and accountabilities relating to delegated authority.
•    Oversee the preparation of legal instruments for the delegation of legislative discretion.
•    Help direct legal instruments through approval processes and ensure appropriate delegations are in place.

Support the Legislative Services Unit:
•    Develop and present Ministry-level summaries, updates and reports on legislative issues and projects.
•    Provide the Director with advice and recommendations for emerging issues, opportunities, and challenges associated with the work of the unit; ensure Action Requests approved by the Director reflect current legislation, policies and procedures, and; provide appropriate advice and recommendations.
•    Draft responses to Action Requests as assigned that reflect a sound understanding of relevant legislation, legal principles, and the business of the Ministry, while ensuring the responses are accurate, defensible, and provide politically sensitive advice and recommendations.

If you are ready to lead change and you thrive in an environment where innovation and strategic impact come together, this position will be great for you, please apply today, we would like to meet you!

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

•    Build Collaborative Environments – Involves a wide group of stakeholders when working on outcomes; positively resolves conflict through coaching and facilitated discussion. Uses enthusiasm to motivate and guide others. Acknowledges and works with diverse perspectives for achieving outcomes. 
•    Systems Thinking – Integrates broader context into planning; plans for how current situation is affected by broader trend. Integrates issues, political environment and risks when considering possible actions. Supports organization vision and goals through strategy. Addresses behaviours that challenge progress.
•    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 and identifies new solutions for the organization.
•    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. 
•    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 and Upholds principles and confronts problems directly. Considers complex factors and aligns solutions with broader organization mission.

Qualifications

•    Bachelors degree in Law, Health, Public Administration, Political Science, English, Humanities, or Social Sciences; or a reasonable equivalent.
•    Equivalency: related Six (6) years of related experience. 

Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Requirements: 
•    Demonstrated experience with legislative development, policy development and approval processes, planning cycles related to government processes, and project management experience are highly desired for this role.
•    Demonstrated relationship, negotiation, conflict management, consensus building, and facilitation skills are highly desired for this role.
•    Experience identifying and interpreting potential legal issues and providing sound advice/solutions that senior management and officials can rely on is important for this role.

Knowledge:
•    Thorough knowledge of GOA's legislative and policy approval processes, including roles of Legislative Counsel, Executive Council, and Cabinet Committees, the timing of stages of the legislative process for both Bills and regulations, and related approval and decision-making processes.
•    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).
•    Expertise in principles and processes associated with policy development and legislative and regulatory planning.
•    Thorough understanding of Ministry business plan, goals, objectives, priorities, strategies and structure.
•    In-depth understanding of Ministry policies, programs, procedures, initiatives, and priorities for the assigned portfolio, including key issues and key stakeholder groups, and how these are impacted by applicable legislation.
•    Thorough familiarity with the legislation under the administration of PPHS and HSHS.
•    General knowledge of other legislation impacting the Ministry (e.g. Income and Employment Supports Act, FOIP Act, Government Organization Act, Seniors Benefit Act, Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act) and related regulations.
•    General knowledge of relevant legislation, policies and programs in federal and other provincial jurisdictions.

Qualifications continued

Skills: 
•    Excellent leadership skills to provide guidance and coaching to all Ministry staff requiring advice pertaining to legislation frameworks and processes.
•    High degree of technical and process skills in legislative and policy research analysis.
•    Excellent oral and written communication skills with an ability to express technical and complex issues in a manner that facilitates informed decision-making by senior Ministry officials.
•    Excellent interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a broad range of Ministry staff, senior officials and external stakeholders.
•    Excellent consultation skills required to liaise effectively with Legal Services, Legislative Counsel, program areas, and other government departments.
•    Strong leadership skills for the development of consensual resolutions and legislative project management.
•    Strategic thinking and planning skills, including the ability to develop, synthesize, articulate and interpret a broad and complex range of legal and policy principles and apply the results to the unique activities of each program area.
•    Negotiation and conflict resolution skills to deal with competing policy interests and conflicting priorities.
•    Extremely high-level skills with respect to problem solving, creativity, and ability to engage in critical thinking.
•    Ability to work on sensitive and confidential matters, coach, and educate others in the principles of dealing with sensitive and confidential material.
•    Facilitation skills, including the ability to lead and influence clients, partners and stakeholders during the resolution of politically sensitive issues.
•    High level of adaptability - working in changing environments and responding to changes in process and short time lines. 

A cover letter outlining how your experience relates to the qualifications of this role is required.

Notes

This competition will be used to staff TWO (2) Full-time positions. 

Hours of Work:
7.25 hours daily/ 36.25 hours weekly, Monday to Friday
 

Location:
ATB Place North, 10025 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta. This position requires working from the office with an option to qualify for a hybrid work arrangement (in accordance with GOA policy).

Other information: 
•    This position maybe used to fill future vacancies across the Government of Alberta, at equal or lower classification and salary. 
•    Top candidates may be required to undergo security screening

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part time or full time.

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. 

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
•    Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) - https://www.mepp.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