EXCHANGE EXCHANGE is is aa quarterly quarterly magazine magazine published published by by the the Local Local Government Government Management Management Association Association (LGMA) (LGMA) of of British British Columbia. Columbia. It’s It’s about about sharing sharing information, information, exchanging exchanging ideas ideas on on best best practices, practices, enhancing enhancing professional professional development development and and building building networks. networks. Reach Reach us us at at www.lgma.ca. www.lgma.ca.
P13
MEASUREMENT CASE STUDIES
P20
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TIPS
P21
MEET YOUR NEW BOARD
SUMMER 2017
The Art of Performance Management
P8
Sharing information and expertise helps build strong, sustainable communities. Young Anderson is proud to support professional development opportunities for municipalities and regional districts.
VANCOUVER OFFICE
KELOWNA OFFICE
1616–808 Nelson Street Box 12147 – Nelson Square Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H2 T: 604.689.7400 F: 604.689.3444 Toll Free: 1.800.665.3540
201–1456 St. Paul Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E6 T: 250.712.1130 F: 250.712.1180 www.younganderson.ca
Update In this Issue President’s Report Executive Director’s Report Case of Interest Members Page Our Town
Professional Development 2 3 4 5 22 24
Tips & Tactics: Starting a Performance Management Program
20
LGMA Annual Awards
21
Programs & Events
23
6 The Art of Performance Management
Exchange is the magazine for members of the Local Government Management Association of British Columbia. Exchange is distributed quarterly to over 900 members of the LGMA, as well as Mayors and Regional District Chairs.
Hear from the experts how to go beyond the data to create a performancement management system for consistent, reliable and – most importantly – usable and relevant reporting that your organization buys into.
Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits
Exchange is printed on Sappi Flo, an FSC® Certified 10% post-consumer recycled paper at Island Business Print Group.
Find out how Ladysmith, Vernon and Kamloops are using customized, practical measurement tools to create significant, tangible benefits for their local governments.
LGMA Office: Suite 710A 880 Douglas Street Victoria, BC V8W 2B7 Telephone: 250.383.7032 Email: office@lgma.ca Web: www.lgma.ca
21
Contact the Editor: Email: editor@lgma.ca
Meet the new LGMA Board of Directors elected at the 2017 Annual General Meeting held in May in conjunction with the LGMA Annual Conference in Penticton.
Cover Illustration: JDawnInk/Getty Images
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
13
Meet the 2017-2018 LGMA Board
1
22 Board of Examiners Spotlight Hear from Board of Examiners certificate recipient Jennifer Russell from the District of Mission about her BOE experiences.
IN THIS ISSUE
Performance management is becoming more of an imperative to meet the demands of communities, elected officials and other government bodies.
erformance management – measuring success by tracking progress and reporting outcomes – makes sense for most organizations. In local government, it is becoming more of an imperative as communities demand increased accountability for spending, elected officials want a means to show they are delivering on promises, and other levels of government look for data and other tangible reports for grant applications. At the same time, like always, resources are limited and there need to be practical, realistic options in place to make it a reality.
P
When I was working with the City of Coquitlam (many years ago), we first started pushing for more measurement of our goals as part of our financial reporting in the City’s Annual Report. The Government Finance Officers Association of British Columbia (GFOA) included measurement on its checklist of requirements for excellence in annual reporting. We wanted to improve our Annual Report (and win their award!), and we began integrating questions in our annual public survey to track and report on our progress in some of our goal areas. (I’m happy to report we won the GFOA award and others.) Our next foray into performance measurement was less successful. We had developed a Corporate Strategic Plan and a Corporate Business Plan, and our goal was to apply a balanced scorecard approach to track and report on our progress. We had a very challenging time identifying viable – and sustainable – indicators that could be used to measure our goals and an even more challenging time implementing the measurement tactics. As I worked on the articles for this edition of Exchange, I developed a better understanding of why we hit a wall and stumbled at the measurement stage. We were trying to apply tangible measurement to intangible goals. As well, while the management team was engaged throughout the process, from Strategic Plan to Business Plan to measurement planning, it wasn’t clear how this would benefit them in their work or bring value to the organization. In The Art of Performance Management, our missteps became clear. But at the same time, we were early through the gate in terms of local governments applying measurement to their Strategic Plan.
Today, about 15 years after this early work in Coquitlam, it’s evident that local governments across the province are implementing performance management programs tailored to the needs of their Board/Council and aligned with the operational requirements in their organization. When writing Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits, it was interesting to hear from three different communities to learn about the approach they have applied, ranging from technical solutions to tactics integrated into existing processes. As always, we hope that the case studies shared through Exchange generate ideas for how local governments can create similar programs in their communities. Ideally, we will continue to see performance management programs implemented in local governments across the province to improve the way we track progress, expand the ability of organizations to support sustainable services and communicate success stories to our communities and other key stakeholders.
