The Government of Alberta will use a transparent, non-partisan and competence-based processes for the recruitment and appointment of directors to agencies. Within this competence-based approach, effort will be made to encourage diversity among the individuals who submit their names for consideration.

Discussion

Making sure the best people are appointed to serve as agency directors is critical to good governance. Ensuring that transparent, competence-based recruitment and appointment processes are in place will help agencies meet their mandates and increase public confidence in agencies.

Successful recruitment and appointment require a balance between the knowledge, expertise and requirements of the agency, and the responsibilities and needs of the minister. Best practice indicates it is important for agencies to develop competence matrices and to identify skill requirements for the board. Any existing gaps or special requirements must be communicated to the minister. In some cases, the agency may also produce a short list of candidates that meet these competences for the minister’s consideration.

In some cases, circumstances may exist whereby some or all of the processes outlined in this framework may be modified or omitted with regard to the identification and recommendation of individuals representing the non-public member positions. This will be set out in individual legislation or approved by the responsible minister at the beginning of the appointment process.

The choice of who participates in the processes, and in what role, will vary from agency to agency. In some instances, the processes will be largely carried out by the agency. In others, the government will play a larger role. The mandate and roles document should lay out the parameters of the processes, which should also be publicly available.

The following documents outline the Public Agencies Governance Framework’s principles and key elements for recruitment and appointment. In rare cases, circumstances may exist where some of the processes outlined in the framework may be modified or omitted. This will be set out in the agency’s enabling legislation or regulations, or approved by the minister at the beginning of the recruitment and appointment process.

Download: Agency Recruitment and Appointment Principles (pdf, opens in a new window)

Download: Key Elements in Agency Recruitment and Appointment (pdf, opens in a new window)

Representative boards

Some of Alberta’s public agencies are governed by ‘representative’ boards where a certain number of director positions are legislatively allocated to specific stakeholder groups. Often, the selection of these individuals is assigned by the government to the stakeholder group. Once the stakeholder has nominated a director, the individual is generally appointed to the role by an Order in Council or Ministerial Order.

When vacancies of this nature arise, representative groups should be encouraged to consider the skills needed on the board, as described in the agency’s competency matrix, in their nominations. It is imperative that all representative members of boards understand their fiduciary obligation to work in the best interest of the agency.

Pre-appointment conflict screening

Prior to being appointed to an agency, potential directors must be screened for real or potential conflicts of interest. Before being appointed, individuals must review and agree to abide by the agency’s code of conduct.

During the screening process, it is critical to identify every potential or actual conflict of interest to determine if any conflict can be adequately managed. Where directors are appointed with manageable conflicts, the board should be made aware to make informed decisions about the mitigation strategies. Where it is determined that a conflict cannot be mitigated to an acceptable level to the board or minister, the appointment should not proceed.

Download: Identifying and Managing Conflicts of Interest (pdf, opens in a new window)

Competency Matrix

Each agency should have a competency profile or matrix that outlines the skills, experience and knowledge their directors require as a collective, and which identifies how each individual contributes to meeting these needs. When vacancies arise, these matrices will allow for easy identification of the competencies required of the new recruit. The profile or matrix should be developed by the agency’s governing body and endorsed by the minister.

Download: Sample compentence matrix generic agency (pdf, opens in a new window)

Download: Sample competence matrix generic agency version 2 (pdf, opens in a new window)

Download: Sample competence matrix social service agency (pdf, opens in a new window)

Note: Sample documents have been developed by the Agency Governance Secretariat for informational purposes only and are not Government of Alberta standard or required documents or templates. Agencies are encouraged to utilize and adapt the information contained in the sample documents to meet their needs.