EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
Mr. Chairman, again going back to an issue that I look forward to hearing from the minister on, was on our turnover rates within the public service.
I recall during the last session I asked the minister in a written question about exit interviews that were being done and I am just wondering if the minister has any stats or ideas since than.
Recent ones in relation to beneficiaries that are leaving the government.
As to reasons why.
Mr. Chairman, as members know we had started to undertake some exit interviews with employees that were leaving the civil service but right now we haven't complied all the information yet.
I guess it is all part of that manual system.
I can't wait until we have an automated system down there.
The staff can't wait either.
Has one of the issues that has been raised by people living here is the lack of affordable housing.
Staff housing.
Has that been an issue that has been raised.
Mr. Chairman, like I said earlier we haven't really put together all the information that summarizes that to have anything that would be valuable.
I can say there has been general review of it and of course, salaries and benefits is one factor I would say for some.
That is what I am told.
But I mean we also have to recognize that some of the employees leave when they move on to other positions with the Government of Nunavut.
Others stay in Nunavut as well.
So it is really premature to be making any statement, a broad analysis of certain segments because we just started to undertake these interviews and there is not enough of a database that would suggest any conclusive decision factors.
Human Resources, branch summary.
Total operations and maintenance, 1 million 79 thousand.
Are there any additional questions.
Total expenditures, 1 million 79 thousand.
Moving on to Human Resources, branch summary.
Staffing.
Total operations and maintenance, 7 million 50 thousand.
I would like to talk about the selection process within the government.
I talked about different dialects across Nunavut.
I'll use as an example a person from my community who experienced difficulty during the interview process because of the different dialects.
One of the interviewers was Inuktitut speaking.
The person was comfortable in her own dialect and then during the interview they had difficulty communicating I guess. Individuals can speak English but she was comfortable with her own dialect in the interview so she chose to do that.
But as she's going along, she was stopped by one of the selection committees who said you have to stop and I can't understand you, you might be speaking English.
So, it was really difficult for the individual anyways when that happened.
I guess I'm just bringing that to your attention.
How can we, I guess the question would be then, resolve this problem in the future so we won't have similar situations again.
How can we, is there something in place that you can, your department can work on for if you have a different dialect in the area. Something has to be done on that.
Mr. Chairman it's the first that we've been aware of a situation like that.
But if that were the case, I know we can make some provisions to allow if a candidate wanted to use Inuinnaqtuun as a main interview language.
We would make the arrangements to have an Inuinnaqtuun interpreter there or have somebody that is fluent in Inuinnaqtuun dialect as part of the interview team, I would suggest.
I guess I'm just trying to make sure that this doesn't happen in our region again, especially my community as an example, it might be happening in other places but it was a bad experience for the individual.
When that happens, you know, the individual is you know, now, can't really put forward her application again because of the situation she already experienced and it was not a good thing for the individual.
So I just want to make sure this doesn't happen again and I'm glad that you answered that by saying, yes, it will be looked after.
There's no question on that I just wanted to make a comment.
Mr. Ng would you like to respond.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: No, I would just like to thank the member for bringing that matter forward and we'll see what we can do to address it.
The staffing division, I guess, I'll ask the question that I asked earlier on.
I'm just wondering, I know the minister had indicated in his minister's statement, I believe when he tabled “Toward a representative public service”, the latest one.
It indicated the department had initiated 85 competitions during this last quarter, I'm just wondering, out of those 85 competitions that were held, how many positions were filled.
Mr. Chairman since that question was asked, staff have been putting together information. We don't have it as of yet because of our having to do it manually, as members know.
So, I can't answer that today, but I've committed to provide it and will still provide it once it's available.
Mr. Chairman I guess, I'll just ask if the department doesn't have an idea of what kind of success rate it has in staffing competitions.
Well, Mr. Chairman, I guess, if you want to have an accurate answer, I mean, it goes back to reviewing all the information and providing it.
I'm told though, I mean, if we wanted to have our best guesstimate on it, that of our competitions that the large majority of them, 90% plus result in job offers going out as far as the recruitment process.
I know that 90% of job offers go out.
Out of that 90%, do all have offers that are accepted.
My concern that I'm raising is I would think that you, you would think that you'd want to keep track of what kind of success that you're having.
That would be an indicator to the department and to the government of problems that maybe arise.
If there is a problem, you know, take a look at some of the percentages, and the way that they're increasing in the report and some of them, you know it's going to be many, many, many years before the levels are at where we're targeting.
