EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Perhaps it is outside your purview, but I would appreciate any information that would enlighten me on how this process works.
Before I go to the minister, I would like to remind all the members who have questions on this page to raise their hand so that I could recognize them. Thank you.
If you’re talking about the email addresses, the hiring department would send a request to us and we would process it, but we don’t initiate it, if I understand your question correctly.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also thank you for explaining that to us.
Today, it is very problematic when you are surfing the web and looking at departmental websites if you are looking for a specific employee.
I found several emails of long deceased individuals who were still on the email addresses with their names still listed in the position they held.
There are many examples in all the departments. I was floored by certain names I didn’t even expect to see on the website, especially late relatives who passed away a long while ago.
I now know each department has to initiate this updating.
I thank you for clarifying that and now it will be easier to know who to direct our questions to on this matter.
Mr. Chairman, within these 2015-16 main estimates as we debate the budgets, there are various statements about the need to use satellite bandwidth as a government, at least I noted it previously, that it costs approximately $7 million per annum.
Also, there is an agreement in place for the usage of bandwidth for the government which will expire in 2016, during this current fiscal year.
What will be your approach on this issue? I imagine plans are already in place, obviously. Can you explain that to us?
I’m going to pass this one on to, if you can, the DM because she’s more knowledgeable on this than I am.
Ms. Kimball: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A couple of reasons.
Right now, our contract is expired, so we’re in like an overhold state right now and we’re leaving it at that. Right now, there’s a bunch of new developments happening in terms of high throughput satellites. We want to make sure that there are other options before we go to an RFP process.
As well, we’re exploring the options of fibre. We know that fibre optics is a much better avenue, so we don’t want to lock ourselves in at this point. We’re looking at different options and once we kind of assess the landscape, we will move forward with an RFP.
Chairman: Thank you, Ms. Kimball. If you can slow down a bit for the translators.
Mr. Enook: (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Kimball responded to the question that I was going to pose in regard to fibre optics. I don’t know the terminology in Inuktitut.
In regard to pursuing fibre optics in Nunavut, I know this could probably be your initial stage.
Do you think it’s feasible? I know that we have to consider the costs. Since you’re looking at that, do you think it’s feasible?
I believe the member is asking about being connected to the outside world by fibre optics. If that is the case, then it’s being looked at, yes.
We have heard in the media about some companies want to come in and do some parts of Nunavut. It’s going to be on a community-by-community basis. It depends on where it comes in.
There are options on there. They had the transatlantic one. We have heard of ones coming from Quebec or Labrador.
We’re open to anything right now and looking at everything and anything.
It’s all just being looked at right now.
We have not even talked to anyone.
We know it’s better and we know it will be really expensive in the beginning, but we believe that eventually, some or most of the communities should be hooked up because it will benefit everybody.
Let’s take, for example, Iqaluit gets hooked up through fibre optics to the outside world.
That would free up all that bandwidth that comes here by satellite for other communities.
Even if only Iqaluit was set up, it would benefit all the other communities that still need satellite because it would free up that bandwidth to the other communities.
We are looking at it. We have no plans of where or how, but it is an option that we feel is a viable option some time in the future.
If the smaller communities would like to get connected to fibre optics, perhaps it would free up more bandwidth for Iqaluit.
Mr. Chairman, let me ask a question. I note that you are a new minister, but your staff stated last year during our session that you are in discussions with Telesat, officials from the federal government and government agencies in Nunavik and Newfoundland in regard to fibre optics.
Although you state that you’ve had no discussions, again I know that you are a new minister, but what is the status of your previous discussions on this?
From Nunavik, they were looking at a pre-feasibility study and if it’s possible to connect by fibre.
This option would have to be approved by both the Labrador government and the Government of Nunavut.
It was looked at. There was another one from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Both of these projects are laying fibre optics down on the ocean bed or burying it, I’m not sure, but through the ocean.
Like I said, we’re looking at all options, but nothing is finalized at all.
There are two different ways that fibre can come in.
A private company can bring in fibre and then the government buys it; I mean the information in fibre optics. If we can get the infrastructure dollars, the government can plunk the money down and have their own fibre system. There are pros and cons to both.
If it’s private industry, then you are still at the mercy of what they feel like they should charge you. If it’s the government, then you need lots of infrastructure and money to put it in there, but once it’s in there, you have control of the cost.
All options are being looked at right now.
Before I move on, this will be my last question in regard to this issue.
When do you expect to have a decision on that?
There’s no timeline at all right now because it’s just so in the early stages. If I gave a timeline, it would be a false timeline.
I don’t want to give information like that. It’s just so in the beginning stages that we don’t even have a timeline.