Share your stories and your interests Sharing ideas and connecting communities has long been a key purpose for Exchange, and we are always interested in hearing from you about the topics you would like us to cover and the stories you have to share. Please reach out to the LGMA team or email editor@lgma.ca if you have topics of interest that you would like us to add to the editorial schedule. For our editorial planning process, we identify themes that reflect current issues, professional development opportunities or other topics of interest to local government and LGMA members. Your input helps us to ensure the content is relevant and brings value to members. Therese Mickelson, ABC Editor
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
2
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Performance management can be straightforward and easy if the organization has aligned its resources, systems and employees to the strategic objectives of the organization.
irstly, I wish to thank everyone for your support as I assume my role as president of the LGMA for 2017. As my first comment in this role, I must thank everyone involved in the annual conference in Penticton. It was fantastic, as we have all come to expect and continually appreciate. The sessions were relevant, timely and interestingly packaged to provide all of us with solid information to take away and consider.
F
The vision for the transition ceremony on Thursday evening was not just about having fun, but to also remind us of our responsibility to ourselves, our families, our community and to our place of work. It reminds us of our role to promote a culture of respect for ourselves and our wonderfully unique differences. It reminds us of the importance of respect for dignity, inclusivity, religious beliefs and cultures. Many of the sessions in the 2017 annual conference contained components that require strategic thinking, knowledge, leadership and basic respect to support our theme, Growing Forward Together. This issue of Exchange is focused on performance management – the principles and practices and how it can be a resource for local governments in strategic engagement with our Boards/Councils, staff and our communities. We all know the importance of having a strategic plan for our Council/Board. This is typically the first task when a new Council or Board is elected – setting their vision and direction for administration to plan and implement during their term of office. Sometimes we can get so caught up on completing the strategic plan, we don’t think through to the next step of how to measure and accomplish the goals. The various roads, laneways, potholes and challenges that lead up to the end result involve all staff within the corporation. As leaders, it is our responsibility to provide sound advice for Board/Council and guide our staff on the process to successfully deliver on their vision. Senior staff must be genuinely committed to the plan, and it is imperative to lead by example.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
3
Working collectively to develop strategies, expectations, processes and targets to achieve the vision is essential. The key to succeeding with the deliverables involves engaging with the corporation as a whole to link all staff members to their role in achieving the vision and determining how we are going to get there. Every staff member from the gardener to the truck driver, to the planning assistant and front counter reception plays an important role. We need them as much as we need leaders. We will only succeed because of the valuable contributions they provide. It is crucial that deliverables and goals are aligned with the vision set out by elected officials, thus providing all staff with a straightforward roadmap. Utilizing the SMART (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) principle as a tool for guiding that strategy, and empowering all employees to understand their role in reaching the vision will bring them pride and commitment in their areas of responsibility. Staff are part of the essential road network for success, and measuring performance is a fundamental part of sound strategic planning. The ever-changing demographics and challenges in local government require that we constantly rethink, re-evaluate and revisit our practices. We must create a positive culture of inclusiveness and respect with the utmost value for all perspectives. Expectations need to be clearly communicated so that all managers can work with their staff to construct a common road to get them to the common vision of our elected officials. Be openminded, allow for freedom to be creative, demonstrate the value each employee brings, embrace the diversity of culture within the workplace, and be flexible. Performance management can be straightforward and easy if the organization has aligned its resources, systems and employees to the strategic objectives and vision of the corporation. Patti Bridal President
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Discussions with administrators and clerks at recent conferences in Montreal and Ottawa confirmed that many of the challenges we are facing as a member-based organization are shared by others.
A
lbert Einstein said that intellectual growth should commence at birth and only end when you die, and I know that the more I learn, the more I come to appreciate how much I still need to know! As we wrapped up the LGMA Annual Conference this past month in Penticton in the wee of hours of the morning and packed up for the return trip home, I was filled with a sense of contentment and pride – satisfied that we had delivered a great conference and very proud of the LGMA team. They worked hard to try out some new topics, took a chance on some new speakers and collaborated as a team in putting it all together and delivering a fantastic experience for those who attended. The evaluation results have underscored that initial impression, with lots of kudos to the staff for a job well-done. And our desire to “walk the talk” of our conference theme, Growing Forward Together, was achieved with good feedback on our sessions focused on relationship-building and inclusiveness in the local government world, whether in First Nations relations, regional district-municipal relations, workforce and local government relations, and strategies for inclusiveness for transgender people, affordable housing and public engagement. As your professional development association, we certainly strive to stimulate new thinking and continuous learning opportunities for local government professionals across the province. I am also grateful to the Board for their commitment to learning and development for all staff. I had the wonderful opportunity to go from the LGMA Annual Conference to the International Institute for Municipal Clerks Conference (IIMC) in Montreal and the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) Conference in Ottawa. It was a chance for professional learning for me, a great opportunity for networking with colleagues in two of our largest professional membership groups – chief administrative officers and clerks – and to contrast and compare the LGMA’s programs with those of other highly-regarded associations.
