Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Position Profile Elections Nunavut An Independent Office of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut September 2014
ASSISTANT CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER I. ENABLING LEGISLATION AND PURPOSE The Chief Electoral Officer is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly who fulfils a wide range of statutorily-prescribed responsibilities under the Nunavut Elections Act and the Plebiscites Act. The position of Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is established pursuant to section 192.1 of the Nunavut Elections Act. Appointment 192.1 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer may appoint an Assistant Chief Electoral Officer, despite the Public Service Act. Powers and duties (2) An Assistant Chief Electoral Officer (a) may exercise the powers and shall perform the duties delegated by the Chief Electoral Officer as directed by the Chief Electoral Officer; and (b) shall act in the place of the Chief Electoral Officer if he or she is temporarily unable to act because of illness, absence or for another reason, or if the office of the Chief Electoral Officer is vacant. Public service employee (3) For greater certainty, the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is a member of the staff of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer under section 194. The purpose of the Nunavut Elections Act is to establish a regime for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly that promotes the meaningful exercise of the democratic rights and freedoms of the residents of Nunavut and the equality of opportunity to participate in determining the outcome of elections and the formation of the government. The purpose of the Plebiscites Act is to establish a regime for the conduct of plebiscites that is consistent with the Nunavut Elections Act. This Act allows the Government of Nunavut and municipal councils to formally ask voters to answer any question of public interest or concern to Nunavummiut, either on its own initiative or when requested by a petition 1
from the public, and promotes opportunities to participate in expressing popular opinion on issues of interest and concern. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer also administers local option plebiscites under the Liquor Act through an agreement with the Government of Nunavut s Department of Finance. II. ACCOUNTABILITY The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is appointed by the Chief Electoral Officer as a member of the staff of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is generally known as Elections Nunavut. This position reports directly to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). Under the guidance and direction of the CEO, the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) assumes a senior role in the daily work of Elections Nunavut. The ACEO may be expected to perform statutory functions on behalf of the CEO either as a delegate or when acting in the absence of the CEO. The ACEO is directly accountable to the CEO for the successful performance of all these functions. The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is a member of the Nunavut Public Service but, pursuant to s. 194 of the Nunavut Elections Act, is not eligible for membership in a bargaining unit. Nunavut Elections Act 194 (2) The staff of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer are employees of the public service as defined in the Public Service Act. (3) The Chief Electoral Officer and the staff of the Chief Electoral Officer are not eligible for membership in a bargaining unit as defined in the Public Service Act. 2
Elections Nunavut Headquarters Organization Chart III. MANDATE OF ELECTIONS NUNAVUT The Chief Electoral Officer establishes the policies and administrative and regulatory machinery to support the conduct of Nunavut elections and plebiscites. This involves exercising supervision over the administrative conduct of an election and enforcing, on the part of all candidates and election officers, fairness, impartiality and compliance with the Act. This mandate also includes ensuring that elections staff are hired in a timely manner, and issuing directives and guidelines on the electoral process for candidates, financial agents, campaign managers and elections officers. The Chief Electoral Officer also coordinates the elections process with bodies responsible for elections elsewhere in Canada. The Chief Electoral Officer exercises general direction and supervision over the conduct of plebiscites carried out under the Plebiscites Act. The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer provides direct support and assistance to the CEO in fulfilling the mandate of Elections Nunavut throughout its business cycle. 3
The business cycle of Elections Nunavut extends from the issuance of writs for one general election to the issuance of writs for the next general election. Between general elections, the work of Elections Nunavut is focused on: Reporting on the election Reviewing and improving procedures through document revision, development of electronic applications, policy updates and legislative amendments Maintaining election readiness Developing the skills and teamwork of staff members Maintaining an updated website Maintaining updated maps Maintaining an updated voter database Administering plebiscites Providing support to Electoral Boundaries Commissions Developing and implementing information sharing agreements with appropriate agencies Providing an information service to stakeholders Improving and implementing training programs for election officials Developing and delivering programs in public voter education Consulting with the public regarding potential changes in electoral legislation IV. WORK ENVIRONMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES Within its strict