The Province of
Nova Scotia’s goal is to select qualified men and women having
the highest personal and professional integrity to serve the public
on Nova Scotia’s approximately 225 agencies, boards and commissions
(ABCs).
There are two
ways appointments are made to agencies, boards or commissions. They
are:
- Order
in Council - Order in Council appointments require both the
Executive Council (Cabinet) and the Lieutenant Governor’s approval.
- Ministerial
- Ministerial appointments are made by the Minister responsible
for the legislation that establishes the agency, board or commission.
These appointments are forwarded to the Executive Council (Cabinet)
for information purposes.
Of the
approximately 225 ABCs, 33 are Adjudicative
boards. Adjudicative boards have quasi-judicial functions. These
ABCs take evidence, make findings of fact and law, and make decisions
affecting a person’s liberty, security or legal rights. Adjudicative
board members are required to apply legal principles as well as sound
professional and technical principles for the decisions under their
consideration.
Non-Adjudicative
boards are those ABCs which do not have quasi-judicial functions.
They are advisory bodies by nature, established by statute, regulation
or policy. These ABCs make financial, regulatory, business or policy
recommendations / decisions that have far reaching implications for
Nova Scotians. Nova Scotia currently has 190 non-Adjudicative ABCs.
Advertisements
To fill
vacancies on both Adjudicative and non-Adjudicative boards, a bulk
ad is placed in provincial newspapers two times per year (April &
October).
To view
latest advertisements, click here.
Applications
Applications
are received by the Executive Council Office and then forwarded to
the department assigned responsibility for the ABC. An up-to-date
database of applications and appointments is kept at the Executive
Council Office.
See
How to Apply.
Screening/Selection
Process
Screening
of applications takes place in each department. The screening/selection
process is different for Adjudicative and non-Adjudicative ABCs.
Screening
Process for Adjudicative Boards
Departmental
Advisory Committees on Adjudicative
ABCs provide a mechanism to determine qualified candidates for appointment
to Adjudicative ABCs. Appointments are governed by the overriding
principle of selection based on merit - an objective assessment of
the fit between the skills and qualifications of the prospective candidate
and the needs of the agency. The Advisory Committees are comprised
of a government human resources professional, two civil servants and
two volunteer lay members. The lay member appointments are for a term
of two years. Vacancies for the lay member positions are advertised
in the provincial newspapers as vacancies occur. The Advisory Committees
meet as often as required to review applications and recommend qualified
candidates for appointment.
Advisory
Committees screen the applications received and recommend a short
list of a maximum of 3 qualified candidates for each position from
which the Minister chooses a candidate to recommend for appointment.
See Terms
of Reference for Advisory Committees
Screening
Process for Non-Adjudicative Boards
Departmental
Screening Panels provide a mechanism to determine qualified candidates
for appointment to non-adjudicative ABCs in an effort to assist ministers
in the selection of candidates to fill vacancies on ABCs. Screening
panel members include both departmental staff and lay members and
are selected by ministers on the basis of experience in the area of
concern of the department, having regard to expertise, regional representation,
gender, racial and other affirmative action considerations.
Screening
panels screen for qualifications only and do not rank candidates relative
to each other.
Approval
Process
Once
the screening and selection of applicants is complete, the recommendation
is submitted to the Executive Council for approval.
Adjudicative
Ministerial appointments are complete after Executive Council approval;
Adjudicative Order in Council appointments are complete after
Executive Council approval and upon signature of the Lieutenant
Governor.
Most
non-Adjudicative board appointments are sent to the all-party Standing
Committee of the Legislature, the Human
Resources Committee, for approval after they are approved by Executive
Council.
Notification
Only successful
applicants are notified in writing.
Types
of Boards and Criteria for Application (Position Profiles)
Adjudicative Agencies, Boards and Commissions
Volunteer Lay Members - Advisory Committees on Adjudicative Agencies, Boards and
Commissions
Non-Adjudicative Agencies, Boards and Commissions