In a roundtable with executive directors of local government associations from eight provinces and the Northwest Territories, I shared the governance changes and work your Board has been doing to strengthen their role guiding and overseeing the work of the LGMA and received a lot of interest in learning more about some of their strategies. As we head into the summer months, we face additional uncertainties as we watch and wait to see how the coalition government in B.C. sets its agenda and governs. It will be interesting times for sure, for local governments especially, and we will need to be mindful of some of the difficulties our provincial government colleagues will face in this delicate governing environment. The May 9 election results, and the speculation on the final count, were a topic of conversation at our Annual Conference. We have been collaborating and working exceptionally well with the Union of BC Municipalities and the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, particularly on the efforts to identify policies and options for addressing the responsible conduct of elected officials. We will continue this work for the long haul, in the spirit of cooperation, with the commitment to move this work along regardless of the political challenges. Stay tuned for the paper and recommendations that will be brought forward at the UBCM Convention in September. Enjoy time off this summer with friends and family, get out and experience the beauty of B.C. and celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary – we have so much to be grateful for in this great country! Nancy Taylor Executive Director
Both IIMC and CAMA were great experiences, and I came away with a number of ideas for new sessions and speakers. The conversations and group discussions also confirmed that many of the challenges we are facing as a member-based association are shared by others, and by and large, we are reflecting good practices and adapting well to these changes.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
4
By Lorena (Lori) Staples, Q.C. Lorena Staples, Q.C., Barrister & Solicitor
CASE of INTEREST
The Increasing Costs of Policing
A
re recent cases relevant to the theme of this edition – performance measurement and asset management? To a municipal police board member involved in our annual budgetsetting exercise with Council the answer is a resounding “yes!” Police forces are certainly assets of local governments that we would not want to be without. Police boards and senior management of police departments must prove their budget requests for more officers and civilian support workers. They increasingly rely on performance evaluation and measurement – achievement of strategic plan objectives, work plans, policing procedures and job performance. Every budget request for additional officers is met with the argument that crime rates have been falling since the 1990s; therefore, they say we should be eliminating, not adding new positions. In rebuttal, policing has changed in the intervening years; it is much more than catching criminals. Our society turns to the police as their first point of call for many other problems that can be time-consuming. In addition, policing itself has changed, thanks to the courts. Changes in investigative practices and evidentiary disclosure began with R v. Stinchcombe, a 1991 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC). The court was convinced by cases cited by defence counsel that the law with respect to the duty of the Crown to disclose evidence to the defence was not settled. In Stinchcombe, an employee of the accused gave testimony favourable to the defence at the preliminary inquiry. She was interviewed by police officers twice after that but the Crown refused defence counsel’s requests for copies of her statements. On the third day of the trial, the defence was informed that the Crown would not be calling her as a witness. The trial judge upheld the Crown’s right to refuse disclosure and to not call the witness. It appears from the tenor of the SCC’s judgment that the court felt it was time to eliminate the “weapon of surprise” from criminal proceedings as it had long before been removed from civil trials. As a result, the SCC allowed the appeal and ordered a new trial be held with full disclosure of the witness’s statements. Subsequent cases increased the disclosure requirements.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
5
The decision-making around resource allocation to cope with the challenges facing police may be assisted by performance measurement and evaluation. The second case dealt with the issue of unreasonable delay in getting a case to trial. Section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states: Any person charged with an offence has the right to be tried within a reasonable time. In R. v. Jordan, decided by the SCC in 2016, the defendant’s trial ended four years and two months after he was charged. The SCC held that was not a reasonable period of time, and thereby overruled its 1992 decision in R. v. Morin, which created a principle for assessing reasonable delay, referred to as the Morin framework. The SCC in Jordan opined: “The framework set out in Morin has given rise to both doctrinal and practical problems, contributing to a culture of delay and complacency towards it.” The SCC’s solution was to set “a ceiling beyond which delay is presumptively unreasonable. For cases going to trial in the provincial court, the presumptive ceiling is 18 months from the charge to the actual or anticipated end of trial … in the superior court, the presumptive ceiling is 30 months...” This is the Jordan framework. Today, the necessary evidence must be obtained and packaged in time to meet the Jordan framework’s deadlines of ending trial within 18 months for provincial court and 30 months for superior court and making initial disclosure to defence counsel before the accused has to elect the mode of trial or plead. The decision-making around resource allocations to cope with the training for the increasingly complex investigative tools, the time-consuming social issues police handle and this narrow window for investigations may be assisted by performance measurement and evaluation.
By Therese Mickelson, ABC
Art
The of
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Promoting PromotingProfessional ProfessionalManagement Management&& Leadership LeadershipExcellence ExcellenceininLocal LocalGovernment Government
66
Performance management may appear at first to be based on science involving data analysis, but relying just on the science is a faulty formula.
I
f successful performance management simply involved reporting data patterns, it would be a lot easier to implement.
