Senior Issues Coordinator, Deputy Minister's Office, Ministry of Long-term Care
Public Administration, Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) 2013

Tell prospective students a bit about the work you do?

My role as a Senior Issues Coordinator in the Deputy Minister's Office is to coordinate a strategic information management system framework for dealing with contentious and politically sensitive issues within the Ministry.

Though it sounds complicated, it typically involves coordinating information gathering, monitoring and forecasting issues by assessing media activity and by consulting with policy and program staff on issues, and preparing issues notes and House Book Notes. To do so, I work with my Ministry colleagues in communications, operations, policy, fiscal and legal branches to identify problems the Deputy and Minister's Office should be aware of, and address them before they cause any damage.

A big part of the role is also building relationships with the Minister's Office staff. The dynamic between political and public service priorities is always interesting. I see how public servants direct a Ministry's strategic direction in a way that achieves its political mandate while working with stakeholders in the sector in an evidence-based manner.

Tell prospective students a bit about how your studies at York helped you to get where you are today.

Graduating with my Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) degree from the School of Public Policy and Administration taught me many things that are critical to my role. For example, familiarity with political and government decision-making, policy development processes, research and analytical techniques, the ability to identify and review issues within the context of the political environment and the government's policy direction and priorities. None of what I do would be possible without the education and training I obtained at York.