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•	Accountability Statement
•	Strategic Context
•	Planning Context
•	Vision, Mission and Principles
•	Goals, Core Business Areas, Objectives, Strategies and Measures
•	Links to Government Strategic Plan
•	Administrative Justice Review Project
•	Resource Summary
•	Appendix A: Human Resources Management Plan
•	Appendix B: Ministry of Human Resources IRMP


•	Ministry of Human Resources Home
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2003/04 – 2005/06 SERVICE PLAN
Ministry of Human Resources

Goals, Core Business Areas, Objectives, Strategies and Measures

The goals for the ministry describe the broad results or outcomes that are to be achieved in moving towards the longer term vision. There are six goals in total, as highlighted below. In support of these goals are the core business areas for the ministry that are made up of related programs, services and activities.

The objectives and strategies for the ministry describe more concrete results and ways in which to accomplish them, and can be linked back to the core business areas. These are summarized below by goal. Finally, this section outlines the performance measures that the ministry will monitor over the next three years to assess its performance. It should be recognized though, that these goals, objectives, strategies and measures will continue to evolve as the ministry gains experience with performance measurement and reporting.

Goal 1: BC Employment and Assistance Clients Achieve Independence Through Sustained Employment

Core Business: Employment Programs

Strategic Objectives:

Clients find employment through work search and job placement services.
Clients acquire specific job skills through targeted training for employment.
Persons with disabilities who seek work are supported through employment programs.

Goal 2: BC Employment and Assistance Services Support Self-Reliance

Core Business: Temporary Assistance

Strategic Objectives:

Enquirers actively seek work.
Applicants and clients enter into employment plans as a condition of eligibility.

Goal 3: BC Employment and Assistance Services Provide Continuous Assistance to Those Clients Most in Need

Core Business: Continuous Assistance

Strategic Objectives:

Persons with multiple barriers participate in their communities.
Persons with disabilities work or volunteer as they are able.
Assistance is provided to individuals who are not able to achieve independence through employment.

Goal 4: BC Employment and Assistance Services Provide Supplementary Assistance for Eligible Clients

Core Business: Supplementary Assistance

Strategic Objectives:

Homeless individuals have access to safe emergency accommodation.
Individuals and families have access to short-term disaster assistance through the Emergency Social Services (ESS) program.
Eligible clients have access to supplementary health services.
Eligible seniors and persons with disabilities have access to public transit.

Goal 5: The Ministry is a Responsive and Motivating Employer

Core Business: Executive and Support Services

Strategic Objectives:

Employees have the tools to adapt to and benefit from change.
The ministry recruits and retains a workforce that is competent, capable and flexible.
Staff actions align with ministry goals and objectives.
The ministry’s working environment encourages productivity and innovation.

Goal 6: The Ministry Operates Effectively, Openly and Accountably

Core Business: The Employment and Assistance Appeal Tribunal

Strategic Objectives:

Ministry processes and systems support accountability for results.
Service delivery is streamlined and effective.
Individuals have access to an impartial and responsive appeal system.

Goal 1: BC Employment and Assistance Clients Achieve Independence Through Sustained Employment

Strategic Objectives:

Clients find employment through work search and job placement services.
Clients acquire specific job skills through targeted training for employment.
Persons with disabilities who seek work are supported through employment programs.

Strategies:

Refer clients to the Job Placement program.¹
Refer clients to the Training for Jobs pilot program.²
Implement the second phase of the Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities.³

Goal 1 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
1.1 Per cent of Job Placement clients who remain independent of income assistance for at least six months	N/A	80%	80%	80%	80%
1.2 Per cent of Training for Jobs clients who remain independent of income assistance for at least six months	N/A	N/A	Establish Baseline
1.3 Per cent of persons with disabilities with employment income	11.2%	11.2%	11.5%	11.7%	12.0%


1	The Job Placement program is performance-based and designed to assist people who are ready to work, to find long-term employment.
2	The Training for Jobs pilot program is performance-based and focuses on providing people who have barriers to employment with the specific skills and job placement opportunities they need to gain sustainable employment.
3	The Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities will provide for employment supports and specialized job training and job placement services.

Comment:

A key measure of success for the Job Placement program, and clients, is sustainable employment. In order to determine the extent to which this is being achieved, the ministry will follow-up with clients of the Job Placement program and determine the percentage that are still working six months after becoming independent of income assistance. The pilot Training for Jobs program works with clients who have more barriers to employment than those individuals participating in the Job Placement program, and provides training and placement services. The corresponding performance measure identifies the percentage of Training for Job program clients that are still working six months after becoming independent of income assistance.

The third measure is consistent with the intent of assisting those individuals with disabilities to secure employment income and increase self-reliance.

Goal 2: BC Employment and Assistance Services Support Self-Reliance

Strategic Objectives:

Enquirers actively seek work.
Applicants and clients enter into employment plans as a condition of eligibility.

Strategies:

Require enquirers to undertake a 3-week self-directed work search.
Establish mandatory obligations to meet employment plan goals for all clients.
Require all existing clients to complete employment plans and review their eligibility.

