HANSARD

Printed and Published by Nova Scotia Hansard Reporting Services

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

Mr. Keith Colwell (Chairman)

Mr. Chuck Porter

Ms. Joan Massey

Ms. Diana Whalen

In Attendance:

Mr. Gordon Hebb

Legislative Counsel

WITNESSES

Communications Nova Scotia

Ms. Miriam Murray

Senior Director

Ms. Cathy MacIssac

Communications Director

Ms. Terri Aker

Coordinator of Advertising Services

Mr. Stephen Bornais

Communications Advisor

HALIFAX, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007

SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

9:00 A.M.

CHAIRMAN

Mr. Keith Colwell

MR. KEITH COLWELL (Chairman): I guess we'll bring the meeting to order. We're going to be very informal this morning. I want to thank everybody for coming. I think we'll start by going around the table with Mr. Porter.

[The committee members and witnesses introduced themselves.]

MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you, everybody, for coming this morning. It sounds like everybody on the other end of the table there has a bad cold.

MS. MIRIAM MURRAY: Yes, unfortunately we do.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Hopefully it doesn't spread to anyone else. Let's start off this morning, we talked before, more than briefly, about presentation and the communications plan that we had looked at. I'll just leave it in your capable hands and make the presentation. This morning, I think, maybe, if everyone would just say who they are, for Hansard, before they speak each time, just to make it easy for them. We'll just have an open discussion this morning so if anyone has any questions, just hop in and ask the questions and away we go. If there are any comments you want to make, totally feel free to do that today because this is really about hearing what your plan is.

MS. MURRAY: Thank you. While this has been very much a team effort, largely led by Cathy MacIsaac, I've been the person chosen to speak to the plan that we are putting forward today. I'm just going to launch in, if everybody is comfortable with that.

1

From what we heard from the committee at that last meeting, we went away and consulted with our communications colleagues, did a call to ask for people who were interested in working on this project and we were very fortunate in getting Cathy and Steve onboard for two reasons: Cathy, because she is very well recognized for her strategic communications planning; and Steve, who is fairly new to our organization, brings a great perspective from his previous career as a journalist, a columnist and part of an editorial staff of a major daily newspaper. So we felt, with the team that we were bringing together, we were getting some very good perspectives.

When we tried to define the objectives based on what we heard from the committee at the last meeting, we came up with four that we were quite comfortable with putting forward and they are listed there. Mr. Chairman, would you like me to go through those so they are in the record or just . . .

MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, actually, it would be a good idea.

MS. MURRAY: The objectives that we settled upon, which we are presenting to you for your approval that we saw for this project - but which, in no way need to be the final objectives - were to educate the public on the role of the agencies, boards and commissions; to increase awareness and interest in the wide range of the available positions; to target communications to reach key audiences, specifically including women, visible minorities, aboriginals, francophone audience and disabled persons; and to encourage the maximum number of applications from as diverse an audience as possible. That's directly feeding back to what you all gave to us at the original meeting.

The background is essentially the information that we had discussed at the last meeting so I won't go into detail on that - it's pretty self-explanatory. We work to define the issues and, again, these were the issues that we took from you at the last meeting and then, in broader consultation with people, we heard back more and we included them so we rolled what we heard into this list of six issues that we have listed here. The next item that we looked at is the audiences, the people we wanted to reach and that, as well, is pretty self-explanatory: the professional associations; community organizations; elected officials from the federal, provincial and municipal fields; the academic community; the media; and then generally all Nova Scotians, because we want this to be very broad and far-reaching.

The three key messages that we felt were appropriate are listed there. It's that our ABCs play a very vital role in the administration of government, legislation and public services in Nova Scotia that Nova Scotians can participate in the affairs of the province through a wide range of advisory and decision-making boards and commissions and that from agriculture to education, health to tourism, there could be a board position that is perfect for you, the individual reading this.

Once we had that developed, we looked at the strategic actions and roll-out plan. These are our recommendations as we move forward, that we continue with the general advertising campaign. We broke that out a little further to say that our recommendation is that we move to a more simple ad, that visually profile current members so that people can actually - it will resonate with them. Oh, this person from my community services on an agency, board and commission. So we thought, as opposed to the long list of availability, we would make it more human and very specific by highlighting people who are currently serving.

Then we would like to highlight the difference they are making. So these individuals who serve, we would be looking for testimonials from them and the difference they are making by participating. Then we would help people to see themselves as ABC members and what they could actually bring to the table.

