MEA Planning
The government is responsible to the public for the decisions it makes and the programs and services offered. The Minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) is ultimately responsible for the education system of the Northwest Territories and directs the work of the Department. The need for ECE to plan and set goals for programs and services, and the funding behind them, is extremely important. It is crucial to have regular monitoring on how the programs and services are doing. In this way, adjustments and improvements can be made along the way. These programs and services have to be evaluated to see if the goals are being met. Those results then need to be shared with the public and different interest groups. The process of planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting are the elements of a strong accountability structure.
In this area, detailed accountability plans are being developed for each project and pilot program coming out of the Education Renewal work. This will ensure that planning is thorough and that progress is being closely followed. The plans call for a more detailed formal evaluation of each project every three years. Some of the accountability plans, for pilots currently in schools, are already being used. There is also a larger overall accountability plan for the entire JK-12 education system being developed; it will begin to roll out in the 2016-17 school year.
To see the recommendations from the Report of the Office of the Auditor General, click here.