Goal 2 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
2.1 Per cent of enquirers who contact BC Employment and Assistance Offices and are diverted to employment	N/A	N/A	Establish Baseline
2.2 Per cent of British Columbia’s population receiving income assistance	6.0%	5.4%	4.8%	4.3%	3.7%
2.3 Per cent of British Columbia’s population receiving temporary assistance	4.5%	3.5%	3.0%	2.5%	2.0%
2.4 Per cent of total caseload receiving temporary assistance	76%	70%	64%	58%	52%

Comment:

An important factor in becoming self-reliant is attaining sustainable employment as soon as possible. The first measure provides a means for gauging the success of the ministry in facilitating the transition to employment for individuals that have made initial contact with regional offices and through self-directed work searches. The second and third measures, per cent of BC’s population receiving income assistance and per cent of British Columbia’s population receiving temporary assistance, can also be used as a benchmark, allowing for comparisons with other provinces.

The fourth measure gives an indication of the proportion of the total caseload that have work expectations or are temporarily excused from having work expectations.

Goal 3: BC Employment and Assistance Services Provide Continuous Assistance to Those Clients Most in Need

Strategic Objectives:

Persons with multiple barriers participate in their communities.
Persons with disabilities work or volunteer as they are able.
Assistance is provided to individuals who are not able to achieve independence through employment.

Strategies:

Refer multiple barriered clients to the Community Assistance Program for services that assist them to participate in their communities.
Implement programs for persons with disabilities that assist clients to find employment or to participate in the community as they are able.
Provide continuous assistance and support services to those clients most in need.

Goal 3 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
3.1 Per cent of total caseload receiving continuous assistance	22%	28%	29%	34%	46%
3.2 Per cent of continuous assistance clients who work or volunteer	14%	14%	17%	21%	25%

Comment:

The ministry supports clients in receipt of continuous assistance as they work towards personal goals of self-reliance, independence and involvement in their community. Initiatives such as the Community Assistance Program, for example, are designed specifically to help clients overcome barriers to self-reliance. A critical measure of success in this regard is whether ministry services have helped clients address such barriers and attain employment or take on a volunteer position within the community. For this reason, the ministry is monitoring the percentage of clients on continuous assistance who are working or volunteering in the community. To provide a suitable reference point, the percentage of clients receiving continuous assistance is also being tracked.

The ministry anticipates that as clients who can become independent through employment leave income assistance (i.e., as the ministry achieves its Goal 1 — BC Employment and Assistance clients achieve independence through sustained employment), the percentage of clients receiving continuous assistance will grow over the same period as the temporary assistance targets diminish.

Goal 4: BC Employment and Assistance Services Provide Supplementary Assistance for Eligible Clients

Strategic Objectives:

Homeless individuals have access to safe emergency accommodation.
Individuals and families have access to short-term disaster assistance through the Emergency Social Services (ESS) program.
Eligible clients have access to supplementary health services.
Eligible seniors and persons with disabilities have access to public transit.

Strategies:

Provide emergency accommodation to the homeless who have no other resources.
Provide short-term assistance through the ESS program to those forced from their homes by disasters.
Provide designated health services to those who are eligible.
Provide low cost public transit passes to eligible seniors and persons with disabilities.

Goal 4 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
4.1 Number of bus passes available to eligible seniors and persons with disabilities	51,400	54,500	58,500	61,600	64,700

Comment:

Supplementary assistance includes a wide range of services that are provided to eligible clients. The ministry supports low income seniors and persons with disabilities by providing bus passes. The measure above indicates the number of bus passes the ministry has issued or anticipates issuing over the years indicated.

Goal 5: The Ministry is a Responsive and Motivating Employer

Strategic Objectives:

Employees have the tools to adapt to and benefit from change.
The ministry recruits and retains a workforce that is competent, capable and flexible.
Staff actions align with ministry goals and objectives.
The ministry’s working environment encourages productivity and innovation.

Strategies:

Consistently address change management issues in all ministry project plans.
Define core competencies and selection standards for all positions.
Implement employee performance, planning, development and review processes and tools.
Continue to implement effective health and safety programs and practices.

Goal 5 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
5.1 Per cent of employees with performance and development plans in place	N/A	Establish Baseline	50%	75%	95%

Comment:

An important consideration for the ministry, and the provincial government as a whole, is the need for staff to have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, and how they contribute to what the ministry aspires to achieve. The performance measure gauges the success of the ministry in implementing performance and development plans.

Goal 6: The Ministry Operates Effectively, Openly and Accountably

Strategic Objectives:

Ministry processes and systems support accountability for results.
Service delivery is streamlined and effective.
Individuals have access to an impartial and responsive appeal system.

Strategies:

Continue to streamline client access through Electronic Services.
Measure ministry performance by undertaking client interviews, research, data tracking and reporting.
Develop shared platforms and systems to improve the capacity for integrated and coordinated monitoring and reporting across the ministry.
Procure key services through an open, fair and transparent process and implement performance-based contracts.

Goal 6 — Performance Measures	2001/02 Base	2002/03 Target	2003/04 Target	2004/05 Target	2005/06 Target
6.1 Per cent of program and service contracts that are performance-based	N/A	Establish Baseline	95%	100%	100%
6.2 Per cent of appeal hearings commenced within 15 business days	N/A	Establish Baseline	100%	100%	100%

Comment:

In keeping with this goal, and the overall government direction, the ministry will demonstrate accountability, transparency and responsiveness in its decision-making and operations. An important step towards achieving this, and the focus for the first measure, is the establishment and use of service contracts that incorporate specific measures of results. The new Appeal Tribunal system will be monitored to ensure that decisions are made in a timely manner. This is the basis for the second measure as described above.