4.0 Policy Development and Evaluation 4

MBS Flextrack Service Descriptions

Table of Contents

1.0 Business Analysis / Development...... 2 2.0 Business Intelligence...... 3 3.0 Planning...... 3 4.0 Policy Development and Evaluation...... 4 5.0 Research and Evaluation...... 4 6.0 Project Management Support...... 5 7.0 Scenario Planning...... 6 8.0 Technical Writing / Editing...... 6 9.0 Facilitation Support...... 6 10.0 Negotiation Support...... 7 11.0 Energy Consulting...... 8 12.0 Financial Expertise...... 8 13.0 Human Resources...... 9 14.0 Procurement / Contracting...... 11 Service Descriptions

1.0 Business Analysis / Development

Description

This role provides a range of capabilities to advise and assist the client organization in various aspects associated with the description, assessment, design and deployment of business processes. These may range from generating explicit descriptions of individual business processes as currently performed, to performing broader assessments of the overall client business process environment.

Also, design and deployment related services may be required to assist the client organization with respect to defining, documenting and developing a business case associated with individual business processes, combinations of process or with the overall business process model for the Client Organization.

Other key functions might include:

 Economic analysis of projected development or changes in business processes  Analysis and investigation of the economic value of business proposed for development in specific areas  Impact of human resource availability and human resistance to change on a specific project or plan  Management of change within an organization to result in successful implementation of new ways of doing business  Review and analysis of prevailing regulations to ensure compliance during times of process change  trade and export market development and related analysis and research;

Mandatory Capabilities and Experience

 Demonstrable analytical problem solving and decision making capabilities  Demonstrable verbal and written communication skills  Demonstrable capacity to work collaboratively with client organizations  A team player with a track record for meeting strict deadlines  Explicit business analysis and development expertise  Knowledge of emerging technologies, trends and directions

of 11 2.0 Business Intelligence

Description

Business intelligence is a discipline that uses applications and technologies to gather data about an organization’s operations and analyze it, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of various functional areas, such as sales/marketing, goods production, service delivery and internal operations. The objective is to be improve the timeliness and quality of information, enhance understanding of the organization’s position within its sector, and thereby make more informed business decisions for impact either internally or externally.

 Experience in extensive data mining, analysis and reporting using BI tools  Experience in translating BI report findings into actionable policies or strategies for government clients

3.0 Planning

Description

This Service Specialty focuses on overall business planning within a Client Organization. The services required range from strategic planning for a Client as a whole to functional or operational planning for a particular organizational unit within the Client Organization. This could be focused on the near term (1-3 years) or longer term (3-5 years or greater).

Planning consultants should have strong education or training in business planning, complemented by extensive experience (minimum of 4 years is preferred. The following are considerable Consultant attributes:

 Academic qualifications such as a Mater of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA), or equivalent  Undergraduate degrees in either of these disciplines, such as Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Business Administration, complemented by extensive experience in the area of corporate planning  Professional designation, such as Certified Management Consultant  Experience with various strategic planning techniques (e.g.: SWOT analysis, Diamond-E, etc.)  Experience with the implementation of Client strategies and plans, ensuring alignment of potentially multiple functional/operational plans across the Client Organization

of 11 4.0 Policy Development and Evaluation

Description

Policy development is primarily the responsibility of client organizations. However, some input and advice may be required during the process of formulating new policies and/or revising existing ones.

Consultants must have a clear understanding of the responsibilities, requirements and limitations of the various participants in the policy development process, including legislative and legal requirements, participation of agencies other than the primary client organization, and impact on the government as a whole as well as the intended target(s) of the policy.

Consultants must have background and experience in the development and implementation of government policy, as well as superior communications skills. Some legal knowledge or training would be an asset.

