June 10, 2005
NPC's bosses reply
to their critics
The following is the
unedited text of a press release issued June 7 by Bob Lyall, chair of the Nunavut
Planning Commission:
An independent operational
review of the Nunavut Planning Commission, initiated in May of this year to
assess the ongoing management of the Commission, will supplement the annual
financial audit as an important tool in ensuring accountability, efficiency
and effectiveness in the Commission's operations, according to Bob Lyall, Commission
Chairperson.
Stated Lyall, "I felt
it was important to ensure that Commission bylaws and administrative procedures
were being met by all Board members and staff by undertaking an additional independent
management review of our organization."
He added, "As well,
in recent weeks there have been some unsubstantiated allegations about the actions
of some of our staff. A thorough review of these allegations will be incorporated
into the independent management consultants report, as it is essential that
any allegations, unsubstantiated or otherwise, be addressed quickly by the Commission
and the independent review provides the opportunity to do so."
The review is being conducted
by Aarluk-Consilium Consulting and will address both the ongoing management
of the Commission and now the specific concerns and allegations that have been
raised by several Board members.
As well, the consultant
will have the mandate to do a thorough review of any concerns that might be
identified through their process. At the same time the consultant will complete
the work that was not finished by the Ad-Hoc Board Committee regarding a review
of the Commission's bylaws, including the Board Chair's job description and
salary.
This review will be completed
by mid-August and the consultants will then report back on their findings and
any recommendations to the full Board of the Commission. The cost of this review
is estimated at $49,000.
Said Lyall, "I have
authorized this expenditure as I feel it is important to maintain the credibility
and accountability of the Commission by having an independent review of the
concerns that have been raised."
At the same time the Commission's
annual financial audit is now underway and expected to be completed by the end
of June. The results of the audit will also be brought forward to the full Board
for consideration, along with the results of the management review. The management
review will consider the management implications of any audit recommendations.
"I am confident that
this year's financial audit will show, as has been the case in the past, that
the Commission's finances and financial procedures are in good order,"
said Lyall.
He concluded, "As
Chair of the Commission over the past 12 years I put the highest priority on
ensuring accountability and openness in the operation of this organization.
It is unfortunate that the good reputation of the Commission and some of its
staff have been put at risk through unsubstantiated public allegations, without
a proper review, even though there are appropriate processes in place to review
and address such concerns."
"It will now be important
to allow the financial audit and the management review to be completed in the
next few months and to address their findings through the appropriate processes
as a full Commission Board at formally scheduled Board meetings," he added.
The next meeting of the
Commission Board will be scheduled in the near future to enable consideration
of the results of the financial audit and management review.
The Nunavut Planning Commission
has responsibility for testing for conformity all proposals for land use in
regions with government-approved land use plans. The Commission has 14 staff,
with six in Cambridge Bay, four in Arviat, and one each in Pond Inlet, Taloyoak,
Yellowknife and Ottawa.
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