The true success factors lie beyond the data and include engaging managers, creating a platform for consistent, reliable and relevant reporting, presenting information visually and applying measurement to support improved decision-making. This broader process transforms performance measurement from simple science to more of an art form that takes careful planning, leadership and commitment to long-term success. When local governments embark on a process to implement performance management, it’s essential to first determine their purpose, including whether the goal of measurement is to support continuous improvement and informed decision-making or if it’s about accountability. This sets the tone for determining what to measure, how to measure and how to report on tracking and outcomes. “If local governments get into performance measurement, they need to consider what they will do with the information, not just now, but down the road,” says Jim McDavid, Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria, who specializes in performance measurement and management in local government. “Your purpose has to be relevant and have value, as I believe the first question is whether people who are involved in delivering the services will actually see a value in putting performance measures in place and making sure the data are believable – there has to be something in it for them.” McDavid recommends establishing a purpose that has a clear value proposition for the local government managers who will be tasked with doing the performance measurement. The tracking and measurement must be useful for them as a management tool, such as for improving efficiency, developing more sustainable programs and services, or tracking and reporting that supports better reports for Board/Council to make informed decisions.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
7
“If local governments get into performance measurement, they need to consider what they will do with the information.” Jim McDavid
“If the performance measurement is only symbolic with no direct value to the managers, or is more about accountability and individual evaluation, you end up with a disconnect between managers and your performance management system as well as a fair bit of chill in the air,” adds McDavid. By engaging managers early in the process and identifying a purpose that brings value to managers individually as well as the organization, there is greater buy-in and better results long term. This grassroots approach has proven successful in communities in B.C. (See case studies in Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits). This compares to top-down approaches that have been attempted in Ontario and Britain, where senior levels of government have attempted to impose performance measurement and reporting, with an emphasis on accountability as its purpose. “The theory was if you make this performance reporting mandatory and share the information with the public, then local governments will be motivated to improve performance, but what actually happens is local governments divorce themselves from the information and it becomes widely known that the information is not believable and it’s largely ignored,” says McDavid. Continued on page 8
The Art of Performance Management Continued from page 7
Once the overall purpose and value proposition is established, organizations need to determine what will be measured, how it will be reported and what indicators will be used. Local governments may want to measure progress towards Board/Council’s strategic goals, or focus on an operational level such as core services or a combination of both. What is being measured depends on the priorities for each local government and the needs of its Board/Council, staff and community. Local governments also need to determine whether their progress reports and other measurement details will be kept for internal use only, of if the information will be shared publicly. “You need to be careful because once information is public, there may be stakeholders who look at the information with a different agenda,” says McDavid. He notes that even when the intent is to use the information for internal performance improvements, the data could be used to try and push a different agenda, such as for political reasons, or to apply comparisons between communities that are not truly based on comparable data. “When you’re comparing performance across local governments, context matters,” says McDavid. “Unless you make sure all of the services being compared are the same, the comparison won’t be useful.
You have to take into account how costs are reported, how services are delivered and other factors that can differ significantly between local governments. The question is, who is going to take the time to make sure the per unit comparisons are actually comparable?” After the organization identifies its purpose and what will be measured and reported, the next key step involves careful selection of indicators that provide relevant measurement information and reasonable tactics to collect the data needed to track progress. McDavid advises local governments to think through every measure in terms of what it actually means as well as how it could be used or interpreted. If it puts people at risk, they won’t be comfortable reporting real data. It’s also essential to consider the amount of time and resources required to collect and use the information. If it’s too cumbersome or uses too many resources, it’s not going to be sustainable. “I’m an advocate for local government managers, and I see the value in performance measurement, but it has to have value for them because they are collecting it, and they also have to wear it if something goes haywire,” says McDavid. “So, you can’t over-commit them on targets or put them in a situation where it feels like they’ve been put at risk or ‘been had’ in terms of the purpose and benefits, as this ends in a spiral where you’re no longer producing believable information.”