5.0 Research and Evaluation

Description

The Consultant should be able to conduct systematic investigations (including research development, testing and evaluation) designed to develop or contribute to knowledge of the Client in the area of specialty. Consultants interested in applying under market research, opinion polling, and consumer insights, etc. should contact Communications Nova Scotia. The Research/Evaluation Consultant provides investigative services in one or more of the following areas:

 Determining criteria for research studies (such as goals, objectives, indicators, methods, data collection feasibility, etc.)  Conducting surveys and analyses of available data  Business climate – What are the potential areas for development of a new business in a specific area, or enlargement of an existing business?  Economic development planning and marketing for rural, urban regional or community areas  Innovation and science – What are the ‘best bets’ for development of new technologies?  Collecting and analyzing statistics  Conducting and appraising literature searches  Industrial benefits of economic development in a specific area  Immigration impacts on economic development and business  Trade and investment opportunities  Impact of changes or new opportunities in infrastructure  Technology and information related to health care services  Economic and social analysis of Aboriginal communities and businesses  Research related to Human Resources issues  Interpreting, analyzing and making recommendations based on research finding  Conducting research can be focused on an area of economic need, or on an area of science or technology  Conducting research related to internal and external business environments, literature reviews associated with a particular topic area  Both qualitative and quantitative research and any associated criteria and evaluation  Developing products and tools

of 11 Mandatory Capabilities and Experience

The Research / Evaluation Consultant must have an extensive background in their particular area of specialization, and will be expected to take on a research project with minimal “ramp-up” time. S/he must be prepared to work independently, with minimal supervision and guidance from the sponsoring Client Organization. Specific requirements include:

 Excellent oral and written communications skills are mandatory, and key to producing a clear and useful report on the research performed.  An in-depth understanding of the principles of statistical significance in the field being researched, to avoid misleading conclusions  Specialist training and/or experience in the area of investigation  Sensitivity regarding the particular requirements of racial, ethnic, handicapped or economically disadvantaged communities/groups  Capacity to work collaboratively with the Client Organization

6.0 Project Management Support

Description

Government project management personnel manage the Province’s projects. However, due to the number of potential projects the Province may launch, consultants may be needed to provide experienced project managers to lead specific initiatives or track project progress. The size and scope of projects may vary from enterprise-wide to projects in one section of a larger client organization.

Suppliers may be requested to provide contract resources with the required project management qualifications. Examples of functions to be performed by project managers may include:

 Detailed project planning, including: o maintaining detailed project plans and schedules o generating and distributing regular status reports using the Client Organization’s standard planning and reporting tools, as provided

 Ongoing monitoring, management / control and reporting functions associated with implementing a wide range of projects  Direct participation as an implementation project manager in specific initiatives  Knowledge/skills transfer to as well as mentoring/coaching of Government project managers/leaders to support future projects, as needed

Mandatory Capabilities and Experience  A minimum of seven years of progressive project management experience.  Experience using project management and development methodologies.  Experience managing projects to address the needs of multiple stakeholders e.g. the requirements of multiple divisions across a single enterprise.  Experience coaching/mentoring and transferring skills and knowledge to project managers in the client organization and providing support to them, as required throughout the project life cycle.

of 11 7.0 Scenario Planning Description

Scenario Planning is a management process for defining and making decisions in the face of significant uncertainty. It is a formalized methodology for developing models of potential alternative futures, using variables pertinent to the business in question. These multiple, alternative futures take shape in the form of ‘stories’ or scenarios. The resulting scenarios provide a platform from which senior management perceptions about future alternative environments can be analyzed, assessed and compared for their voracity.

Scenarios are not forecasts of the future but are, as a group, a set of alternative futures that reflect the total scope of all possible futures as we can possibly imagine it.