Also your department’s draft 2016-19 business plan indicates that “Phase one of the Government of Nunavut Informatics Technology Strategy has been drafted” and that “The plan is expected to be complete by March 31, 2016.”
Can you clarify what the strategy involves and if it’s on schedule for completion by March 31, 2016?
I’ll just talk a bit about phase 1 of the strategy. The five areas that they’re talking about are:
The business relationship management and that would be a disciplined approach to ensure IT activities, investment support, business demands, and return value to the GN and its citizens and business;
Operational excellence: a disciplined practice to deliver appropriate levels of IT service to meet business requirements - hire 21 PYs;
Data management and protection: a core responsibility to ensure all GN data meets acceptable criteria to confidentiality, availability, and integrity;
Resource planning and management: a practice to ensure that appropriate skills and resources are available to meet the business needs and that GN partners and suppliers deliver the products and services needed to provide IT service value;
Business and enterprise architecture: an approach to ensure that businesses and enterprise capabilities, processes, and tools serve to optimize the business of government in a scalable agility and resilient manner.
I think, in a nutshell, it just means that we want everything to run smoothly, be secure, and be able to meet the services that we require to give the departments.
Part of the strategy is to build up the capacity of IT through more PYs.
Chairman: Thank you, Minister Savikataaq.
Just to remind you that we have translators.
If I inadvertently ask a question about a matter outside the minister’s mandate that you are aware of, you can ask me to stop.
The government continually voices and tries to be credible with those statements about being fiscally responsible.
We are all accountable in this forum and we always look at ways of proper financial management.
Perhaps it is completely outside this process, but let me ask this question, although I am aware the minister may be unable to respond.
I have deliberated on this matter since I was elected, which we have also promoted as a government, and that is the concept of videoconferencing that allows you to meet via long distances and in particular, the technology used by the Department of Health, who promotes the usage of telehealth to facilitate doctor-patient interactions.
I am aware that it may not be under your mandate, albeit it may be due to my ignorance, yet in my perception, no advances have been made on this front.
I don’t know if that is an actual question, but what is your view of this technology?
Is it being advanced or are improvements being implemented?
The member is absolutely correct in terms of cost savings if you can do telehealth or videoconferencing.
Part of these PYs is to increase the help that we can give to do more of that, but the real problem is the bandwidth.
We just don’t have enough or it’s too slow, so the video links are not good or not reliable.
This is where, if and when fibre optic came in, that would be problem solved on issues like that.
I believe the government does more videoconferencing because it is way cheaper than airline tickets and hotels, and we would like to encourage departments to do more of it, but the real issue right now is the bandwidth.
These IT positions will help in terms of they’re there to keep the tools going, if you want to consider videoconferencing, computers, and emails as tools to keep the government going and functioning.
If I understand the member’s questions, yes, we want to do more videoconferencing and telehealth, but the real problem is the bandwidth. It’s just not good enough or fast enough to do quality video stuff right now.
With regard to the positions, I don’t recall the number which I think was 21 PYs specific to the (interpretation ends) bandwidth, (interpretation) which I have no idea of an equivalent Inuktitut term.
Perhaps computer linkage is closest.
What we constantly hear is that the bandwidth is inappropriate for the amount we are paying. Now on top of that, we have 21 more people who will be involved in this sector. Doesn’t that mean we will be using even more (interpretation ends) bandwidth (interpretation) that we constantly complain is inadequate?
Won’t the addition of these 21 positions in this sector cause our bandwidth usage to increase?
As I stated earlier, these 21 positions will be filled by casuals or contractors, but in terms of more bandwidth, these PYs won’t take any more bandwidth.
They’re going to help use what’s there.
Another thing they can do is they can compress data and then ship it in a smaller form, but these are to help use what bandwidth we have.
They are support people. They are not going to be using the bandwidth for their job. Their job is to help the departments use the bandwidth.
Mr. Enook (interpretation): Also, just a clarification on this matter, for those of us residing in the smaller communities, we are always advocating on their behalf to receive any additional resources that become available.
In this day and age, statements are thrown about that today, no matter where you are, you can now work from anywhere.
We have technology such as emails, websites, phones, and cellphones that are continually advancing that allows people to work from anywhere today.
I don’t quite grasp the reasoning, but I would like further clarification about these positions. Why aren’t some of these positions located in Pond Inlet?
Why do all these positions have to be located in headquarters?
The bulk of the government is here in Iqaluit and the physical structures for the Internet and bandwidth service is here.
That’s why these positions are here, because the physical architectural structure is right here.
I’ll go right into my first question here. On J-6, my committee colleague asked about bandwidth.
As we’re going into the new fiscal year just a month away, can the minister or the department tell me how much money was used within the past year to cover the bandwidth costs?
