Strategic Context
To effectively and responsibly deliver services that assist those most in need and move people from assistance to employment, the ministry must be responsive to the environment in which it operates. Over the past year, the ministry regularly monitored its risk environment, capacity, and performance through regular risk and performance reviews. These efforts have allowed the ministry to pursue opportunities, mitigate risks to its operations and clients, and support continuous improvement in the delivery of services.
External Risks
The primary drivers of demand for the ministry's programs and services, which are not within the ministry's control, include:
Strength of the provincial economy and local labour markets: British Columbia's real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by a solid 3.5 per cent in 2005, slightly faster than the 3.4 per cent growth rate forecast in the September Budget Update. Strong consumer spending and investment helped make B.C.'s growth the second fastest in the country, behind Alberta's 4.5 per cent expansion. B.C.'s economic growth was accompanied by a marked drop in the unemployment rate and strong labour income growth, supporting consumer spending and residential construction growth.
Population growth and demographics: Natural population growth and migration into the province are directly linked to an increased demand for the ministry's employment and assistance programs. At the same time, the number of Persons with Disabilities requiring assistance has continued to grow due in part to an aging population, longer life expectancy for individuals experiencing significant health issues, and the impact of new illnesses and conditions (such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis-C, and drug and alcohol dependencies).
The ministry undertook the following strategies in order to mitigate negative impacts and realize potential opportunities associated with these external factors:
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Regular reviews of organizational performance and financial results compared to caseload forecasts. • Analysis and adjustment of service demand by program. |
• A lower ETW caseload than expected, due to successful employment programs, and a 10.4 per cent under-expenditure in Temporary
Assistance. • A lower cost per PWD case than expected and 1.2 per cent under-expenditure in Disability Assistance. • Achieved 7 of the 8 performance measures included in the 2005/06 Service Plan. |
Catastrophic Events: The ministry recognizes that potential catastrophic events, such as earthquakes or pandemics, pose a significant and uncertain risk to the ministry's ability to provide uninterrupted delivery of critical assistance programs. During 2005/06, the ministry identified an avian influenza pandemic as a potentially catastrophic risk. The threat associated with avian influenza included a dramatic shift in the needs of clients compounded by a reduced staffing capacity within the ministry.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Adoption of common cross-government avian influenza direction and protocols. • Expansion of Enterprise-wide Risk Management practices throughout the ministry. • Support greater use of direct deposit among clients to provide them with safe and reliable access to their funds and to reduce potential delays in the event of reduced staffing levels. • Ongoing review and updates to the ministry's Business Continuation Plan to support uninterrupted delivery of critical services. |
• No disruption to services. • Increased internal capacity and strengthened relationships with partner ministries. • Increased use of direct deposit among ministry clients. • Living Business Continuation Plan available to coordinate current business needs in the case of a catastrophic event (i.e., earthquake). |
External Opportunities
Collaboration and Partnerships: The ministry continued to build new partnerships with other ministries, local governments, and stakeholder groups to deliver flexible, cost-effective, and innovative services to clients. The challenges many of the ministry's clients confront are frequently complex and require coordination of services and supports to effectively address issues of homelessness, mental health, addictions, disabilities, insufficient education or limited life skills.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• One-time funding of $930,000 for integration projects providing services targeted to homelessness outreach, mental health
and addictions, dental clinic services, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prevention and treatment. • Consultation with advocacy groups to review policy, programs and services. • Partnering with the City of Vancouver to enforce good practices among landlords in the Downtown Eastside through the Housing Integrated Task Team. |
• Improved client services and outcomes. • Strengthened community capacity. • Demonstrated the value of innovative partnerships with community agencies, other levels of government and ministries. |
Internal Risks
Information Management: In order to deliver its programs and services, the ministry is required to manage a significant volume of client information. Despite strict security standards and practices, the ministry did experience a potential public information breach in early 2006 resulting from the disposal of surplus equipment. A comprehensive review of the incident was undertaken by Government's Chief Information Officer who determined that no personal information had been harmfully used, distributed, or copied.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Completion of a comprehensive review of existing information management policies and procedures for all personal information. • Establishment of new policies and procedures including ongoing staff training, information management protocols and ongoing monitoring and reporting requirements. |
• No public release of personal information. • Strengthened information security standards. • Reaffirmed that the security and integrity of personal information is critical to both the operations of the ministry and the privacy rights of its clients. |