 Experience and training in the facilitation of scenario planning methodology  Knowledge of systems thinking theory  Experience in public sector management development

8.0 Technical Writing / Editing

Description

This role focuses primarily on writing specifications, manuals, project summaries, etc., Examples of the key functions expected from the Technical Writer / Editor include:

 Writing and editing various types of products (e.g.: specifications, requests for proposals, etc.)  Writing and editing technical guides, articles, manuals, etc., for print and digital media  Writing technical pieces in language that will appeal to a broad audience  Assisting in the development of relevant case studies  Transferring skills and knowledge to internal personnel

 Extensive capabilities and experience in presenting technical material in language that can appeal to a broad audience (preferably Government documents)

9.0 Facilitation Support

Description

Facilitation is a role performed by an independent third party to the participants (as distinct from a manager ‘chairing’ a meeting). This role provides a range of capabilities to advise and assist the client organization in various aspects of organizing and facilitating formal working sessions, both within the client organization and between the client organization and third parties. The facilitator should enable dialogue, discussion and consensus among and between the participants, rather than provide ‘expert’ opinion.

Examples of functions that may be needed to be performed by a facilitator include:  Establishing meeting objectives and agendas  Establishing the rules under which the meeting will be conducted and identifying the roles of participants

of 11  Facilitating the flow and conduct of the meeting  Supporting the Client Organization to design and package meetings and related sessions  Participation in the development and delivery of organizational team building initiatives

 Oral and written communication skills  Capacity to work collaboratively with Client Organizations  Development of formal process for conducting large complex sessions (i.e. public workshop) and/or small focus groups  Familiarity with explicit facilitation techniques and processes associated with meeting organization  Conflict resolution

10.0 Negotiation Support

Description Negotiation efforts will be the prime responsibility of the NS Government client organization, Procurement Services and legal counsel. Support may be required for the following:

 Client Support o Establish an issues-resolution framework to support the negotiating team. o Compile an inventory of relevant background materials to support negotiation. o Understand and/or set out the fundamental premise for negotiation that will be used to develop the overall negotiation framework/context. o Identify issues which might limit your ability to negotiate; any non-negotiable terms or conditions. o Anticipate and document the vendor’s interests. o Develop internal communication/reporting strategies including checklists to address the concerns of key stakeholders.

 Joint Preparation o Conduct team building sessions with the negotiating teams from all parties. o Jointly prepare a list of the areas to be negotiated. o Develop an external communications strategy. o Prepare and manage a negotiations schedule.

 Joint Negotiation Sessions o At the end of each session, prepare an agenda for the next session. o Maintain a dynamic list of issues and resolutions. o Facilitate negotiation discussions.

 Alternate Dispute Resolution o Establish & obtain agreement on the issues between the parties o Identify common ground and areas of disagreement o Employ the appropriate technique for resolution – negotiation, mediation or arbitration

 A minimum of five years of progressive experience in negotiation and/or alternate dispute resolution  Familiarity and experience with the concepts of interest-based negotiations  A capacity for conflict resolution between parties with opposing views and finding a path to co- existence when the circumstances are divergent

of 11 11.0 Energy Consulting Description

As the price of energy continues to climb globally, the strategic importance of balanced energy policy that addresses both renewable and non-renewable energy resources, energy conservation and energy efficiency will continue to grow. Achieving and maintaining balanced energy policy and priorities is an exercise that is expected to be an ever changing challenge over the coming years. Therefore Nova Scotia will require specialty energy consulting services in the broad area of energy policy as well as in specific areas such as onshore and offshore oil and gas competitiveness, regulatory efficiency, wind, wave and tidal power, energy R&D policy, etc.

 Experience in federal-provincial relations in energy, fiscal policy, and general public policy areas;  Energy skills in facilitation, team leadership, and negotiation in private and public sector situations;  Energy skills and experiences in oil and gas, electricity, and related public policy, governance, and regulatory areas.  Expertise in local, national and international energy activities, consulting and operations.

12.0 Financial Expertise

Description

This role provides a range of support functions related to financial operations, both within and outside the NS Government. Functions to be performed by the financial support Consultant could include:  Accounting and book-keeping  Audit, review and compilation of financial statements and processes  Advice on instituting, improving or modifying financial procedures and processes  Forensic accounting and auditing (related to court testimony)  Qualitative reviews of financial controls (may include control testing for effectiveness)  Compliance audits for criteria established in agreements, statutes or regulations  Receivership and/or bankruptcy services for businesses in difficulty  Various accounting services as required.