Approximately $9 million.
Was that $9 million purchased services?
That was just to purchase the bandwidth. It’s just the bandwidth. That’s all.
When I look at J-6, Purchased Services, revised estimates for 2015-16, $14,191,000, and the main estimates for 2016-17, $14,191,000, as you indicated $9 million, what did the other $5,191,000 cover?
We don’t have that level of information right here with us. If the member wants, we can get back to him.
Moving right along on that same page, J-6, Compensation and Benefits, revised estimates for 2015-16, $7,071,000 and then you’re looking at 2016-17, $9,690,000, which has an increase of $2,619,000, so the 21 positions will be covered by $2,619,000.
The member has his math correct, yes.
Mr. Mikkungwak: If my math is correct, in the next several months, will we anticipate a supplementary appropriation to offset compensation, benefits, and salaries for informatics with the 21 new positions?
That is what we are requesting right now, but it’s for the 2016-17 year.
We are requesting for an additional $2.1 million for those 21 positions.
This is part of the process we are doing here right now.
We are debating and hoping that you will give us the okay to do it.
As the minister responded to one of my committee colleagues, these 21 new positions will require staff housing. The minister earlier indicated, if I heard him correctly, some of the staff housing will be covered by purchasing or renting from private contractors. Where will that money come from?
Would that be contract services?
No, there will be no extra money for housing or contracting houses here.
Like I said earlier, some will be filled by casuals, maybe some will be filled by people who live here in Iqaluit and want to work in these jobs, or the job will be advertised with a set salary and someone says, “Yes, that salary will allow me to pay the rent here in Iqaluit from a private guy.”
We are not providing housing for all the jobs here, but there is a viable private housing market here in Iqaluit and they will take advantage of that.
Currently, you are requesting 21 new PYs. As the minister just indicated, you have casuals. How many casuals do you currently have that may become full-time employees?
I can’t tell you how many casuals we have right now.
They wouldn’t get the jobs automatically. They would go through the hiring process. The jobs would be advertised through HR and anyone who wants to apply on them, including these casuals, would be able to apply on them and the normal hiring process would be followed.
The GN’s hiring policy would be followed for these 21 positions.
If the department is hiring 21 new PYs, as noted, would that make adjustments or changes to the contract services or purchased services funding areas?
It might change the contract services, but might not a lot. We’re not anticipating too much change because these are new positions.
Like I stated earlier, we are not really providing the level of service that we should be providing to these departments. That is why we are requesting funds to fund these new positions on their own.
It’s a request for funding for these 21 positions that we are asking for from the committee.
The current casuals who are within the Government of Nunavut who are overseeing Informatics Planning and Services, I am assuming you have some senior positions with Informatics Planning and Services also who oversee these casuals. Do you have a definite number as to how many we have senior staff within Informatics Planning and Services?
No, we don’t have that information here because we have casuals not only for this but like all departments, we struggle with filling vacancies. If you can’t fill vacancies, sometimes you hire casuals.
We have casuals doing many different jobs within CGS, some in informatics and some in some other areas.
We do have casuals filling in for permanent full-time positions that we can’t fill or we might have a contractor in that position, but I can’t answer the member’s question about how many casuals that we have right now.
When you look at these 21 new positions that you are requesting, what would be your substantiation so that they are very knowledgeable in condensing large document files so that we could better utilize the current bandwidth that we purchase? Would that be your substantiation as a department?
Each one of these positions will have its own job description. There are many varied jobs that are there. There is not one criterion for all 21 of these positions.
There are 21 separate jobs and, if the member wants, I can name them all. I can name off the 21 job titles if he wants me to.
I would appreciate that and at the same time, if he could identify which departments will get what PYs.
All these PYs are going to CG&S.
That’s why we are requesting them. They’re not for other departments. We’re a service department for other departments, but these are CGS positions.
That’s why I am requesting them to you and not other departments. These positions will work for CGS, but they will help with IT with all the departments.
The job titles are application analyst, business relationship manager, two call centre agents, change management specialist, desktop analyst, two desk side support officers, intermediate informatics technician is the one in Cambridge Bay, manager of corporate operation, manager of solution delivery, manager of system operations, mobile centre service coordinator - I forgot about the interpreters; I’ll slow down - network wireless specialist, record analyst, security analyst, senior Internet working and security specialist, senior technical specialist - voice, structure cabling technician, service desk asset management officer, structure cabling technician, system analyst, technical architect - networks, technical architect - systems, technical writer, and videoconferencing coordinator.
I appreciate the minister identifying all the career possibilities. As we all know, we wholeheartedly support high school students to graduate and fill government positions.
