Program Manager, Evaluation & Accountability

About Us

The Department of Emergency Management is responsible for leading disaster and emergency planning, preparedness, response and recovery activities on behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia.  The objective of the Department is to ensure that Nova Scotians are safe, prepared and resilient in the face of disasters and emergencies. The Department leads the coordination and co-operation of partners and resources during provincial-level critical incidents, supports municipal and other partners in regional-level and local events, administers the province’s 911 service, maintains critical communications infrastructure and supports operations of our regional emergency management centres.  The Department also works to ensure critical government services continue to function during and after critical events. 

The Regional Operations and Infrastructure Branch enhances the safety and resilience of our Province by:

• Establishing and maintaining Regional Emergency Operations Centres (REOCs) in 6 regions in Nova Scotia.  The REOCs provide leadership in building regional emergency operations networks; ensuring collaborative efforts around emergency planning, training and exercising and developing regional plans for equipment and stores to support emergency response
• Coordinating response to regional emergencies
• Strengthening local and regional emergency preparedness through outreach and education to Nova Scotians at community events, schools, organizations, and through information sessions
• Setting standards in the provincial emergency management program for training and exercising
• Fostering strong collaboration, communication, and emergency management planning with regional partners, including the development and coordination of regional Nova Scotia Guard networks
• Providing information to the Provincial Coordination Centre and the 24/7 Watch Desk staff to ensure real-time situational awareness, coordination, and support during emergencies and actioning critical information received from the Provincial Coordination Centre in the regions
  
  

About Our Opportunity

The Program Manager, Evaluation and Accountability develops, administers, and maintains evaluation, accountability, and performance-measurement frameworks for departmental training, exercising, learning, and preparedness programs.

In this role, you establish program standards, reporting requirements, performance indicators, evaluation methods, accountability tools, and evidence-based measures. Your work helps assess program effectiveness, relevance, accessibility, outcomes, and impact. You also provide advice and recommendations to senior leadership on program direction, policy development, reporting, governance, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement.

Primary Accountabilities

As the Program Manager, Evaluation and Accountability, you:

• Develop, administer, and maintain evaluation, accountability, and performance-measurement frameworks for training, exercising, learning, and preparedness programs.
• Establish program standards, reporting requirements, performance indicators, evaluation methods, accountability tools, and evidence-based measures.
• Assess program effectiveness, relevance, accessibility, outcomes, impact, risks, gaps, and compliance considerations.
• Conduct post-delivery evaluations, preparedness reviews, after-action reviews, and lessons-learned processes.
• Assess program objectives, document findings, identify improvements, and support organizational learning.
• Analyze evaluation findings, participation data, completion records, delivery history, learning-management-system reports, feedback, and performance results.
• Use evidence to inform program decisions, reporting products, governance processes, and future planning.
• Identify capability gaps, emerging issues, systemic factors, risks, compliance concerns, and accountability considerations that affect emergency-management readiness outcomes.
• Provide advice and recommendations to senior leadership on program direction, policy development, reporting, governance, performance improvement, risk mitigation, and continuous-improvement priorities.
• Track corrective measures, improvement actions, assigned responsibilities, and implementation progress.
• Monitor delivery quality, adherence to approved curriculum, use of established training and exercising standards, and implementation of evaluation requirements.
• Support consistent, effective, and accountable program delivery across DEM programs.
• Identify and report system-level, incident-related, and individual learning or performance issues that may affect preparedness, response capacity, program effectiveness, governance, or organizational accountability.
  
  

Qualifications and Experience

To be successful in this role, you have demonstrated experience in program evaluation, program management, policy, or a related area. Your experience includes developing or applying evaluation frameworks, performance indicators, reporting requirements, standards, and evidence-based measures.

You also have experience:

• Analysing qualitative and quantitative information from multiple sources to identify trends, risks, gaps, outcomes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluating programs, services, training, exercises, preparedness activities, or other organizational initiatives.
• Preparing clear reports, recommendations, briefing materials, or decision-support products for senior leaders.
• Managing competing priorities and delivering work within established timelines.
• Building effective working relationships with internal and external partners.

The following would be considered assets:

• Experience in emergency management, preparedness, organizational readiness, or business continuity.
• Experience evaluating training, learning, or exercise programs.
• Experience using learning-management-system information, participation records, completion data, feedback, or other program data for analysis and reporting.
• Experience working in a government, public-sector, or other complex multi-stakeholder environment.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

We recognize equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience, providing opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute their skills and expertise. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application. 

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. Most work is completed in an office or classroom environment and involves extended periods of concentration, computer use, meetings, planning, writing, and reviewing detailed materials.

The work includes facilitating or supporting training, workshops, planning sessions, and exercises in different settings. These activities may require standing for periods of time, transporting or arranging learning materials, and working in spaces with varying noise levels.

You must be able to travel periodically within Nova Scotia and, on occasion, outside the province. Travel may involve locations not readily served by public transport and may occasionally affect regular working hours.

Additional Information

The worksite location is flexible and may be located in any of the Emergency Management offices. Your worksite location will be determined at the offer negotiation stage. 

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths