R E S U M E

Ray LaFleur
12232 - 37 St. N. W.
Edmonton, Alberta
T5W 2C7

Residence: (403) 471 - 4784
Business: (403) 474 - 4236
Cell: (403) 907 - 4810

HIGHLIGHTS

• Over 28 years' experience as project director and planner for major projects in public policy development and evaluation,  including  their public/stakeholder involvement components
• Extensive work with government, public and professional groups to secure agreement on solutions, and undertake joint action
• Development and administration of programs and operating units in a health agency, four government departments and a professional association
• Consultant to agencies, associations and government bodies on planning, conducting and commissioning evaluations

SPECIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Developed and managed policy, business plan and operations of a new agency, the Provincial Health Council of Alberta, employing the talents of a small staff and private consultants to work closely with a hands-on Council and its Health Professionals Expert Panel to involve interest groups and the public in evaluating the performance of the health system and recommending action to government and stakeholders through Council reports to the Legislative Assembly
• Worked directly with Ministers, MLAs and/or executive managers in Alberta departments of Education, Social Services and Health to design and use public involvement processes and stakeholder-involved evaluations for developing new programs and amending policy and legislation, including: the Ministerial Committees on student achievement,  school finance, and Aboriginal education; Dependent Adults Act/Public Guardian Program, vocational rehabilitation of handicapped adults; MLA-chaired Family and Community Support Services Review Panel (Health member), Rural Physicians Action Plan, Suicide Prevention Program, Mental Health Community Services Program, and policy and new programs in response to the Premier's Commission on Future Health Care for Albertans
• Designed and conducted workshops on evaluation and operations review for health and social services departments and agencies
• Successfully managed public communications and contacts with professional and other interest groups to secure continuing involvement of stakeholders in evaluations in education, social services, and health, including use of panels to interpret results of studies; also managed communications with professional groups and public on general issues in education
• Developed and managed the Health Services Research and Innovation Fund to encourage community based research projects, including injury prevention and health promotion
• Developed high level business plans and operating division and branch plans in education, social and health sectors; undertook extensive reorganization initiatives for Alberta Education and Alberta Health, including using staff focus groups to develop organizational alternatives

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Effective August 21, 1998, President of ComDev Consulting, a community development-based consulting practice in the health, education and human services areas, with an interest in the interplay of these areas with economic development.  Current projects:
 

• Alberta Cancer Board  -- Research Policies, Priorities, and Selection Procedures (in association with Woodhead-Lyons Consulting Ltd.)
• Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research -- Contracted Programs Review
• Alberta Community Development -- Evaluation of Protection of Persons in Care Act (in association with RPM Planning Ltd.)
• Alberta Health -- Tripartite Agreement Local Projects Evaluation (in association with RPM Planning Ltd.
• Provincial Health Council of Alberta -- continue to support Council as Executive Director, up to 50% time to December 31, 1998

Collaboratively designed and managed Council's and Health Professionals Expert Panel's multi-pronged evaluation and public consultations agenda; recruited and supervised contractors; managed funding and general operations of Council

Director, Project Development, Alberta Health, 1995 - 1996

Designed comprehensive approach to drug programs review; coordinated departmental information management initiative, including relation of latter to creating a "learning organization"

Director, Program Evaluation Branch, Alberta Health, 1991 - 1995

At various points, the branch also included Health Services Research and Innovation Fund, Mental Health Research Unit, Library Services, Internal Audit and Operational Review. In addition to branch management conducted extensive work on Alberta Health reorganization and on department's first two business plans; designed, conducted, and/or chaired major reviews in mental health services

Director, Rainbow Report Assessment Project, Alberta Health, 1990 - 1991

For Cabinet Task Force of 12 Ministers, designed and managed public review process on Rainbow Report recommendations on future health care and developed Alberta Government's policy response, Partners in Health; also a member of the Review Panel chaired by MLA Don Tannas to evaluate the Family and community Support Services Program

Director, Program Evaluation Branch: Alberta Health, 1989 - 1990; Alberta Community & Occupational Health, 1986 - 1989; Alberta Social Services & Community Health, 1984 - 1986

Directed numerous projects during a period in which health and social services portfolios kept moving amongst departments.  Projects included: Provincial Suicide Prevention Program evaluation; management reviews in public health inspection and Family and Community Support Services; Health Unit Global Funding Initiative evaluation; Vocational Rehabilitation Services evaluation; Custody Mediation Program evaluation with Alberta Attorney General; also developed accountability frameworks and evaluation and operations review policies and handbooks, and developed and conducted evaluation workshops for departmental and funded agency use. While undertaking evaluation roles, in 1988-89 was Acting Associate Executive Director of the Management Services Division, Community & Occupational Health and managed transition of six branches of the C&OH Department to a new department, Alberta Health.

Manager, Evaluation, Alberta Social Services and Community Health, 1983 - 1984

Directed Dependent Adults Act/Public Guardian evaluation; conducted agency and policy reviews on counseling and day care programs

Policy Consultant, Alberta Education, 1979 - 1982

Project Manager for Ministerial public task forces evaluating student achievement (14 studies plus public Results Interpretation Panels) and school finance (coordination/management re 28 studies and the public review body); also project managed several other evaluation and policy projects and organization reviews, including chairing the Project North Evaluation Committee comprised of Aboriginal, professional education, and  MLA representatives)

Assistant to Director of Communications, Alberta Education, 1975 - 1979

Public consultation work and research; library grants and student achievement reviews
Administrative Assistant for Professional Development, Alberta Teachers' Association, 1969 - 1975
Included research/evaluation projects and workshop development on professional issues; management of Hillroy Fellowships for Innovations in teaching and ATA Doctoral Fellowships

Intern, Community Development Branch, Alberta Government, 1969

Researched adult education needs of community development workers

Teacher, Central Junior Secondary School, Dawson Creek, B.C., 1967 - 1968
 

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION

• B.A. Social Sciences, 1967

The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

• M.A. Community Development, 1977
• Thesis:  "Evaluation in Community Development -The State of the Art"
• Post-M.A. work, University of Alberta, in the Faculty of Extension and the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the areas of policy analyses, public administration (six courses/seminars) and concepts of leisure.
• Plus additional courses through the Staff Development program of the Government of Alberta in the areas of quality improvement, excellent management, program evaluation, public involvement and mastering strategic change, as well as workshops and conferences through the Canadian Evaluation Society.

REFERENCES

• Available on Request