2004/05 - 2006/07 Service Plan -- Ministry of Education

Our Employee Learning Strategy
Goal	Objectives and Strategies
1. Proactive Visionary Leadership	Support the Learning Centre in succession planning for ML 6-12. Develop a workforce planning strategy. Support staff participation in government's Leadership and Management Development program, "Leading the Way".
2. Performance Focused Workplace	100% of ministry staff gave completed EPDPs. Explore 360 evaluations for excluded staff. Align reward/incentive structure with ministry values. Provide staff with clear performance expectations and provide feedback in a timely effective and consistent manner.
3. Flexible and Motivating Work Environment	Provide staff with the tools to effectively manage time and resources. Develop continuous improvement through coaching, mentoring and ongoing staff development activities.
4. Learning and Innovative Organization	Implement collaborative approaches to identify and address business issues. Develop effective learning plans and provide staff with increased access to personal and professional development and training activities. Develop and successfully implement innovative business practices and profile these practices across the ministry. Continue to support Employee Learning Fund.
5. Effective People Strategy	Engage ministry staff in the implementation of the Ministry Human Resource Plan. Ensure understanding of the linkage of each job to government and ministry and department service goals and objectives.
6. Progressive Employee/ Employer Relations	Proactively resolve workplace issues in a non-adversarial manner. Implement recommendations from the Kamloops report. Support training opportunities to ministry staff on managing conflict, building effective working relationships and understanding rights and responsibilities.

Information Resource Management Plan

The ministry's current Information Resource Management Plan is focused on improving decision support tools, reducing the burden of data collection on schools and districts, integrating a number of related systems and providing the education system with equitable access to educational content.

Major Projects

The Information Systems Plan (ISP) is the four-year plan approved by Treasury Board to develop new information systems for the ministry's use. The project, started January 2001, has established:

The current ISP applies only to ministry systems. Greater effectiveness and efficiencies in meeting New Era commitments are possible if ministry applications are integrated with school and school district systems.

The Provincial Learning Network (PLNet) is the largest geographically dispersed, centrally managed data communications network in North America. PLNet service is provided to all public schools. Currently, it serves over 1,700 schools and related facilities, approximately 135 college campuses, institutes and agencies in about 325 communities. The network provides equitable and secure access to education resources across the province. Government has begun a process to upgrade Internet service to rural communities as part of government's overall strategy to bridge the digital divide.

The Ministry of Education investigated and confirmed the feasibility of a common student information system to serve all schools. The solution will address the functional needs of schools, school boards and the ministry. The requirements for the system have been defined and the ministry has obtained proposals from vendors. This year (2003/04 school year), the project team will select a vendor and pilot the system.

The New Era directions of student achievement, choice, flexibility, and accountability require that schools, school boards and the ministry, improve their monitoring systems, which includes data collection, analysis and reporting. Inadequacies in the current monitoring systems' ability to provide information to students, parents, and school administrators in an efficient and timely manner need to be rectified in a cost-effective manner, and this will require inter-district and ministry collaboration.