0100a - Competition Guidelines

The Indigenous Employment Policy is intended to provide Indigenous persons with equitable opportunity for employment and career advancement by prioritizing Indigenous persons in hiring and career advancement at all levels of the public service of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT).
These guidelines set out how the Indigenous Employment Policy will be applied in public service staffing competitions.

A Competition involves broad scope recruitment that seeks to hire a qualified and suitable candidate on a term or indeterminate basis.
Department is any Department or Agency of the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) whose employees are public servants under the Public Service Act.
Deputy Head is any deputy minister of a department, superintendent of a divisional education council, chief executive officer or president of an authority or agency, or any such person as may be appointed as a deputy head.
Indigenous has the meaning assigned by the definition of aboriginal peoples of Canada in subsection 35(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Hiring Manager generally refers to the Supervisor of the position being filled.
Human Resources Representative means those employees of the Department of Finance designated to co-ordinate the recruitment process.
Public service – means the public service of the Government of the Northwest Territories as defined in the Public Service Act.

The selection of persons for appointment to positions in the public service shall be based on merit with a view to maintaining a workforce staffed by able, competent employees.
The Indigenous Employment Policy reflects the GNWT’s commitment to prioritizing the hiring and career advancement of Indigenous persons in the public service.
Priority in staffing competitions shall be granted under the Indigenous Employment Policy as follows:

Competition Process

As outlined in the Indigenous Employment Policy, preference in hiring into the public service will be afforded to individuals who are Indigenous, with priority among this group afforded to Indigenous persons who are recognized members and descendent of a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit people indigenous to the present boundaries of the Northwest Territories, and second priority afforded to individuals who are recognized members and descendent of a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit people indigenous to areas of Canada outside of the present boundaries of the NWT, over all other candidates.
It is the responsibility of individuals who wish to receive priority consideration under the policy to advise of their eligibility and to provide supporting documentation as directed to verify their eligibility for priority hiring under the policy.
a) Applicants should identify their eligibility for priority at the time of application but must do so prior to a verbal job offer being made to another candidate in order to be afforded priority staffing preference in the competition.
b) Once a verbal offer has been made to another candidate, unsuccessful candidates who have not identified their eligibility for priority under the policy may not have the right to appeal the hiring decision.
The Indigenous Employment Policy will guide selection committee or hiring committee members in determining which candidates will be given further consideration at each stage of the staffing process.

Verification of Status

Individuals who have identified their eligibility for priority under the Indigenous Employment Policy may have their indigeneity verified by a human resources representative at any time in a competition. Successful candidates who are granted priority under the Indigenous Employment Policy will be required to have their eligibility for priority verified prior to being provided a written offer.
To verify eligibility, the individual must provide for review by a human resources representative documentation that sets out the individual’s Indigenous status. Documentation may include a candidate’s treaty card, Métis card, beneficiary cards, or other official documents.
Submitted documents will be assessed for verification purposes by a human resources representative. Further information may be sought from the candidate or other sources (e.g., the First Nation the candidate claims membership in) to assess and verify eligibility for priority under the policy.
A human resources representative may verify or seek clarification about documentation submitted by an applicant as proof of eligibility for priority hiring under the Indigenous Employment Policy without contacting all other applicants.

Accountability and Transparency

Departments and agencies will include accounting and measurables related to application of the Indigenous Employment Policy as directed by policy operating procedures and as otherwise required by Department Indigenous Employment Plan reporting.
Hiring managers must obtain prior approval from the deputy head of their department when extending verbal offers to non-Indigenous applicants. Hiring manager requests for approval must be set out in writing and must include detailed rationale for the proposed decision, including setting out why any Indigenous applicants to the competition were screened out. Hiring manager requests must also include detailed description of steps taken to staff the position, including any efforts made to prioritize Indigenous hiring and career advancement.

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