statutory mandate, Elections Nunavut is a customer service organization. The public and the voters of Nunavut are our most important customers. Elections Nunavut does its utmost to ensure that Nunavummiut understand their rights and responsibilities related to participating in elections and plebiscites. Elections Nunavut focuses on the development of skills and production of all election materials in-house. This includes map development, the use of the electronic election database, working with the website, as well as formatting, printing and binding all documents. Each headquarters staff person has his/her area of primary focus and expertise, but each is also expected to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organization by providing advice and assistance to the others. All staff must have a rudimentary understanding of each other s work in order to provide the best service to voters and candidates and the public in general and to maintain some level of efficacy in the absence of other staff members. 4
Elections Nunavut uses a team approach to planning, assigning, executing, reviewing and evaluating procedures. All staff members participate in recruiting and training election officers and planning and implementing events. As a member of this team, the Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is expected to take a senior role in: o developing Elections Nunavut policies and procedures o developing Elections Nunavut operational plans o developing and implementing Elections Nunavut communications plans o contributing to the overall effectiveness of Elections Nunavut. VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ASSOCIATIONS When possible the ACEO attends the annual meetings of the Conference of Canadian Election Officials and participates when appropriate in working committees struck from time to time by the CCEO. The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is expected to remain current with relevant literature and innovations, including electronic developments, in the fields of electoral administration and law. VII. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Office Location The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (Elections Nunavut) is physically located in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Hours of Work The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is expected to work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week. Overtime Hours The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is required to work many evenings and weekends in the 12-month period prior to an event and as any deadline approaches. 5
Travel The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer may be required to travel often within and outside of Nunavut to attend meetings, make presentations and conduct public consultations. The base annual salary for this appointment is in the range of $100,054 to $142,934 per year. The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer is entitled to a comprehensive range of benefits that are consistent with those provided to senior managers in the Nunavut public service, including: o Annual Leave o Nunavut Northern Allowance o Household Allowance o Public Service Pension Plan o Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance o Basic life insurance o Dental insurance o Life insurance for dependents to cover the cost of funeral expenses o Health Care Insurance o Long-Term Disability Insurance VIII. COMPETENCIES The ACEO must have an understanding of the political context of the role of a senior election officer and the ability to carry out the function with the dignity befitting that role. The position requires good judgement and integrity, due to the highly political nature of the work performed. Failure to successfully conduct an election or a plebiscite would result in severe political consequences. In the case of a general election, failure would result in the inability of the Legislative Assembly to take office or to function and would result in a catastrophic crippling of the government of Nunavut. 1. Credentials The Assistant Chief Electoral Officer should have a post-secondary qualification in a relevant field of study, such as public administration or law or equivalent experience. 6
2. Knowledge/Experience Experience in the complex administrative, operational and legal field of elections and plebiscites. Working knowledge of accepted management practices; Familiarity with the Canadian parliamentary system, an understanding of the unique characteristics and practices of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut; Basic knowledge of Canadian electoral systems and practices, how they apply to Nunavut and the differences associated with the consensus system of government; Experience in administering legislation; Knowledge and proven experience in the use of computer technology to support the goals of Elections Nunavut. Experience in administering budgets and employees; and Understanding of Inuit societal values, culture, language, traditions, beliefs and history. 3. Skills and Abilities Proven management experience; Strong skills in effectively organizing large work volumes and working in a team with a variety of skills to achieve common objectives within specified time frames; Strong problem-solving skills; Detail-oriented with ability to proof-read; Ability to work well in the face of pressure; High degree of integrity; Strong analytical and decision-making skills; Strong writing skills, including the ability to prepare meaningful reports, guides, brochures and educational materials in terms that are understandable to a variety of audiences; Proven analytical and decision making skills; Proficiency with computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite; Proficiency in both the Inuit Language and English is a definite asset; and Ability in French would also be an additional asset. 7