Where we want them to be and if we go with the rate that we're going right now and that's why I say I guess that we want to try and identify to see what works and what doesn't work and try to identify areas things that need to change in order to attract and retain people.
You know, by having our levels at what they're at right now, that has an impact on the people that are there as well.
So it's an issue that I see, I'm not blaming the department for not doing anything, but it's important to know the impact of the vacancies that are there.
That they do have an impact on the existing people that are in the public service.
I think it would be prudent to be able to identify those things and identify things that would help solve that situation.
I guess on that, where the minister indicated that they're just now looking at an RFP for recruitment and retention, I would just like to ask them when they hope to have a report on that.
Obviously, I think the mike was on when I was saying probably the fall.
We would like to have it as soon as possible but given the time it takes to go through the evaluation process and carry out the work, we would think realistically to be ready by late summer, early fall.
But having said that, I think it's important to note that I don't know what members think is realistic as far as levels, staffing levels.
No jurisdiction is at 100% because there always is a turnover in any civil service.
Really full, mature, depending how you look at it, I think the rates can vary anywhere from 85 to 95% of staffing levels for a mature bureaucracy.
If you use that figure, if you use the lower end, obviously, the 85% we’re closer than that than 95 but I mean, having said that, to get to a median of 90% is more realistic as far as reaching full maturity levels Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Anything else. Mr. Tootoo.
Mr. Chairman, looking through the latest report, stats that the minister tabled, was showing, I believe it was around 600 jobs that were vacant and nearly half of those positions are here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Chairman, I'm just wondering that is a large number of jobs that aren't filled in Iqaluit.
I know the vacancy rate and staff housing is probably close to zero right now.
I am just wondering when do we plan on seeing these filled.
Is there a schedule to it.
Is this a planned number at this stage of the game, where we want to be at as far as those numbers go.
Are we ahead of schedule.
Are we behind schedule as far as those vacancies go here in Iqaluit.
Mr. Chairman, you know I would say that we are trying to staff up as aggressively as we can.
Given that members have brought up the issue about staff housing or the need for additional staff houses, it is a matter that the Minister responsible is working on now.
We are hoping in a very short time frame for a decision as to how we can proceed to deal with that matter and obviously the staffing actions for those requiring staff housing would be contingent upon what housing is available as a result of that decision.
Mr. Chairman, going back to the other part of my question there.
The vacancy rate and the staffing levels that we are seeing here in Iqaluit right now.
Are we where we want to be in that right now.
Or are we ahead or behind schedule.
Well it depends I guess.
Each department is at different levels of their staffing.
The Department of Human Resources puts out the competitions as quickly as we get them and as I've indicated in the past it hasn't been, there haven’t been any competitions that have been held back as a result of not having housing available as it stands now.
So really some departments probably are not at the levels that they want to be at.
Others are comfortable with levels that they are at now.
I like to follow up from my friend from Kugluktuk’s line of questioning.
First of all, I worked for the government in 1971 on a contract for 6 months.
However, I think like most dreamers I was getting involved in Inuit organizations and more or less stuck with them in the last 30 years.
However, I was disappointed in trying to get myself a government job in the Kivalliq.
I applied for the adult educator position in Repulse Bay and I was not qualified because I didn't have a certificate, an Adult education teaching certificate.
The advertisement also stated that for those who have no teaching certificate they can go on the training program for the same positions.
I asked if I could be trained.
They said no because I was already qualified.
It is a catch 22 situation I guess.
For those who have no certificate but can’t be trained because they are already qualified according to the government personnel.
My question is do you have Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtut, speaking staff recruitment members in all of the divisions, regions, language regions. If so, are they always involved to ensure that language barrier does not become a difficult part of the interview.
The second question I have, I think, I don't know if I'm going off track a little bit, sorry.
I can't see for some reason between page 4-7 and 4-8, we are not on 4-8 yet, but, staffing and the community operations, do they go hand in hand in terms of efficiency for your department.
The Assistant Deputy Minister  of community operations works quite closely and the staffing components work with all regional offices and they have staff also in the regional office.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Ng. Mr. Arvaluk.
Mr. Arvaluk: Thank you, that 's good to know because I think we are going to try and get our communities far away from the headquarters to know that these can be had from their own region.
The last question I have Mr. Chairman, is how do you attract potential staff members.
In the smaller communities, non-decentralized communities, who have no access whatsoever to your advertisements for the job positions or don't know where to go.
