• Providing strategic advice on policy issues and program decisions, including complete information and supporting analysis.

• Providing options for action, including potential risks and consequences, to ensure an informed decision by the minister and government.

• Representing the Minister in communicating the department's business and policy agenda.

• Managing significant and complex issues, along with stakeholder expectations, on behalf of the Minister and the government, through presentation and discussion of factors impacting government decisions and actions.

• Establishing positive and effective relationships and collaborating with public service leaders from other departments as part of the corporate leadership group and membership on the Deputy Ministers' Committee.

• Establishing effective relationships with other jurisdictions and organizations to define issues and to serve the government's goals and public interest.

• Developing three-year business plans and strategies which support the corporate agenda over the long term.

• Championing and participating in corporate strategic and cross ministry initiatives.

• Implementing government policies and decisions, leading and directing staff, and ensuring activities are aligned with the government's corporate strategic agenda.

• Ensuring the department's structure, systems and processes, enable staff to effectively and efficiently implement programs and services.

• Ensuring the human, fiscal, information and program resources are maximized and effectively managed to meet goals.

• Modeling sound public service values.

• Fostering leadership skills throughout the organization and ensuring that human resource management plans meet future resource needs.

• Extensive related experience in a senior leadership role with proven success as a leader, formulating policies and directing diverse programs to achieve results.

• Demonstrates and is recognized for a strategic leadership focus that includes articulation of a vision and government direction.

• Identifies and integrates relevant information from a variety of sources.

• Proven ability to collaborate strategically with a wide variety of stakeholders to balance the needs and interests of these diverse groups with the government's corporate agenda.

• Exceptional verbal, written, listening and interpersonal communication skills.

• Positively influences others through facilitation, collaboration, consensus-building and modeling, to achieve desired outcomes.

• A team builder with a commitment to create, support and sustain an environment that enables staff to achieve results and to develop and build organizational capacity for the future.

• Significant experience overseeing human, fiscal, information and program resources with the ability to integrate strategies with resources available.

• Proactive problem solving and decision making abilities.

• Ability to manage change, anticipate implications of strategic direction on a wide variety of stakeholders and develop contingency plans or interventions as required.

• Encourages new approaches and questions existing ones to ensure the most efficient and effective outcomes are achieved.

• Post-secondary education in a related area is preferred.

The Deputy Minister level of excellence (or target level - what the behaviour looks like when we think of superior performance) for each of these five competencies is reflected as the highest level in each competency as outlined in the APS competency model. The full APS competency model is available online.

Strategic Thinking

Taking a broad scale, long-term view, assessing options and implications

• Understands the projected direction of Government and uses this information to anticipate how changes might impact the department.

• Demonstrates a larger-scale, bigger picture view, and aligns actions and contributes to program policy advancement at the overall ministry and government-wide level.

• Anticipates how change manifests itself externally.

• Develops a plan in situations where the organization has little prior experience and is moving into "uncharted territory".

• Fosters strategic thinking in the organization.

• Creates innovative solutions after analyzing key trends and complex or divergent issues.

Relationship Building

Developing and maintaining win/win relationships and partnerships; building partnerships with the intent of being able to use them to benefit the department or government

• Develops formal and informal relationships with a wide circle of people, beyond those involved in current activities, including potential clients, stakeholders, and information links.

• Nurtures existing and potential relationships to help achieve the department's strategic plans.

• Is considered a leader in developing and maintaining effective relationships with staff, colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

• Actively seeks out and acts on opportunities to partner with peers to champion initiatives in support of the corporate agenda and goals.

Resource Management

Effectively managing internal and external resources to achieve organizational goals

• Identifies resource sources (which might include partnerships or indirect resourcing approaches) which will facilitate the achievement of organizational goals.

• Questions conventional means of service delivery, resulting in a greater ability to more effectively, efficiently meet organizational goals.

• Effectively oversees a range of significant programs and time-sensitive issues using appropriate resources.

• Provides leadership in effective management and stewardship of resources.

• Develops and implements strategies for the long-term renewal of the organization.

Leadership

Positively influencing people and events in a leadership role

• Communicates a compelling vision.

• Works with the team to develop strategies to meet future challenges.

• Communicates a vision for the team that generates excitement, enthusiasm and commitment to the team mission.

• Embodies the values of the Alberta public service.

• Honours commitments and consistently strives to act in the public interest by ensuring the public trust is maintained.

• Provides direction to the organization in instances where direction is not clear.

• Leads change on various interests and issues while carrying out the government's direction.

• Provides direction to the organization on emerging public issues and concerns.

Results Orientation

Knowing which results are important, focusing resources to achieve them in alignment with the goals for the organization

• Sets priorities and takes calculated risks in order to optimize resources and improve the delivery of services and operations.

• Recommends new policy/program directions focused on the enhancement of program outcomes.

• Utilizes knowledge of all factors affecting improvement of results within the organization to improve performance.

• Commits appropriate resources in order to further the strategic corporate agenda and to achieve broad-based government goals.

• Initiates and implements processes to improve overall performance across government and the public service.

• Commits significant resources in the face of uncertainty to increase benefits.

Adaptability
Personal willingness and ability to effectively work in and adapt to change.

Client Focus
Understanding and meeting or exceeding client needs.

Communication
Clearly conveys and receives messages to meet the needs of all.

Organizational Awareness
Understands business plan goals.

Problem Solving and Judgment
Ability to assess options and implications, in order to identify a solution.

Teamwork
Working cooperatively and productively with others to achieve results.

Developing Others
A desire to work to develop the long-term capability of others.

Innovation
Using original and creative thinking to make improvements and/or develop and initiate new approaches.

Impact and Influence
Persuading, convincing or influencing.

Self-Management
Reflecting on past experiences in order to manage and continually improve our own performance.