We will need to develop a tag line and while we did do some mockup of ads, it's by no way the final product. We come up with some ideas like, be involved, make a difference, etc. I put up a number of different tag lines were suggested and actually we did a little in-house competition, a contest and the four of us will be doing coffee for the winner. We've yet to determine if we'll go with the original tag line, or if we'll be going with one of the new ones that our colleagues have presented.

Our suggestion is that we issue media releases and there will be several media releases. The initial one announcing that we're stepping up in our recruitment of members. Then we would target media releases to attract coverage and community newspapers and make them very specific to communities, and then we could do another launch of news releases, one week before the ads appear, so we'll have basically, a lead up, letting people know this is going to happen before we do the advertising campaign, we'd do more media releases.

Our recommendation is that we work with departments, to send out to their key stakeholders copies of the ad as well as any relevant materials we have on these new stepped up efforts. This has been done in the past by departments, so it shouldn't be a huge leap for us. We are going to work with the communications professionals assigned to every department to roll this out, so that we have representation in every department in government. So, essentially, in the departments whom these ABCs serve.

Our recommendation is that we revamp the Web site and make it easier and clearer for people to find the information they need if they want to do it electronically. Develop a brochure - a simple brochure to explain the importance and how people can make their contribution. Again, we will develop a fact sheet template, which our communications people and departments will work with their policy people and program people in departments to develop the fact sheets; much like the fact sheets that are developed for budget. Just very clear, simple, in plain language, so people can look and clearly understand

what the particular agency, board or commission is looking for and what their contribution could be.

Our recommendation is that we develop a speaker bureau of HR committee members and ABC members that could look for opportunities to make presentations, and we will, of course, provide these people with the information from when they are going out to these presentations in communities. That's the next item, which is speaker support. So we would develop an electronic presentation that they'd just be able to take and deliver, along with the printed materials.

[9:15 a.m.]

Mailouts to organizations - departments will be asked to develop targeted mailing lists, to professional associations and community groups, to encourage applications. We're recommending we look for a high profile and well-respected Nova Scotian cheerleader, who could speak to the benefits of serving on agency, board or commission. We would work with organizations like Eastlink. For instance, Eastlink Magazine provides an opportunity that we could do a program on their show, again, about the ABCs, to participate and generate interest.

On our informal communication, all members of the Legislature will be provided with print information that they could distribute and they could ask people in their communities for the possibility to present at community meetings. Partner and stakeholder newsletters - look for opportunities to get our message in those. We recommend revamping the application form so that it's more simple for people to use and more appealing for people.

The other items we looked at were the potential impact on other departments. I'll leave that for you to read at another time. But we'll need a recommended spokesperson and our recommendation is the Committee Chair and ABC members when asked questions that you folks would be the folks that could take questions on those.

The timing on this, as you know the ads are out already for Spring, and we're recommending getting all this in place for Fall. We feel it's very important if we're moving forward on this because over the years our recruitment efforts have changed back and forth depending on what were the perceived priorities of the time.

So we're recommending that this be a longer term and that we put an evaluation factor on there so that, for instance, before we start we get a survey question and an omnibus survey to determine a baseline awareness level so that when we go back and measure again, we know how effective we're being. We can measure by the hits on the Web site and also measure by calculating the number of applications we receive, requests for more information and media coverage.

These are our recommendations. When we have your approval or your changes and we firm something up, then we'll go away and we'll look at attaching some numbers and figures to these recommendations to see what the costs would be, but we're very comfortable in this recommendation that all of this can be done at a cost that is affordable.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Mr. Porter.

MR. CHUCK PORTER: Thank you very much for the presentation and certainly a lot of information. I like everything you've just went through, I like it all. It's different. It's I think what I was certainly looking for, and I'll only speak for me, but I think the committee as well. There's some really good stuff in here and it is tackling everybody, no question. I think the only thing that I'm just wondering, when we look at the targeted audiences, you've basically listed everybody. I'm just thinking about the application process. So I'm reading something in the paper about ABCs, you know, we're sort of concentrating on professionals, community, et cetera, et cetera.