As the minister indicated, one of the positions will be in one of the decentralized communities in Nunavut.
Will the department consider several of the positions to be based in Baker Lake considering the fact that, as a decentralized model, there is the Department of Community and Government Services in Baker Lake?
As I stated earlier, these positions are here because the architectural structure is here and there is just no way around that.
No, there will be no positions going to Baker Lake.
These positions have to go here for the kind of work that they have to do.
When you consider all this, as you indicated, 21 positions are all going to Iqaluit, but you identified one other community that is not Iqaluit.
What is the substantiation there?
There is one position going there and it’s because it’s a regional hub.
In regional hubs, they generally store data for the other smaller communities and they help out with operations.
I will just read off a little bit for the position in Cambridge Bay. “This position will also be responsible for the support and set up of new and existing IT hardware equipment, such as desktop computers, laptops, printers, and scanners. This position will also support office applications and improve client software.
This position will provide all tier 1 and 2 duties within the communities.”
The position will be in Cambridge Bay, but it will be helping the communities within the region too.
Thank you for the explanation by the minister.
My next question here would be then, you’ve got 21 positions, not minimizing or bringing demise to any of the regional break-ups here, Iqaluit being the capital which oversees the majority of Baffin and all of Nunavut, but when we look at regional structures, you’ve got Baffin, Kitikmeot, and Kivalliq.
My question here is: are you satisfied with the current structure and set-up that you are not putting any positions in the Kivalliq region? Are you satisfied with the current Informatics Planning and Services that currently operates out of the Kivalliq region?
Yes, given the current technology and architecture of the IT structure, we are currently satisfied with the way regional operations are working and the number of positions there.
If it was inadequate, then we would have requested for either more PYs or some of these PYs would have gone there. We are trying to make the best use of the PYs that hopefully you will give us the okay to fund them.
Next name on the list, Mr. Joanasie.
Mr. Joanasie. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon, Minister Savikataaq as well as your officials. I don’t have too many questions to add.
However, on the 21 positions, I would just like to get some further information to see if the department has planned on, in relation to your Inuit employment plan, trying to identify out of the 21 positions, maybe 15 out of those could be targeted for Inuit.
Have they gone that far with these positions in their plans?
The hiring process will go through the normal GN hiring policies and practices.
We would love it if all 21 were beneficiaries, but we have to make sure they’re qualified.
We do have an informatics training program agreement with Nunavut Arctic College.
We’re hoping that some of the graduates from there could work for or with CGS.
We’re all for hiring as many beneficiaries as we want.
We want qualified beneficiaries to work here.
The key word is “qualified” because it’s a very important job to keep everybody’s computers going, not only computers, but all the devices that we use.
It would be good and I would be happy if all 21 positions were beneficiaries, but it will go through the normal GN hiring process.
I’m all for that too.
I noted the technical professional scholarship that CGS provides. There are many individuals that are quite knowledgeable in computer IT and that sort of thing and if they get proper credentials, I think they can... .
What I’m getting at is: for these 21 positions, would you be interested in looking at potential for on-the-job training to fill these positions by beneficiaries over a year or two?
As I stated earlier, we work with Nunavut Arctic College. It’s a two-year informatics program that we are in partnership with Nunavut Arctic College.
Enrolment varies between 14 and 18 students each year. It’s a two-year program. On average, eight students graduate from this program.
We don’t know how many of these graduates find jobs with the GN because, as we are all aware, whenever you get a qualified person, there are many other departments that want them.
We offer cooperative work term placement.
If we’re lucky enough to get one of these students, we do take them on to train them and, hopefully, they stay on. I know we just had a graduate from CGS too for the internship program because I was at the dinner there on Monday night.
There are different programs. That young fellow just graduated with the internship program.
We’re very happy that he is staying with CG&S. I congratulated him and I told him, “I hope I give you a long-service award. We want you to work for CGS for as long as you can.”
Mr. Joanasie: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to the minister for that response.
Can you give us the numbers of the enrolment to that program today, both first and second year?
No, I can’t get you the enrolment because it’s a Nunavut Arctic College program, so it’s run through them. It can take between 14 and 18 students and on average, 8 students graduate, but I can’t tell you the exact enrolment because that’s one of the courses that are offered by Nunavut Arctic College.
Chairman: Thank you. Next name, Mr. A. Sammurtok.
Mr. Alexander Sammurtok: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In your business plan on page 180, all evening I have been hearing 21 positions, but now in your business plan for 2015-16, you have 57 PYs and then in 2016-17, you’re requesting 79 PYs.
If you subtract those numbers, it comes to 22.
Where does that extra one PY come in from?
That position was re-profiled from another position.