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
8
“If you haven’t looked at your assets and determined your specific needs through data and tracking, you’re undermining your ability to access grant money.” Fortunately for local governments, many of the core services being delivered are generally consistent across organizations, and there are a corresponding number of performance indicators that are becoming widely accepted. These indicators act as a starting point and can be tailored to meet the needs of individual organizations. “Once you have a set of core performance measures that are acceptable across a range of local governments, you still need to be prepared to contextualize the information, because if you say it’s a template and try to force it, you will get pushback,” says McDavid. “You’re always going to have service delivery differences – even if they are small.” There is a new project underway that will give local governments in British Columbia a jumpstart on their performance measurement indicators and processes for reporting through a performance management program. The new Performance Measurement and Reporting Framework for Sustainable Service Delivery is a pilot project initiated by the City of Grand Forks that is being developed by Kevin Ramsay, Principal, Innova Strategy Group, Doug Allin, the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Grand Forks at the initiation of the project (and now CAO, Township of Spallumcheen) and Scott Shepherd, Urban Systems. While the framework started as a project for the City of Grand Forks to develop an assessment tool that would support sustainable services, it has evolved into a tool that could be used broadly by other local governments to provide data in a way that is visible and provides the context to support sustainable services, asset management and improved communication, both internally for Board/Council and staff, and externally to the community, stakeholders and investors. The project has expanded to include seven cohort communities that are providing input on desired framework outcomes as well as evaluating the viability of the indicators. The final framework will be a tool that can be used and customized by small to medium local governments. “A sustainable system is funded, supported operationally and managed into the future, and you need a methodology and measurement to evaluate what the current state and future state of your system will be,” says Ramsay. “It’s also key to developing processes and financing that support sustainable services, which is particularly important in areas such as asset management and applying for grants. If you haven’t looked at your assets and determined your specific needs through data and tracking rather than anecdotally, you’re undermining your ability to access grant money.” Ramsay also notes the value this tool brings to local government managers, and in particular CAOs, to help them focus on needs related to core services, as well as a means to report to the community.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
9
“Board or Council will have the information they need to give high priority to a core service that is failing, and the tool itself is very visual in nature so it shows them the core elements of what is needed to help them make good decisions,” says Allin. “It also gives elected officials a tool they can use to take back to constituents to show where they are, where they need to be and what needs to be done to get there.” The framework currently focuses on the delivery of core services: water, sanitary, transportation, stormwater and drainage, parks and recreation, fire services and solid waste management, which make up about 80 per cent of a community’s budget. Continued on page 10
The Art of Performance Management Continued from page 9
“When you ask an organization how they are doing towards developing sustainable services, the answer is often ‘I don’t really know’ because they don’t have a way to track their progress in a way that’s tangible and visible,” says Allin. “When we were working on our business planning in Grand Forks, one of the biggest challenges was figuring out the data and how it applied to their indicators. The tool provides clear indicators, presented in a way that is easy to understand, which will in turn enable us to see when things are going in the wrong direction and in what areas so we can target them for improvement.” The indicators being developed in the framework are both practical and applicable, and are centred around three categories related to service delivery, financing and governance. The sustainability measures and indicators in the framework also provide an assessment of the full spectrum of socio-economic, environmental and financial sustainability for each of the core services. As an example, for water services, the service delivery indicators involve measuring water quality and how well the quantity is maintained throughout the year – data that is already being compiled. There is also an indicator related to whether there are control program safety measures in place.
The financing indicators relate to whether there is a sufficient budget in place for operating the system, with a balance between reactive maintenance versus proactive capital replacement funds. The governance indicator measures whether the utility is in full compliance with operating regulations. Ramsay notes that every organization with water systems will have answers to the Doug Allin indicator questions, even if the answer is “no,” and the results from the answers will provide a report that shows either red (an alert that the service has sustainability issues that need to be addressed), yellow (an alert that shows the service is at risk), or green (the service delivery area meets sustainability standards). “We interviewed a number of people, mostly through the cohort communities, to determine what areas would be most relevant and useful for them, and we’ve gone through six iterations to create a series of measures that lead to a score of how sustainable a service is,” says Ramsay. “We now have a functional methodology that has been evaluated and meets needs, but we also agree that it’s not static – this is a dynamic process and we will monitor and adjust as we use it.”
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
10
The framework not only provides a jumpstart towards identifying relevant indicators, it addresses several of the key steps towards an effective performance management system. It identifies a clear purpose – creating sustainable programs for core services. The data being collected and reported is readily available and easy to collate, minimizing the time and resources required for managers. Kevin Ramsay There is a direct value to managers by highlighting critical needs areas and providing context for what types of resources are needed to address these areas. The framework tool also includes dashboards that provide a clear, visual report on the status of each of the core service areas for reporting to Board/Council and the community, as well as how those areas are trending over time in terms of improvements towards sustainable management, or the reverse. The framework, which is expected to be released this fall, includes a sustainable service delivery assessment tool, a Board/Council summary reporting tool and other support materials, such as assessment guides, communication materials and templates that can be customized.
“One of the biggest deterrents to setting up performance management programs is that it’s difficult to figure out how to get started,� says Ramsay. “In our conversations with the cohort communities, we learned that they don’t have the time or resources to put together a tool that is useful and accepted by Board/Council and the community. With the framework, we’re trying to build a tool that is simple to use and can become a standard for determining what is a sustainable service.� The framework is also designed to integrate easily with other programs, including an initiative by CivicInfo BC to produce data visualization tools that can be used by local governments across the province. For the current proof of concept stage, CivicInfo BC is using local government statistics being reported to the provincial government as open data, but as the project moves forward, there is potential for individual communities to use the tool to compile and report their local performance data using graphics that are visual and provide clear comparisons year over year. “We want to get these visualization tools out there,� says Todd Pugh, Executive Director, CivicInfo BC. Continued on page 12
Wherever you’re building communities, we’re there. As Norton Rose Fulbright, we have helped shape municipalities across BC and Canada. With integrated expertise in municipal, real estate, infrastructure, tax, DERULJLQDO DQG HQYLURQPHQWDO ODZ ZH RʡHU OHDGLQJ HGJH services and experience for all matters that arise when working with local governments.
