Today in Charlottetown, the Board of Directors of the Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island announced the start of a comprehensive review of its operations.
"We're doing a lot of things right," said Chair Jim Lee, "but there's always room for improvement. Since we opened in 1949, the Workers Compensation Board has evolved with the times. In this our 50th anniversary, when the needs of our clients are changing faster than ever, the Board of Directors felt it would be timely to conduct an assessment of everything we do as the basis for a new five year plan."
According to Mr. Lee, "The Board conducted a rigorous bidding process which elicited responses from seven highly qualified national firms. Two finalists were invited to make presentations to the Board. Baker Consulting Inc. of Charlottetown was ultimately selected because of the uniquely diverse professional talent base demonstrated by the firm's project team."
For this assignment Baker Consulting Inc. has assembled a strong project team, comprised of specialists experienced in the fields of workers compensation (PricewaterhouseCoopers); business management (PricewaterhouseCoopers); actuarial services (Morneau Sobeco); chartered accountancy (PricewaterhouseCoopers); communication (Baker Consulting); human resources (Colchester Consulting Group); and information technology (Delta Ware Systems).
The consultants have initiated a comprehensive interviewing and survey process to ensure that the opinions of WCB clients (i.e. injured workers, employees and employers) are heard and understood. External stakeholders groups will also be consulted over the next few weeks through interviews with employers, government and health care providers, as well as focus group sessions with employee clients.
It is anticipated that the review will result in specific proposals to the WCB Board in areas such as planning, communication, organizational process, change management, leadership, human resources, financial management, technology and evaluation. Target date for completion is April 30, 1999.