Workplace Safety: The ministry works directly with sometimes vulnerable or at-risk clients at 104 office locations in every region of the province. Providing staff and clients with a safe environment is of paramount importance and every effort is made to prevent and mitigate any workplace incidents.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Development of Violence Prevention Plans for all 104 offices including, where appropriate, permanent security guards, facilities
enhancements and critical incident support. • Implementation of an Incident Reporting and Tracking system to monitor and respond to events affecting staff and clients. • Creation of a Service Code detailing the expectations of both ministry staff and clients in their interactions. |
• A 25% decrease in incidents reported to WorkSafeBC (formerly the Workers Compensation Board of B.C.), since 2001. |
Internal Opportunities
Enhanced Client Capacity: The ministry continued to focus on assisting expected-to-work clients to transition to employment and financial independence.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Employment plans for all Expected to Work clients. • Provide employment programming to meet the needs of the changing caseload. |
• The Expected to Work caseload in 2005/06 decreased by 17.5% from 2004/05. • Less than half of Expected to Work clients stay on assistance longer than 4 months. • Clients leaving employment programs had an average starting wage of almost $11 per hour. |
Focus on Those Most In Need: Clients who are most in need and not expected to achieve financial independence continued to receive higher levels of assistance and access to a suite of directed supports and programs. The involvement of clients with persistent multiple barriers or disabilities in these programs improved their independence and provided important benefits to the communities in which they live.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Maintain the highest assistance rates in the province for Persons with Disabilities; 3rd highest rates in Canada. • Increase earnings exemptions for Persons with Disabilities and Persons with Persistent Multiple Barriers. • Deliver specialized employment and training. |
• The Persons with Disabilities caseload in 2005/06 increased by 7% from 2004/05 due in part to an aging population, increased life expectancy for those experiencing significant health issues, and the impact of new illnesses and conditions. |
Citizen-Centred Service Delivery: The ministry built upon its citizen-centred culture by working with staff to design services that are coordinated, cost-effective, and responsive to evolving client needs.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Complete the Integrated Service Delivery initiative streamlining application processes.
• Expand the use of information and communication technologies including launching the Multi-Channel Service Delivery initiative. • Increase the utilization of children's health supports available to low-income families. |
• Staff benefited from streamlined business processes, improved tools and job aids, allowing them more time to spend with clients. • The ministry increased its capacity to inform decision-making that is responsive, professional, inclusive, cost effective, transparent, accountable and fiscally sustainable. • Clients benefited from greater choice, consistency and timeliness in accessing ministry services. |
Staff Capacity: Ministry staff consistently demonstrated a high degree of dedication, professionalism, and flexibility in carrying out their responsibilities over the past year. Their continued support and expertise has been, and will continue to be, critical to the success of the ministry and its clients.
| Strategies | Outcomes |
|---|---|
|
• Implement a comprehensive Human Resources Management Plan that builds upon existing attraction, retention, and leadership
development strategies for critical positions. • Training and development for leaders across the ministry including 360 degree feedback instruments for all managers and provision of the Management Essentials program. • Engage staff in the development of a Service Code that clarifies common organizational values and expectations for interacting with others. |
• The ministry will be better positioned to compete with other public and private sector organizations to attract and retain
highly-skilled and motivated staff. • Enhanced leadership capacity through implementation of leadership tools and programs. • Improved dialogue throughout the ministry regarding services, expectations of performance and ability to improve the lives of clients. |
Great Goals for a Golden Decade
The Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance supports four of government's five Great Goals, which are to:
1. Make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.
2. Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.
3. Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.
5. Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.
Government envisions a province which offers a comprehensive and integrated system of support for vulnerable people in B.C. communities. Such a system includes assistance intended for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors, to improve their health and safety, assist them in accessing services, and increase their participation in the social and economic life of the province. The province is developing a comprehensive multi-year strategy which will result in improved outcomes for persons with disabilities, persons with special needs, seniors, and children at risk.
During the past year, the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance assumed a leading role, working with partners from other ministries, levels of government and community organizations, in the development of the provincial Disability Strategy. The Disability Strategy will provide for a flexible, comprehensive, and integrated system of support for persons with disabilities that will allow them to participate more fully in the social and economic life of the province. A key focus of the Strategy will be the integration of government services to make them more accessible, easier to deal with, and more responsive to those who need them.
The ministry's mandate does not directly contribute to the achievement of Great Goal 4 which is to:
4. Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.