Law around the world nortonrosefulbright.com Kathleen Higgins Partner, Vancouver +1 604 641 4813
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
11
The Art of Performance Management Continued from page 11
“We want to get closer to a performance measurement tool for local governments that can show quickly when data is moving up or down and is at people’s fingertips via an online dashboard.” The visualization tool proof of concept, available at civicinfo.bc.ca under Municipalities at the bottom of each community’s listing, presents the information as a line graph, bar graph or data table, and can compare data from multiple years. The current datasets include: population, area and basic infrastructure; revenue; expenses; assessed values; total taxes and charges; taxes and charges on a representative house; tax rates; summary statement of financial position; and development cost charges and building permits. “The visualization tool adds value because if you look at the data posted on the provincial government site, you have to comb through countless spreadsheets and have to find comparative numbers across multiple data sets,” says Pugh. “With the tool, the data is presented in a way that makes it easy to comprehend large amounts of data very quickly and easily.” This visualization tool provides local governments with an easily accessible tactic to contextualize information and make it easy to digest, which can be a valuable asset when presenting information to elected officials in a way that is professional and provides them with the information they need to make knowledgeable decisions in the interest of local taxpayers.
Just $399 for three amazing days!
One of the additional outcomes of having data presented through this new visualization tool is that local governments can easily spot when there is a glitch in their data, highlighting the importance of ensuring data is accurate before it’s made public. The development of the tool is not a discrete project with a start and end date. The proof of concept testing will continue to a more robust tool capable of making cross-jurisdictional comparisons; however, the timing of the roll out will depend on available staff resources and funding. When the tool reaches the stage that it begins to accept local data, such as content being collected through the framework to support sustainable services, the choice for what data is displayed publicly will be at the discretion of each local government.
Join us for the Fresh Outlook Foundation's 7th Building SustainABLE Communities conference in Kelowna November 21st to 24th! MAJOR THEMES
• Climate Action • Water Stewardship • Community Capital/Infrastructure • Food Security • Community Engagement OTHER CONVERSATIONS • Leadership & Governance • Community Health • Local Prosperity • Active Transportation • Sharing Economy • Collaborative Change • Sustainable Development • Ecological Imperatives For more info and to register, visit
www.freshoutlookfoundation.org
“The key for us is that we are developing tools that advance openness in local government and support performance management, but we’re doing it in a measured way,” says Pugh. With a strategic approach that focuses on the purpose and value of performance measurement, combined with tools such as the new framework and the visualization tool for data created by CivicInfo BC, local governments have practical resources available to create a performance management program for their organization. The benefits include informed decision-making, assurance that services are on track towards being sustainable, tangible, accurate data to support grant applications, and increased capacity to report progress clearly and in a way that is meaningful for both internal and external audiences. ❖
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
12
Practical
Measurement
By Therese Mickelson, ABC
Performance management programs within local governments come in many shapes and sizes, but the most successful programs share a few key elements: practical measurement tactics, programs tailored to Board/Council needs and a process endorsed by managers. The following case studies showcase how different approaches to performance management can be applied with minimal budget and significant, tangible benefits.
TOWN OF LADYSMITH Leveraging Technology Like many communities, the Town of Ladysmith creates a strategic plan to identify Council’s priorities for their four-year term. Unlike some communities, Ladysmith now has a measurable, action-oriented performance management program in place to track progress and report directly on how well the organization is achieving the targeted goals in the plan. It all started when Guillermo Ferrero, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Town of Ladysmith, was first interviewed for the job. “One of the questions I was asked in my interview was how I would lead the organization in accomplishing Council’s Strategic Plan,” says Ferrero. “While it looked like a great, ambitious plan in many ways, I saw they did not have any clear priorities or action plans. In my view the plan was not achievable in four years and I told Council that. To my surprise, they hired me anyway.” Ferrero’s first step in his new role was to work with staff to identify clear, concrete deliverables for each of the five major actions in the Strategic Plan. These deliverables involved specific projects with actions that could eventually be marked as complete. The next challenge was to determine a way to track and report progress for each deliverable. This led Ferrero to apply his background in information technology to find a solution. After weeding through multiple software applications that were well outside of their budget, he selected Cascade – a simple and affordable program available through a company in Australia. Ferrero made adjustments to the program as needed to suit their local government, and Cascade worked with them to load the existing Strategic Plan deliverables. The management team then loaded all the projects that were not aligned with the Strategic Plan but were still underway at Council’s direction. Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
13
Tangible Benefits
The entire project plan was then presented to Council in a series of workshops, showing the amount of project work underway, how it aligned with their priorities and highlighting the disconnect between non-aligned priorities that were 80 per cent complete and strategic priorities that were only 20 per cent complete. Council now had a clear picture of how their direction to staff was impacting operations and available resources.
Guillermo Ferrero
“My group was very receptive to this tool because it was the first time they had a way to visualize all their projects in one place, and it makes it very easy to show visually all of what we’re working on now and what is coming down the road,” says Ferrero. Continued on page 14
Save the date!