Financial functions are normally the responsibility of a professionally-designated specialist (e.g.: CA, CGA, IFA), who acts as an independent and impartial third party to prepare or examine financial statements and records. The following capabilities and experience are required:

 Oral and written communications skills, especially the ability to explain financial processes to individuals not trained in that field  Specialist training and appropriate professional designation in the financial area  In-depth familiarity with financial processes, especially in government operations and/or the government-funded sector

of 11 13.0 Human Resources

Description A wide range of Human Resources (HR) consulting services are required to supplement and expand on the services and expertise available from the government's human resources community serving government departments and agencies. These services include:

 Public Consultation – conduct large focus group meetings to obtain information and insight regarding issues of importance to community and government; provide the public opportunities for review and comment on issues through a series of open houses and public hearings. Function examples: listening to citizen preferences, providing an opportunity for them to analyze and assess available policy options, and obtaining citizen feedback for policy review and evaluation. Requires experience in choosing appropriate target audiences, holding open houses and public hearings, reviewing and summarizing public comments and preparing recommendations and draft strategy.

 Leadership Development – advise and assist the client organization in various aspects of leadership competency development at frontline, middle and executive levels. Focus is on enhancing leadership effectiveness for organization success. Function examples: program design and delivery; facilitating sessions related to strategic and operational leadership (i.e. communication, negotiation and presentation skills); facilitation of large and small groups.

 Management and Executive Coaching – assists clients in self-discovery, goal setting, action planning, and empowerment. Coaches should listen, observe and customize their approach to individual client needs. The coach's role is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has. Function examples: meet with selected individual and develop a mutual understanding of the current situation and desired outcomes; determine coaching strategy and write a plan of action; conduct coaching sessions, both face to face and phone meetings; use professional assessment tools; provide additional resources to support the client’s thinking and actions.

 Performance Management – provides consulting to teams on organizational performance and improving business results. Consultants may also be asked to provide consultation for teams and individuals on achieving goals through both writing and utilizing SMART targets. Assist clients in translating department and business plans into individual targets and objectives; designing, developing and implementing strategies to improve performance; understanding performance planning, coaching and appraisals.

 Competency Development – provides guidance and expertise to clients to identify and develop leadership competencies. Consultants would be required to be fully aware of existing competency dictionaries and the levels associated with each. Function examples: understand target audience range of competency levels, provide consulting on developing behaviours to meet the levels identified in the dictionary.

 Team Building – design and delivery of team sessions, assessment and diagnosis of team functioning, and follow-up support. Function examples: assess the overall productivity of team; determine courses of action for improvement; personal coaching with team leaders and/or members; customized team training and facilitation of team dialogue.

 Training Needs Assessment – supports client organization in identifying gaps, and considering if the problem can be solved by training. This work is part of a planning process focusing on identifying and solving performance problems. Function examples: designing and developing needs assessment strategies, implementing assessments, analyzing data, interpreting results and preparing final recommendations; distinguishing training needs from organizational problems; linking improved job performance with the organization’s goals.

of 11  Workforce Planning – assisting departments in analyzing workforce data, other components of workforce planning such as employee survey results, attendance, business plans, environmental scanning, etc; assisting departments in developing and incorporating an HR plan into their business plans; conducting supply and demand gap analysis; designing, developing and implementing processes and tools to plan for future workforce.

 Succession Planning – the Consultant will use the Government’s corporate succession management tools and processes, allowing for some flexibility based on the departments' needs and circumstances. The work can include facilitating sessions with the department's senior management team to identify critical roles and required skills and competencies to meet their future business needs. In addition, it can include providing workshops to employees and managers on career development planning and coaching for development, and facilitating talent review meetings.

