Justice Leaders of Tomorrow Program
Formative Evaluation of the Pilot
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PILOT JUSTICE LEADERS OF TOMORROW PROGRAM
- 2.1. Program context
- 2.2. Program logic
- 2.3. Management structure
- 2.4. Program resources
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PILOT JUSTICE LEADERS OF TOMORROW PROGRAM
This section of the report describes the Pilot JLTP. It discusses the policy context relating to the Program, its program logic, management structure and its project resources.
2.1. Program Context
In June 2004, the Executive Council endorsed a number of projects to explore issues surrounding employment equity (EE) in the Department of Justice. The Employment Equity Steering Committee (EESC) returned to the Deputy Minister team in November and December 2004 to present the issue of the need to increase representation of EE designated groups in middle and senior management. In 2005, the Employment Equity Unit, Human Resources and Professional Development Directorate conducted an environmental scan in the Law Group (LA) and Executive (EX) categories and identified two key issues that need to be addressed: the fostering of a learning culture and achieving EE benchmarks. The idea of starting a leadership training program with a strong EE component won the support of the Department’s senior management, a Project Manager for the Program was appointed, and program planning began in the same year.
2.2. Program logic
This section describes the Program’s target population and how JLTP activities are expected to contribute to the achievement of the Program’s goals and objectives.
2.2.1. Program target population
The Program targeted the Department of Justice employees at the Executive minus 1, Executive minus 2, LA 2A and LA 2B practitioner levels who do not occupy a managerial position and who do not have staffing and financial sub-delegated authorities but who are interested in developing their leadership and management potential in the Department. An emphasis was placed on targeting members of EE designated groups, specifically visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.
2.2.2. Program goals and objectives
The JLTP has two main goals: to increase representation of designated group members in middle and senior management (the primary goal) and to develop a consistent and integrated department-wide approach to the development of future leaders in the Department.
The mandate of the JLTP is to provide the Department with a pool of qualified people that includes an adequate number of EE members at the feeder levels who have the skills to compete for management positions. To fulfill its mandate, the JLTP aims to enable participants to:
- enhance their key leadership and management competencies;
- have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the broader concepts of leadership and management in the departmental context, including key stakeholders and complex issues involved in the Department’s work environment;
- along with enhancing their strategic planning skills, learn how to effectively coordinate the delivery of programs and services and guide/influence a work team;
- gain a deeper understanding of the Department’s corporate culture; and
- develop the ability to manage and lead effectively, achieve organizational goals and become an agent for change.
The JLTP aims to achieve its objectives by providing participants with classroom instruction and on-the-job training, as well as developmental opportunities to gain experience in management and leadership.
JLTP communications explicitly stated that a JLTP participant is not being groomed for a specific position within the Department, nor will any preferential status be awarded during a competitive employment process to applicants who have participated in the JLTP. Given the high calibre of individuals selected to participate, however, it is assumed that they will show great promise for occupying future management roles. Furthermore, their privileged access to the senior levels of the Department’s corporate culture, the networking opportunities this program will provide for its participants, and their level of motivation will likely ensure a healthy uptake of JLTP participants into management positions at the Department.
2.2.3. Program activities and outputs
JLTP activities are organized into five groups:
- Program planning and ongoing program monitoring
- Participant selection
- Delivery of learning components, including group and individual learning and assignments
- Feedback on participants’ learning and on the performance of the pilot JLTP
- Marketing and communication that mainly targets senior management and potential future applicants
Outputs are tangible products and services generated with program resources to facilitate the achievement of outcomes. The JLTP is expected to produce a number of outputs in the course of program planning and delivery, including:
- Planning documents, contracts and correspondence
- Procedures and criteria
- Learning materials and activities
- Assessment tools
- Marketing and communication materials
2.2.4. Expected results
Immediate outcomes should follow logically from JLTP activities and outputs. It is expected that:
- the JLTP functions well and participants are supported throughout their learning journey;
- the participants make steady progress toward increased knowledge and skills, and key leadership competency enhancement;
- the participants are provided with useful feedback on their progress in achieving the learning objectives, and the JLTP Pilot is able to draw useful lessons from participants’ feedback and experience; and
- communication and marketing efforts will encourage more managerial participation in the JLTP as mentors, coaches or leaders to shadow.
Intermediate outcomes of the JLTP are meant to identify the longer-term impacts of a leadership development program and are expected to manifest themselves within five years of the start of the Pilot Program. Participants should expect to increase their marketability, and continue to demonstrate an ever-increasing transfer of skills and knowledge in their work. The JLTP will become more mature as a leadership development program, having acquired more practical knowledge in program design and delivery. Finally, we expect an increased acceptance of the JLTP by departmental senior managers, as they see the positive results. The JLTP has no control over the realization of this outcome but can influence it. The hope is that the JLTP will be regarded by the Department of Justice middle and senior management as an essential component of the Department’s succession planning.
The final outcome is that the JLTP contributes to the Department of Justice management succession and makes the Department middle and senior management more representative of the Canadian public it serves.
2.3. Management Structure
The overall responsibility for the JLTP falls under the mandate of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services. Under the leadership of the Director of the Professional Development Division, a branch of the Human Resources and Professional Development Directorate, the JLTP Project Manager is responsible for the delivery of this Program. The Project Manager’s responsibilities include design of the Program’s instructional interventions and implementation of some of these components. Some components were outsourced to learning advisors.
2.4. Program Resources
Approximately $1.2 million will be spent on the Program across two fiscal years (2007/08 and 2008/09). The bulk of the budget will be spent on the purchase of program modules, professional consultancy services and travel/transportation for Program participants. The JLTP is managed by a team of three people: the Project Manager, the Human Resources Advisor, and the Administrative Assistant.
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