Do the words, you know, no experience required, come up there somewhere? Does that fit, although an asset - I mean, I know you certainly want professionals. You want people who have some educated abilities and so on, but I'm just curious if we're tackling all Nova Scotians, there are a lot of people that read it and go, oh, I probably don't qualify for that or something but, you know, I think that's really good and I was looking at some of your sample ideas, too. They're certainly much better than what I see in that big black and white line on the page of The ChronicleHerald. I really like that and, as I said, you just barely touched on the costs. You don't know what that will cost at this point in time or could you throw a dollar figure out that might be somewhere close?

MS. MURRAY: No. (Laughter)

MR. PORTER: No. I'm not surprised and I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I was just curious.

MS. MURRAY: No, but we do know what the current advertising costs are and we would work, because departments share that cost. So, of course, our recommendation would not be to go beyond what departments are now paying. Communications Nova Scotia will do the design. There are a number of things that we will just do in-house. This is a corporate priority.

MR. PORTER: That was the followup question I guess, where does this get incorporated and it's within?

MS. MURRAY: Oh, yes.

MR. PORTER: So the cost wouldn't be over and above?

MS. MURRAY: No.

MR. PORTER: It would just be associated with the everyday workload?

MS. MURRAY: We would look in the design of the brochure, a design that we could print in-house at our Queen's Printer, but we'll be looking to save costs in any way we can.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Ms. Massey.

MS. JOAN MASSEY: Well, certainly it's very comprehensive, it's very nicely done. I really like the part where you are going to evaluate it and that should be fairly simple because we do have the numbers of people who are applying. That is the discouraging part about all of this and some of those people are applying for five or six at one time. Even when you look at those numbers, they're even worse than what they appear on paper so I think that's a key part of it. If we don't check on really what's working and what isn't, then we've just developed something else that really isn't getting us anywhere. So I think that's so important and if you're keeping the costs, it sounds like they may be somewhere in a field where they're affordable.

There's a lot of really innovative things in there. I mean the Speaker's Bureau to present to communities, your cheerleader idea, and the newsletter. I like the application form, the reformatting of that to make it so that everybody uses the same form would be really good. There is certainly a lot of things in there that, I think, we've been dreaming about but not really grasping, knowing that something needed to be done and not really knowing how to do it. You really did us a great service, I think, by doing this and I'm glad you suggested it last time, didn't you?

MS. MURRAY: Yes.

MS. MASSEY: I give you credit for that, so thanks for doing that.

MR. CHAIRMAN: I'm sold too, as you already know, because I think this is a great approach you have taken on this and I really appreciate everybody coming in here today. I can see some pretty sick people at the end of the table here and we truly appreciate you coming in, considering how you feel. Hopefully, some of you guys are going to go home after this and rest. As far as I'm concerned, the committee is satisfied with the report and we can move it to the full committee at our next meeting on April 24^th, so we'll do that. Hopefully, everybody will be recuperated a little bit by then because I know the enthusiasm you have with this and it's hard to portray that when you are not feeling well. So hopefully you will feel better for our next meet.

So, as far as I'm concerned, I really liked the report. It is a multifaceted approach to this and it's measurable, which I think is important, so I think we should move forward.

Maybe you could move forward and get us some costing for the next meeting if that is possible. If you don't have enough time to do that, considering that everybody is ill, it would be fine too because you could have that to us later if that's a problem. If you could come up with some costing now and I think it is time that we take it to the whole committee and with their approval, move forward immediately.

MS. MASSEY: These are great too, I just think they're fabulous, I mean, what a difference, really.

MR. CHAIRMAN: We're impressed.

MS. MURRAY: They're a list of suggestions at this point, too.

MS. MASSEY: I think they're fabulous. I don't know how much time you put into designing those but I think those are just great, they are really eye catching.

MS. MURRAY: Our graphics design consultant, Rick Payne, who works in the advertising section of Communications Nova Scotia, is very committed to Brand and to his work. They are his designs with suggestions from Cathy, Steve and Terry. They do reflect the Brand element now, it is about our people and our . . .

MS. MASSEY: It's just having a face on your . . .

MR. PORTER: The black and white line, it's the sort of thing - you don't stop to look, you just turn the page. Very good, I agree.

MR. CHAIRMAN: It's very good. Again, thank you for the fantastic job you did on this and a special thank you for everybody coming in today when you're not feeling well. I know how hard that is to do myself, I've gone through that many times. So get rested up and I'm sure you'll be real enthusiastic when we come back and feeling better on the 24^th, let's hope everybody is all better by then. It hasn't deterred your work, I'll tell you that. This has been really, really good. So on the 24^th, probably around 10:30 a.m. we are scheduling it for, 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., so there's no need of sitting through the rest of the board part of our meeting until then.