2017 BC MUNICIPAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY CONFERENCE October 15 - 17, 2017 Penticton, BC
ONSITE HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION(COR) PROGRAM REDUCED COST FOR ONLINE SDS MANAGEMENT DISABILITY GUIDELINES TO HELP WITH YOUR STAY AT WORK/RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM
CONTACT US Cathy Cook Executive Director P: 778-278-3486 F: 778-278-0029 E: ccook@bcmsa.ca
www.bcmsa.ca
Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits Continued from page 13 The Town of Ladysmith’s use of the Cascade planning tool is providing staff with a clear picture of their projects, their progress, and how their work is aligning with Council’s priorities.
“Council loved the approach as they could see what we were doing and how Council directions were fitting in as a priority, and they could put aside projects as needed to fit in their priorities.” After reviewing all the projects and identifying those that were no longer a priority for Council – in some cases because they had
been initiated by previous Councils – the project list was reviewed and adjusted. By tracking progress and setting clear priorities, it’s easier to manage the Strategic Plan in a way that allows for dynamic changes as Council shifts priorities. Staff can show the impact on resources, and Council can make informed decisions about what they want to drop to stay within budget and timelines.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
14
This planning tool is now integrated into their operational reporting, including using the data in Council reports and providing a quarterly report for Council that shows the status of the various projects, the percentage complete and whether the project is on track for completion within the identified timeline. One of the first notable successes was applying the performance management tool to support the budget process. “I presented a budget based on the project plan and there were no surprises,” says Ferrero. “Council could tell us what they wanted us to work on, we could show what we could achieve based on existing resources and Council could identify the budget they wanted to approve.” The software has more potential, including the development of dashboards that give Council access to real-time reports on projects, as well as allowing managers to use it as a project management tool at a task level. While the potential is there to do more, Ferrero has stayed focused on the key information required by Council for now. “The key is to have buy-in from your Council and your leadership team. Your managers need to support it and believe in the process, so I got them involved from the start of the process, including selection of the software, but I also did not want to impose too
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
15
“Your managers need to support it and believe in the process, so I got them involved from the start of the process, including selection of the software.” much on them too quickly,” says Ferrero. “And for Council, this is a big change in how we do business. My goal was to gain acceptance of the product and show the value of having all our projects pulled together, but I didn’t want to make too many changes all at once.” Ferrero notes that they had a few key advantages in Ladysmith that made it easier to launch this new performance management tool. One is that Council is very supportive of staff and trusts them when they say they are at capacity and what the impacts of adding or changing projects will involve. Another benefit was his leadership team, who embraced the program and work to maintain it each week, which now takes each of them about 30 minutes. The final advantage was Ferrero’s technology expertise, as he was able to make some of the customizations to the software himself, rather than having to bring in a contractor to assist them. Continued on page 16
Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits Continued from page 15
“I used to struggle with strategic plans because they didn’t have any action associated with them – they just looked good on paper but would never get implemented,” says Ferrero. “This tool allowed me to start believing in strategic plans again by putting action to all the goals and taking into account all the things we have to do but are not necessarily listed in the plan itself. And we can report to Council in a way that is easy to understand, shows our progress in achieving their priorities and makes it easier to delay or push forward a project to adjust to a new Council priority.”
CITY OF VERNON SMART Performance Management For Will Pearce, CAO with the City of Vernon, a strategic plan that is measurable and achievable is fundamental to ensuring staff know how they can support achieving Council’s priorities and have a clear understanding of when they have succeeded. For Council members, key benefits include having a clearly-defined vision along with the ability to share with the community the specific, measurable deliverables underway that support how they will achieve this vision. “I’m a strong advocate for a clear, broad and Council-driven framework,” says Pearce.
“It doesn’t matter what it’s called, what’s important is that Council articulates their priorities and plan for their term of office, and we measure our progress on each of the major elements of their vision.” The planning process starts with each new Council and involves an intensive workshop with Council and the senior team. They start with a visioning exercise that encourages brainstorming.