 Change Management – assist in dealing with change resulting from restructuring, downsizing and the implementation of new programs. Focuses on identifying the needs of the employees, expectations of the organization and the impact of changes on employees at all levels. Assist leadership, management and human resources professionals to develop effective communication techniques for informing employees of changes. Function examples: coordinate organizational-wide and smaller scale change initiatives; communication planning.

 HR Program Evaluation – design, develop and implement strategies for evaluating programs in the area of human resource management. Function examples: design of data gathering instruments; analysis of qualitative and quantitative data; and program design and management.

 HR Functional Management – provides support for clients related to staffing, training and development, outplacement, group insurance benefits and other HR programs and functions within government. Provides a range of capabilities to help develop and implement HR and group insurance policies, procedures, and practices in order to improve the quality and value of human resource and benefits programs. Function examples: benefits plans design and cost analysis, compensation benchmarking, safety program design, recruitment and selection.

 Dispute Resolution – services including mediation, facilitation, dispute resolution systems design, program reviews and policy development, conflict resolution, investigation, workplace diagnostic assessments and coaching to client departments and between client departments and third parties. Function examples: assisting individuals and groups to identify and resolve disputes; process and problem solving facilitation; investigation of harassment and discrimination complaints; transferring knowledge and skills to employees throughout the intervention; listening to client needs, proposing effective and cost efficient interventions.

 Resource Management – provides general services that a 'human resources' organizational unit provides. Some examples are new employee orientation, services related to employees’ payroll and benefits, recruitment strategies, consulting on the management of staff, performance management, and personal/professional development.

 Industrial Psychologist – Industrial Psychology concerns the application of psychological theories, research methods, and intervention strategies to workplace issues. Industrial psychologists are interested in making organizations more productive while ensuring workers are able to lead physically and psychologically healthy lives. Relevant topics include personnel psychology, motivation and leadership, employee selection, training, and development, organization development and guided change, organizational behaviour, and work and family issues.

Mandatory Capabilities and Experience  Extensive experience in the HR field within the targeted areas will be a basic requirement for Consultants proposed in this category

of 11  Superior skills in the area of specialization  Oral and written communication skills and the capacity to work collaboratively with clients are key requirements for all of these functions.

14.0 Procurement / Contracting

Description Decision making and alternative selection will be led by the Client Organization and/or by NS Procurement Services.

For decision-making involving numerous alternatives and complex sets of variables (such as in the evaluation and selection of successful bidders in major procurements), the Province may require support services in determining the appropriate evaluation criteria and techniques, establishing the weighting system and selection methodology, and performing the analysis to determine the best alternative. Guidance may also be required in the areas of contract management, strategy and policy development for procurement in a large organization, as well as best practices and process enhancement.

Sustainable procurement is an area of growing importance within the NS Government. Briefly, this encompasses a procurement process where goods, services and construction are procured in a manner that balances environmental considerations and economic aspects (or total life cycle costs) as well as social aspects and those related to human health. NS Procurement Services aims to enable, encourage and engage other areas within the provincial government to move toward a more sustainable approach to procurement.

With regard to contracting, for projects involving significant private sector participation, the Client Organization, Procurement Services and legal counsel assume the principal responsibility. Assistance may be required in the following, but this category does not include the provision of legal advice or legal services:

 Identification of contracting alternatives including potential: o Types of contracts o Scope of engagement o Phasing of contract components o Durations o Special terms

 Documentation of advantages and disadvantages leading to a recommended contracting approach.

Mandatory Capabilities and Experience  A minimum number of years of progressive experience in the following areas of specialty: o Procurement within a large organization – at least five years o Business process improvement – at least three years o Sustainable / green procurement – at least two years o Development of contracting strategies – at least five years

 A minimum of five previous assignments in the role of developing evaluation models and assisting in their application for decision

 Experience with and ability to supply proven and established decision support tools and methodologies