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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Merging territorial health, education and housing boards is no longer the government's primary goal.

That was the message delivered to the heads and members of three Deh Cho organizations potentially effected by board reforms.

Dave Stewart, assistant deputy minister of the Department of Executive, presents the government's revised approach to board reform during a quarterly meeting of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council in Fort Simpson. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Dave Stewart, assistant deputy minister of the Department of Executive, presented the government's revised approach during a quarterly meeting of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council on June 12.

Members of the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority and the district director of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation also attended the meeting.

The ministerial committee and cabinet recognize that the original approach to board reform was flawed, said Stewart.

"Obviously there was a lot of resistance," he said.

Last October Michael Miltenberger, the cabinet minister in charge of the territorial government's refocusing committee, announced 70 health, education and housing boards would be merged into six regional boards by 2011.

Cabinet ministers and chairpersons from each board would form a seventh committee to oversee the co-ordination of the other boards.

The proposed mergers met with widespread protest from both within the boards and from residents. In February, MLAs passed a motion in the legislative assembly to put off the mergers.

They asked for a more consultative method to improve efficiencies that would include the affected parties.

The committee still believes it was trying to achieve the right objectives, including improving service delivery and the effectiveness and efficiency of the boards, said Stewart.

The new strategy will be to improve accountability and increase focus on the clients without mergers, Stewart said. The government also has to resolve some ongoing issues that would affect board reforms and determine options for structural changes.

The committee wants to use a process whereby the boards suggest ways they can work better together, and the government can exchange its policies and assist them, he said.

"I'd like to hear what your ideas are," said Stewart.

"This needs to be grassroots."

Despite the revised plan, many people at the meeting met the idea of board reform with caution.

Allan Landry, who is the chair of the Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority and also a member of the education council, said both boards are constantly working independently to improve services.

"Our focus at this level is the people that we serve who put us at this table," Landry said.

There are initiatives the boards can do together but they don't need government direction to do it, he said.

"It shouldn't be how we can fit into the government," said Landry, but how the government can change to fit the needs of the people.

Most importantly, the changes can't be about cutting costs. They have to be about improving the boards' services, he said.

Martina Norwegian, the chairperson of the education council, said she's open to some of the ideas but the reforms have to be approached in the right way.

When it came from the top down people dug in their heels, Norwegian said.

Both Kathy Tsetso, the chief executive officer of Dehcho Health and Social Services, and Chris Hewitt, the district director of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation said the board reforms hold possibilities if they are used to improve service delivery in the local communities.

The immediate next steps for the reforms include developing detailed work plans for each of the areas the committee wants to work on, said Stewart.

The committee will also be engaging with boards that have expressed an interest in working collaboratively on options, he said.