Can they generally write to the Human Resources Department and say here is my resume, here are my qualifications, is there staffing that suits me at least reflective to my resume or application without actually seeing a position that is being opened.
Mr. Chairman currently all the notices for the competitions go up in the municipalities through the government liaison officer and as members know they are advertised in all Nunavut based newspapers.
So, it's an ongoing dissemination of information and we also accept collect calls at the department for individuals that may want additional information.
Two questions to that one.
Sometimes if you have never worked for the government it's very difficult sometimes to read the, to understand the jargon as to, what do you call it, the terminologies that are used in the advertisements especially at the hamlet offices.
Are you now planning to make them more, everyday language type of language or the new applicants to see if for example applicants in Coral Harbour or Chesterfield Inlet, Clyde River etc. understand exactly what you want them to do once they are applying for that job.
Mr. Chairman as it stands now we do give our jobs short, brief descriptions of what the job entitles and then when individuals require more or inquire again about position then there's more detailed information provided, or explanations given to that individual.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Ng. Mr. Arvaluk.
Mr. Arvaluk: Specifically, on the page 4-7, purchasing services, 4 million 616 thousand dollars, I believe this is for bringing the staff and the removal.
Correct me if I'm wrong because I think the biggest fear of those potential employees for those communities far away, Grise Fjord, Coral and Gjoa Haven, Kugaaruk etc, is a fear of not being able to get back home if they don't like it in Iqaluit or Cambridge Bay or elsewhere.
During the interview, they know that they can be removed if they choose not to continue employment with government in that particular location, they can be removed to their home communities or am I wrong in that one.
Chairperson: Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk.
Mr. Chairman, the removal allowance is part of the collective agreement but by and large, the longer an individual stays employed, the more entitlements they're allowed as far as removal goes.
But if those questions come up, certainly during the interview or the job offer process, I mean, they're explained as to what is in the collective agreement now.
Mr. Arvaluk: So is this the staff counselling, do staff members who are not happy with their employment or the conditions of their employment or their immediate boss for example, in plain language, can they be helped.
I heard that in your opening remarks.
Before that person knew there was such personnel in human resources to deal with those kinds of stress, due to a number of problems, like, maybe lack of babysitting, or reliable babysitting or the cost of living etc. Is there help that can be given to them respecting what other easier avenues they can use to have a better lifestyle or enjoyment of employment more.
Is this under the staffing purchase services etc.
Or is it elsewhere.
Thank you.  Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Arvaluk.
Mr. Chairman, there are a couple of other areas in the department that provide that kind of support.
It's either labour relations, or something more specific for the job conditions, work environment, and also there's under training and development a workplace wellness funding for some of the other counselling and support that an individual may require.
Is this Human Resource Department the only one that has some kind of a counselling or at least assistance available.
Individual departments don’t have that and if not then all those other departments have the information that if their member, no matter how junior that person may be, can go to human resources department and tell them about the predicament that they're in.
Mr. Chairman, a lot would depend on the circumstances. But obviously you know, each department I'm sure would have individuals that could counsel or at least, speak to the employees that may have problems and make recommendations of where they might need some assistance if it's required whether it's through, formally through, the process that's outlined as I said, labour relations or the workplace wellness counselling program or even other departments like Health and Social Services that may have some programs for individuals to offer assistance.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Ng. I'd like to inform the member that will be your final question and we'll move onto another member.
On the staffing still on 4-7, it seems, looking at the overall government recruitment stats or at least visiting different departments, seeing that Kivalliq is doing very well and the Baffin is having their own share of getting government jobs.
However the Kitikmeot, although they may be well represented in decentralized communities like Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk or Gjoa Haven but the absence of Kitikmeot at the headquarters level, I am very happy that your Deputy Minister is a good one too, he's from Kitikmeot and my friend from Kivalliq.
Is that, do you feel that because they are not moving to headquarters in Iqaluit because of the language barrier they fear that they will not be able to have on a daily basis because most people in Iqaluit will be speaking eastern Arctic dialects.
Do you have any information as to why their representation in the civil service at the headquarters level, very few are from Kitikmeot.
Mr. Chairman, no, I don't have the answers to that question.
I will have, Mr. Havioyak is next on my list.
We talked about, trying to, I guess, try to increase Inuit employment at the senior level, I guess, you could say now.
Is there in place now, or in each department, say, a trainer on contract to train for some senior positions in each department.
Is there such thing in place now, a trainer on contract, who could handle Inuit to take over within a couple of years or something.
Mr. Chairman in the training and development branch later on there's some initiatives for senior management training.
