Recruitment posting
Irrigation Council
Competition #: 295
Ministry : Agriculture and Forestry
Opening Date : 2016/10/28
closing Date : 2016/12/02
Role : Member
It is recognized in Alberta as a fundamental principle and as a matter of public policy that all persons are equal. Diversity and inclusion are valued and supported on the boards of Alberta's public agencies.
The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving as members of the Irrigation Council. There are up to 6 member positions available.
The Council’s mandate is to:
- make recommendations to the Minister on issues related to maintaining a strong, efficient and sustainable irrigation industry and act as an appeal body in accordance with the Irrigation Districts Act;
- establish policies and procedures for the administration of the Irrigation Rehabilitation Program, to ensure accountability for the public’s ongoing investment of funding to rehabilitate irrigation district infrastructure;
- make recommendations to the Minister on issues related to rural water development in support of economic and rural viability within areas that can be served by irrigation districts; and
- provide policy recommendations to the Minister pertaining to water allocated to irrigation districts with respect to economic and rural development, municipal demands and the protection of the environment.
The Council’s role is to:
- monitor the operation and financial performance of the 13 Irrigation Districts;
- conduct hearings when required to do so under Part 4 of the Irrigation Districts Act (Irrigation Districts Formation, Dissolution, Amalgamation and Change of Area);
- hear applications under Section 38(2 or 3) of the Irrigation Districts Act, which deals with demand for resignation of a board member;
- hear the appeal of any matter appealed to the Council under Part 8 of the Irrigation Districts Act; and,
- grant approval to irrigation districts before an expenditure of money is made under a cost-sharing agreement between a district and the Government of Alberta.
Members are appointed for 3-year terms and are eligible for reappointment.
A combination of the following skills would be assets but are not requirements:
Personal Effectiveness Skills
- Leadership/Teamwork.
- Consensus Building.
- Communication/Relationship – able to communicate effectively and build relationships with Council members and industry stakeholders.
- Strategic Thinking – able to strategically assess opportunities and challenges facing the irrigation industry.
- Critical Thinking/Decision Making – able to creatively assess situations and generate novel or innovative solutions.
- Ethics and Personal Values – high standard of personal values (e.g. good judgment, strong integrity and fairness) that align with the Irrigation Council’s Code of Conduct.
- Knowledge of Agriculture and Rural Development Issues – irrigated agriculture in Alberta and its importance in economic, social and environmental aspects of rural development.
- Irrigation Industry and Irrigation Districts operations – irrigation industry in Alberta and the operations of Irrigation Districts. Familiarity with the construction and rehabilitation aspects of irrigation district infrastructure is desirable.
Governance Experience
- Professional or volunteer experience or knowledge related to board governance and processes. Board governance training and administrative justice training are desirable, but not required.
Business/Management Experience
- Experience working on and leading committees, and experience in policy and procedure development is desirable.
- Accounting/Financial experience – understanding of financial statements is desirable, but is not required.
All Members are paid an honoraria as prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council in Order in Council 466/2007, Schedule 1, Part B, effective April 1, 2009.
For time spent on the business of the Council, a member appointed to the Council shall be paid
- $115 for up to and including four hours in any day, or
- $191 for over four hours and up to and including eight hours in any day, or
- $306 for over eight hours in any day
Honoraria rates are subject to review.
Approximately 6 one-day Council meetings are held per year in Lethbridge.
As the Appeal body under the Irrigation Districts Act, Council member panels conduct appeal hearings as required.
There are approximately 3 days of tours/meetings annually with the irrigation districts in rural southern Alberta.
Throughout the year various workshops, conference and annual general meetings may require Council’s attendance.
Jennifer Nitschelm
Director, Irrigation Secretariat
Phone: 403-381-5176
jennifer.nitschelm@gov.ab.ca
Room #328, Provincial Building
200 – 5 Avenue South
Lethbridge, AB T1J 4L1
Carefully read the Recruitment Posting and the Position Profile to ensure this is an appropriate opportunity for you. Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements.
Online applications are preferred. To apply, click on the 'apply' button, create or sign into your account in the ePAAS system; upload your resume, view the listing under Current Opportunities and click on 'submit application'. The uploaded resume will be automatically attached.
Provide a short (maximum 200 words) biography using the Biography template found under additional documents section. Your biography should contain general information about your education, experience, community involvement, skills, etc. Please note that biographies may be edited for length and clarity.
Once your biography and other required form(s) are completed, save it to your PC. When you hit 'submit application', you will be prompted to upload additional documents. Drag and drop (or upload) your completed cover letter, biography and other form(s) into the 'Drop files below or click to upload' section before clicking the 'apply' button.
If you are unable to apply online, please submit a cover letter and resume, quoting the recruitment posting competition number, to the contact provided on the posting. We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to assess which candidates' qualifications most closely match the agency's requirements. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted to advance to the next step in the appointment process. You can check the status of each competition on-line at https://www.alberta.ca/public-agencies.cfm.
All potential candidates will be screened for potential conflicts of interest. Please Note: Successful applicants will have the following information about them made publicly available on the Public Agency Secretariat Website: name, biography, public agency, and position title.