Professional Services

 

What do we do?

The Professional Services provides many of the central supports for the Department. These include:

 

  • Information Access and Privacy, including administering various privacy and access to information laws
  • central filing system and STAR/STOR administration
  • web site maintenance and enhancements
  • communications systems
  • several externally available Decisions databases
  • coordinating office space requirements and manage facilities issues for all department locations
  • managing the internal Occupational Health and Safety Program
  • tangible capital asset requests
  • staff training
  • reception services for the general public (in cooperation with Environment)
  • mail service.

 The work of the Division is varied. In a typical week, we may: 

  • work with other Divisions to find new office space
  • deal with routine requests related to filing or the web site
  • maintain various Decisions databases on the Internet
  • work on projects to improve the various services we provide
  • address internal occupational health and safety issues and support our various Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees
  • make disclosure decisions relating to requests for information
  • address privacy complaints
  • train internal staff.

We work with, and provide essential services to, all divisions and all agencies, boards, commissions and tribunals which report to or through the Minister.

Our major external stakeholders are:

  • general public who uses the web site
  • law firms and other organizations who use decision databases
  • property management firms
  • media
  • caucus offices
  • other levels of government
  • special interest groups.

 We also work with:

  • Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal
  • Public Archives and Records Management
  • Communications Nova Scotia
  • Chief Information Office
  • Environonment
  • Justice
  • FOIPOP Review Office.

 

Our major projects for this year are:

  • investigating the feasibility of consolidating offices in HRM (long term)
  • revitalizing the internal OH&S Program
  • refreshing the Internet site to make it more client- and needs-focused, while allowing for faster updates and more current content
  • refreshing theIntranet site to make more information readily available
  • reviewing the Information Management System and the possible use of more advanced electronic content and records management tools

 

 You should call us when…

  • you have an issue with their office space
  • you have an information access or privacy question or issue, including:
  • creating or changing a program, policy or process the involves the collection, use and/or disclosure of personal or proprietary information
  • discovering a privacy breach in the department
  • completing a privacy impact assessment [PIA]
  • storing or transporting personal information across international borders
  • you want to change or obtain a telecommunications package
  • you want to significantly change the web site
  • you are uncertain how to file a document. Interesting statistic or fact about us:

    The Professional Services Section administers 35 office leases, housing 563 staff, with an annual rent of $1.4 million.