Right now, I know that there's a senior personnel secretariat that deals with some of the senior management in the government and the Premier chairs that.
So, it might be appropriate for when Executive & Intergovernmental Affairs comes up on the senior management training issue some of those questions may be asked.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Ng. Mr. Havioyak.
Human Resources Department, do you have such, in your department is there some, let's say for an example, if there's a vacancy in Human Resources Department at the senior level, would you look at those types of program for the Inuinaaq in your department aside from the overall Nunavut government hiring, I guess, or training.
So, maybe using your department as an example.
Yes, Mr. Chairman, outside of the broader Inuit employment plan initiative, each department also has their internal Inuit Employment Plan to try to address the issue that the member brings forward and yes human resources also has a plan to identify individuals and tries to slot them into positions that allow for their development to advance themselves.
Mr. Havioyak: Yes, okay, that's good to know.
So you're doing that by hiring a trainer for that position, the logistics position.
In our case, what we have is we have an individual that's on a term position that is providing some training for the individual that plans to move into that individual's position in the future.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you, Minister Ng. Mr. Nutarak.
GN staff, how long does it take to put out a job opportunity advertisement.
For instance, if they were to hire a specialist, do you hire people for all the departments, hire staff for all the departments.
Generally Mr. Chairman, it takes around 4-6 weeks depending on the volume of the regional offices we're dealing with.
We do it for all employees except for nurses’ positions and teachers.
The department of health and the department of education have their own recruitment specialist for those positions.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): So how do you select new staff members.
If they need a new staff member in public works, would a person from public works be involved in the hiring.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Yes, whichever department is requesting the individual, they are directly involved in the recruitment team along with human resources.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): Is there a hiring committee in each department or do you involve just one individual from each department or from one department if you were to hire for a department.
Generally one from one department, one from human resources but there are occasions where there are two for the sponsoring department.
But generally, again, it's the supervisor of whatever position is being advertised that would be involved. That individual.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): How many individuals are there on the committee that selects the individual or person.
Two or three Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): The government staff, GN staff, there's, people have different personalities or some members or staff have to leave the government because of certain things, other commitments.
For instance if the department of Sustainable Development was to hire an individual, or if a department wanted to fire an individual, would the firing have to go through your department.
Yes, Mr. Chairman, labour relations provide the support for that process.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): This is my last question.
If there were somebody that had to resign from his position, would you get a replacement right away from your department.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: No, how it works, Mr. Chairman, is the department that has that employee would have to initiate a job request for an advertisement and then we would put it out for competition.
Human resources, branch summary. Staffing. Total operations and maintenance, 7 million 50 thousand dollars.
Chairperson (interpretation): Total expenditures, 750 thousand dollars.
Before we move onto the next page, we'll take a ten-minute break.
>>Committee recessed at 3.48 p.m. and resumed at 4.07 p.m.
We will resume our meeting.
I would like to welcome my good friend.
I haven't seen you here for a while.
We are on page 4-8.
Assistant Deputy Minister. Total operations and maintenance, 2 million 342 thousand.
Total expenditures, 2 million 342 thousand.
That person over there is not understandable, please stop speaking.
Human Resources, branch summary, 4-9. Job evaluation and organizational design.
Total operations and maintenance, 685 thousand.
Quick question here.
From a historical point of view, Inuit are not very good at interviews, they don't put themselves into, I'm good, and I’m all these things, stuff like that except for politicians I guess.
Mr. Chairman is there work being done between with Human Resources and Arctic College in trying to get the potential employees to prepare them for developing them to be good at interviews, or interviewing.
As I, some of us take some courses, I took a course in Banff and learned that, that was years ago before you were born Mr. Chairman.
Our instructors stated that 60% is on the basis of presentation and articulation as to who you are, what you are capable of doing and the 40% may be on qualifications from your papers, from curriculum vitae.
But it comes to actual interviews, there must be some difficulties in getting the person to say exactly what his capabilities are.
Especially from smaller communities, I don't know how you say that in English. A program being designed to help potential employees on presentation.
First of all Mr. Chairman, I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce a couple of individuals that are in the gallery today.
They're doing work right now with our current Nunavut Management and Services Board and they have done work with the Management and Services Board of the NWT in which I was a member as well.
They are from a renowned international consulting firm Hewitt and Associates, Bob Vandersanoe and Mike Masuhara.
I'd like to welcome them to the Assembly first of all. They charge as much as lawyers Mr. Chairman, if not more.