MS. MURRAY: The 24^th at 10:30 a.m.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes. Thank you again. Maybe the committee could just stay behind.

[ The witnesses left the room. ]

What I wanted to talk about was that so many times you see the Civil Service do an outstanding job, like they've just done because as far as we were concerned, we were sort of off in no man's land, sort of where we've been for 20 years or so. I'd like to suggest that we send a letter that maybe all three of us sign, to the deputy minister of that department, outlining how pleased we are with the initial approach and that then pending approval by our whole committee. I think we should do that because these guys have really done an excellent job, as far as I can see, and I think it's time that they get recognition for that work.

MR. PORTER: They have, indeed.

MS. MASSEY: And partly on a voluntary basis, I think, you know where they sort of asked, you know, who wants to sort of do it. We'll see how the costs come out.

MR. PORTER: She talked about keeping it within current costs - if we can do that, we're still way ahead of some of those first proposals that we had, with regards to mail-outs and all those sorts of things. So I think it is a great job, I really like those and I agree with you, Joan.

MS. MASSEY: It's all the areas that we've been talking about.

MR. CHAIRMAN: A lot of the things they're suggesting aren't expensive things.

MR. PORTER: No, they're not.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Changing the website through Eastlink is free and the Speaker's bureau, that's free. A lot of the stuff is free - free of any real cost to the government. I think that's innovative as well, so I think that this is good. So we'll draft a letter up and I'll send it around for your approvals and . . .

MS. MASSEY: Well certainly, I mean if Miriam hadn't suggested at one of those other meetings that perhaps they could come back with a plan, we'd be sort of trying to find things.

MR. CHAIRMAN: And I really think it's important that we identify people that sort of go the extra mile. Oftentimes civil servants, especially provincial ones, get crapped on all the time and you get some really good people that we identify once in a while it's nice to hear about it from their supervisors.

MS. MASSEY: Well certainly you put their - I don't know how if you design your letter that you can put the names of who was here today that seemed to have taken the key role in it, but also it sounds like they had other people even helping them. Certainly we want to thank anybody that had any part in helping them design the plan.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes. What I'll do is I'll draft a letter and I'll send it around and you guys make any changes on it that you want, or additions, omissions, anything you want to do and we'll go from there. I just think it would be a good idea because I've seen so many times people put a really good effort in and don't get credit for it and I've got to give a little bit more enthusiasm to it. I don't think they need any more but . . .

[9:30 a.m.]

MS. MASSEY: Well they're so sick today that, you know the feeling.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Yes, it's pretty hard.

MS. MASSEY: That's why I didn't - I mean, I would have liked to have sort of go into it further but they're just feeling pretty bad so - we don't need the germs spread around, see if we can escape with our lives.

MR. CHAIRMAN: So I'll draft a letter up and send it off to you. I'll try to get the letter done today so we'll just e-mail it out and make any changes we want on it and we'll all three sign it and send it back.

MR. PORTER: Sounds good

MR. CHAIRMAN: Sounds good - anything you have to suggest, Gordon?

MR. GORDON HEBB: One thing I was just questioning about the brochure, which allows you to do something that the front of it is like this and it talks about this. The brochure could list all that. I don't know whether that's their intention or not.

MR. CHAIRMAN: It's got to be listed and I think . . .

MR. HEBB: The brochure could list all the different boards in it and a description of what they are. It could start off, you know, and then explain what she had here developed to explain the role but it also can - I mean if you have these brochures in your offices . . .

MR. PORTER: That's right.

MR. HEBB: . . . you could have a list of all the things but I don't know that they need to be listed in the newspaper.

MR. PORTER: No, I don't think so.

MR. HEBB: I can't imagine too many ever read that list . . .

MR. CHAIRMAN: Well you just see a big, long list and what does it mean, right?

MR. PORTER: Well most people - that's what I said, they're just turning the page. They're not reading that, unless it's something that's catching their eye.

MS. MASSEY: Unless it's something that you wanted . . .

MR. PORTER: Exactly, you know.

MS. MASSEY: It looks like a government thing, that turns you off immediately, as soon as you see it.

MR. CHAIRMAN: It's not appealing by any means.

MS. MASSEY: I mean the brochure thing, I mean that - I don't think they're talking about the brochure that we originally were thinking a brochure to send to all the houses that people could keep, which was very expensive. So I think it's more one of those little pop brochure that has three, you know quicky thing that . . .

