Official Word (Updated)

I received a letter from StudentAid BC on March 17 (dated March 10 2009) that followed up on the phone call I received on March 10, officially advising me that the Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship Program had been terminated. The letter was signed by Victoria Thibeau, Executive Director of StudentAid BC and reads in part as follows:

The Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship program is facing a change in direction. A decision has been made to suspend the program for a year. In light of the economic challenges that the province is facing, the program will be under review to ensure the investment the province is making is generating the expected results.

This raises a number of questions, which I will ask the division by telephone when they return my call:

• “a change in direction” implies the program still exists. Does it? Do the other components of the program (Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships for Public Servants, Scholarships for Children of Public Servants) still exist?
• “A decision has been made” raises the question of whether this was a Ministerial decision, or divisional. Ultimately, the Minister is responsible for the decision, but the answer should identify some of the rationale for the decision.
• What were the performance measures (“expected results”) for the program that are now being used to measure program success?
• Would the program review be taking place even if the “economic challenges that the Province is facing” did not exist?
• How much was the StudentAid BC budget increased in the 2009/2010 Budget?
• How much did the fellowship program cost in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
• How many fellowships were awarded in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
• Were members of the 2007/2008 class placed in career positions in the BC public service? Are 2008/2009 awardees going to be placed?
• Were the costs of career placement and their ongoing salary costs paid by the StudentAid BC program, or by the departments in which the fellows were placed?

I may have more questions, but that’s a start.

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Follow-up:

I received an emailed response to these questions on April 4 from Kim Henderson, Head, Workforce Planning and Leadership Secretariat. Matching up the above questions to the responses:

• “a change in direction” implies the program still exists. Does it? Do the other components of the program (Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships for Public Servants, Scholarships for Children of Public Servants) still exist?

We do expect that the program will resume.

• “A decision has been made” raises the question of whether this was a Ministerial decision, or divisional. Ultimately, the Minister is responsible for the decision, but the answer should identify some of the rationale for the decision.

The decision to review the program was made by the Deputy Ministers’ Committee on the Public Service which oversees the strategic direction on the public service initiative.  The decision was a result of feedback provided by all of our partner institutions that indicated there were a number of improvements that should be made to the program and that to date all of the scholarships available had not been awarded. In light of this feedback the committee opted to suspend new intake into the program while we reviewed how best to deliver the program to meet the desired goals.

• What were the performance measures (“expected results”) for the program that are now being used to measure program success?

the program has been suspended for a period of time as we review how best to attract students into the program and ensure the program benefits have the desired outcomes for both the students and for the government.

The goal of the fellowship program is to attract top-quality graduate students to careers in the BC Public Service while also supporting research that is of value to the provincial government. The calibre of applicants, their research and subsequent performance as employees of the BC Public Service are all factors that will define the success of the program.

• Would the program review be taking place even if the “economic challenges that the Province is facing” did not exist?

This reflects the obligation of the government to ensure all programs are being delivered as effectively as possible, which is all the more important during challenging economic and fiscal times.

• How much was the StudentAid BC budget increased in the 2009/2010 Budget?

StudentAid BC administers the fellowship program on behalf of the BC Public Service. The StudentAid BC budget has no direct impact on the program.

• How much did the fellowship program cost in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?

The cost of the program in 2007 was $342,221 and in 2008 was $434,908.

n.b.: the program cost per fellowship was @$22,814 in 2007 and @$43,491 in 2008.

• How many fellowships were awarded in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?

While 40 scholarships had been available, there were 15 fellowships awarded in 2007/08 and 10 in 2008/09 based on an evaluation of the applications submitted and their suitability for the program.

• Were members of the 2007/2008 class placed in career positions in the BC public service? Are 2008/2009 awardees going to be placed?

Some participants in the fellowship program have already been placed in positions and all current participants in the program will continue as planned. The review only effects the intake originally scheduled for 2009. Funding for the fellowship program comes from a corporate fund contributed to by all government ministries.

• Were the costs of career placement and their ongoing salary costs paid by the StudentAid BC program, or by the departments in which the fellows were placed?

This fund (see above) provides for the scholarship amounts; once students are placed into positions their salaries are paid for by the sponsoring ministry.

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