The Department of Personnel was first organized in Ottawa on August 1, 1966. The department was subsequently reorganized for the 1967-68 fiscal year, after the seat of the NWT government was moved to Yellowknife. The Department took an active administrative role in planning for the transfer of Government of the Northwest Territories employees during 1967. In 1967/68 the department was divided into Policy and Benefits, Staffing, Manpower Development and Training and Employee Relations. In 1969, the transfer of government responsibilities of the Mackenzie district from the federal to territorial government was completed, and the Keewatin and Baffin regions transferred in 1970. The Department focused a great deal of its attention on the transfer but also was responsible for staffing and administering responsibilities for the newly formed government.
In 1970 the department was organized into Staff Relations, Compensation and Benefits, Personnel Services and Employee Accommodation. The major projects of the year (aside from the Keewatin and Baffin transfer) was the establishment of a territorial classification and pay plan and the establishment of collective agreements. The collective agreements provided significant changes to the terms and conditions of working within the territorial government such as clarification of hours of work, overtime, shift work and shift premiums; provision of severance pay; vacation removal allowance and the formalization of procedures for adjustment of disputes and grievances. As a result of the territorial government assuming responsibilities in the Eastern arctic, uniform housing inventory control was established for all regions (Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Inuvik, Keewatin and Baffin). Its purpose was to aid in the allocation of accommodation and planning for future requirements. The growth of the public service was controlled by an establishment freeze imposed by the Commissioner in late 1970 and carried on during 1971. The majority of new employees joining the territorial government were hired to fill vacancies due to resignation or retirement. Promotion within the government was encouraged.
In 1971 the Department of Personnel was dissolved. The Executive Secretariat assumed the policy making and planning functions of the department, and acquired the Staff Relations, Compensation and Benefits and Manpower Planning and Development divisions. The Department of Administration acquired Personnel Administration with the Pay and Benefit Administration and Employee Selection and Placement divisions.
In 1975, the Executive Committee announced the reorganization of several departments and reformed the Department of Personnel. The department was organized into six functional areas covering staffing, housing, classification, pay research, employee relations, and administration, training and regional coordination. In 1977 the Office of Native Employment was established with the initial goals being to analyze patterns of native employment and the role of ombudsman and counselor to native employees and potential employees, as well as addressing the issue of involving and integrating native northerners into the public service. In 1979 the department was streamlined into three divisions: Personnel Services, Staff Development, and Classification and Compensation, with a Systems and Administration section supporting the directorate and the other three divisions. In 1980 the office of native employment and the in-service training section were integrated into the mainstream of Staff Development and Training division.
By 1982 the department was reorganized into four divisions: Personnel Services, Staff Relations, Staff Development and Training and Systems and Administration. The computerized personnel information system P.I.N.G.O. was also implemented in this year. In 1983 a conflict of interest policy was implemented. In 1984 the office of native employment directed its efforts to the development of an affirmative action plan for native people. A report of their findings and recommendations was presented to the Commissioner. 1984 also saw another reorganization of the Department into Personnel Services, Staff Relations, Manpower Planning, and Finance and Administration.
In 1986, the first minister of the department was appointed, and the department was reorganized into three divisions: Staffing and Classification, Staff Relations and Human Resources Planning. In May 1986, Headquarters Regional Operations division was also created. In 1987 the minister implemented a policy of establishment of a smoke-free workplace within the NWT public service. In 1989, the affirmative action policy replaced the native employment policy. The policy provided hiring preference in the public service for native persons.
In 1990, the department underwent a major reorganization in an effort to improve the delivery of service to the public as well as internally. This involved the separation of staffing and classification functions, elimination of the Yellowknife regional office and consolidation of the policy and human resource functions. The divisions after reorganization were Classification, Equal Employment, Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Staffing, Staff Relations, and Regional Operations.
In 1996 the department was dissolved and responsibility for human resources was decentralized to each of the existing GNWT departments.