MR. HEBB: That's what I'm assuming, oh yes. A Queen's Printer thing.

MS. MASSEY: We could have them in our bags and when we go to a community event, we can just haul one out and say, look. It says in here, they want us to promote it at any community thing we go to. I'm always doing that.

MR. PORTER: So am I.

MS. MASSEY: Especially if I'm in a room full of women, or if there is anybody from a minority group in the room.

MR. CHAIRMAN: That's my riding all the time.

MS. MASSEY: They always put a dig in at the very end for ABCs.

MR. PORTER: There have been very few people who I have spoken to who had a clue what I was talking about. It just tells you how many people, and a lot of these people get the paper every day, too. What are you talking about? So, again, that brochure idea would be great. Oh, here, have a look in this. If it's something you are interested in, give me a call.

MR. HEBB: If I didn't come to these meetings, I wouldn't have a clue about it.

MR. PORTER: I know. The stuff that we're - it's phenomenal.

MR. CHAIRMAN: I've had another thing, too. I talked to people about it and they say, okay, well how do we fill the application out. So they come into our office and we help them fill the application out. So even that is cumbersome, right, and it should be really easy.

MR. PORTER: It used to be one page or very simple, the basics. Even if it's two sided.

MR. CHAIRMAN: And the résumé, too, is a problem . . .

MS. MASSEY: They do give you some sort of directions in how to write your letter. I can't remember if it was written directions or verbally because I applied for one, way years ago, I think before I was on the school board, and got the letter back saying, we have received it and you won't get any further contact unless you are a successful candidate, which I never did. But I can remember some - they were helpful on the phone, whoever it was that I ended up talking to, for sure.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Well, if they had the brochure and even if they had . . .

MS. MASSEY: An example?

MR. CHAIRMAN: No, the application and the résumé because a résumé, really, the only thing I think they are looking for, and that's just my opinion, is just what their experience is. Like if someone is a land surveyor, graduated in this year with this certificate and worked here and here and been on these boards and that's about it. You are not applying for a job.

MS. MASSEY: Some of the résumés we get, I mean they are five pages long. You're not the scientist - I think they are looking more for community-based, community-minded people.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Who have some expertise in the area.

MS. MASSEY: We should be pushing that part of it. That's what you are saying, Chuck. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to be on an ABC.

MR. PORTER: I'm saying a one-page résumé. I know when I used to hire people, you would get this. You never read that. You read the cover letter. You can tell in a cover letter where they have been, what they are doing. Then you flip, you look at a few references, yes or no. It's very easy.

MS. MASSEY: You don't need, you know, I worked here and everything you did while you were there.

MR. PORTER: And you turn people off by that, too.

MS. MASSEY: I just think some of it is way over the top, what we are getting in here.

MR. PORTER: It is.

MS. MASSEY: We just don't need that kind of information. That's what Nova Scotians are saying is, . . .

MR. PORTER: It's too complicated.

MS. MASSEY: Government doesn't listen to us, the people. Right, that's what people - they say, oh, it's just a certain level of people who are listened to and that's what we are trying to defunk. We are trying to say no, this is what we are trying to do.

MR. PORTER: This is a very good way of saying it, too. This is a very good beginning as far as working down that road. Yes, I think when we are looking at that, it needs to be very simple. Even if it's one page turned over and two-sided. I mean, very simple - the more you can check off or fill in. There are people who are hesitant. When you say I need a résumé and a cover letter. I haven't got for that.

MS. MASSEY: Well, they haven't written a résumé. There are lots of people in Nova Scotia who have never written a résumé in their lives.

MR. PORTER: They have never done it, exactly. Lots. Never. And they don't know how and they don't know where to begin.

MS. MASSEY: They get a job right out of high school and they stayed there and moved around.

MR. CHAIRMAN: I haven't written a résumé myself in over 30 years.

MS. MASSEY: I would have to go online and look at what is in style now.

MR. PORTER: That's right, absolutely.

MS. MASSEY: Let's hope we don't have to be writing any résumés soon. (Laughter)

MR. CHAIRMAN: I'm not going to be.

MR. PORTER: Nor am I.

MS. MASSEY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the meeting.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for coming. I thank our secretary, here. I think we have gone downhill in the appearance area.

[The committee adjourned at 9:36 a.m.]