Will Pearce
“It’s a fun exercise because Council can throw out ideas and it’s interesting to see the similarities from each member of Council despite differences in their philosophical approach,” says Pearce. “Collectively, they develop a vision of where the community will be in four years, and it’s a good discussion because it forms the foundation needed to break down next steps and deliverables.” With the vision in place, some of the more detail-oriented work begins as staff and Council take the vision and pull it apart into deliverables that support each of their strategic priorities in the vision.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
16
“You may start with a vision statement like ‘We want a vibrant downtown,’ but you can’t stop there because you can’t measure it.” The discussion focuses on what Council wants in specific details and identifies measurable deliverables that will form the strategic plan. They apply SMART principles to each deliverable: it must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
“And as long as the targets are attainable, you may have to push yourself and be creative by finding new ways to do things, but you can come back with solutions and through performance management, stay on track.” Continued on page 18
“You may start with a vision statement like ‘We want a vibrant downtown.’ but you can’t stop there because you can’t measure it,” says Pearce. “It’s not good enough to have a philosophical vision – you need measurable components.” To help identify measurable and achievable deliverables, the Council workshop involves discussions around what a vibrant downtown would look like, such as more sidewalks, less empty storefronts or more vibrant signage. Then they discuss realistic targets that can be achieved within the four-year term. “If reducing empty storefronts is what they want, we ask them what that means, such as 10 per cent empty storefronts or 20 per cent, but we discuss what is attainable,” adds Pearce. “As an example, setting a target of zero empty storefronts is not attainable as there is always going to be some changeover.” The outcome of their current strategic planning process resulted in 170 deliverables that the senior team deemed achievable over the four years with existing resources, and these deliverables were packaged into seven themes in the Council Strategic Plan. With the Strategic Plan in place, specific performance management plans are developed for each director, who then takes the plan and breaks it down to their line management to determine action items and responsibilities. They then update the Strategic Plan Report Card every six months and present it at open Council so the media and community can also see the progress on the deliverables in each theme area. The benefits to managers are that their workload is clear, they can see alignment with their work and Council’s vision, and with measurement, there is a clear sense of accomplishment. Some of the downsides may initially be feeling overwhelmed or concerns about being able to achieve all of the deliverables. The key here is that they only commit to deliverables that are achievable in the four years, and managers must have a reasonable opportunity to be successful. Pearce also emphasizes the importance of selecting measurement that is clear but also straightforward to apply – such as simply tracking progress and reporting when an item is completed. “If you go down the path where you have to work harder at the measurement than the deliverables, you’re dead in the water,” says Pearce.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
17
LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS Do you want to improve your knowledge, gain new skills and advance your career? Join the hundreds of local government employees from across BC who have taken Capilano University’s public administration courses:
Ω Local Government Administration – Certificate, Advanced Certificate or Diploma
Ω Local Government Leadership Development – Certificate
Fall 2017 Courses Starting in September:
Register today!
Ω PADM 200 Local Government Administration in BC – Kelowna and North Vancouver
Ω PADM 202 Local Government Finance in BC – North Vancouver
Ω PADM 203 Municipal Law in BC – Parksville Ω PADM 305 Problem Solving & Policy Writing Skills for Local Government Professionals – Kelowna
Ω PADM 307 Ethics & the Responsible Local Government Professional – North Vancouver
2018 MATI Courses
Successful CAO (Feb.); Advanced Communication Skills (Apr.); Managing People (May); Leadership (June); Community Planning (Oct.)
COURSE DATES AND DETAILS: www.capilanou.ca/local-govt REGISTER FOR 2017-2018 COURSES: Alison McNeil at amcneil@capilanou.ca
Practical Measurement. Tangible Benefits Continued from page 17
From an organizational perspective, there is a clearly-defined direction for Council and staff, along with a mechanism through performance management to ensure that staff are not overwhelmed and Council is confident that its priorities are being addressed. “With this approach, directors and line managers are tied back directly to Council’s vision and they know they are an important cog in the machine,” says Pearce. “Once a year we go back to Council to make sure the vision is still up to date with no changes in direction, and if they do want to adjust priorities or change direction on the deliverables, we can have the discussion about what they want to take away to add something new as the current plan utilizes all resources.”
CITY OF KAMLOOPS Integrating Measurement into Operations For the City of Kamloops, integrating measurement into their operations and processes became an imperative to help prioritize Council’s strategic goals and ensure that the organization can report on its progress towards achieving those priorities. “When Council developed its Strategic Plan, they would come up with a long list of goals and not prioritize them. In an election year, individual Council members would get concerned as their goals were not yet finalized. It created frustration for Council and led to Council members blaming staff when their items were not completed,” says David Trawin, CAO, City of Kamloops.
Practical advice, creative options, value for local government Planning, Development & Environmental Law
Carvello Law Corporation
Lui Carvello, MCIP, RPP Lawyer & Registered Professional Planner
203-1005 Broad Street Victoria, BC V8W 2A1 250-686-9918 lui@carvellolaw.ca
www.carvellolaw.ca
“We changed the process to have Council focus on their top five priorities, and we now track and report on where these items are at so that when one is done, another is added.” There are currently 25 goals under five categories in Council’s Strategic Plan, five are identified as top priority, then 15 as the next priority and the remaining five David Trawin are ongoing advocacy goals. The majority of the goals are measurable with clearly defined actions that can be tracked for progress and reported when complete. “We really tried to focus Council on things that are tangible and trackable,” says Trawin. “In the past, they would have non-tangible goals like ‘We want to be the most affordable community to live in.’ but we had no detail on what that meant or how it would be measured. We also realized that there are some goals that are still needed but are not measurable in the same way, which we have categorized as advocacy goals.” The five advocacy goals are ones that are never really complete, such as maintaining positive relationships with other governing bodies or being recognized for great public engagement. With Council’s priorities confirmed, the senior management team takes the 25 goals and integrates them into the Corporate Plan, which also includes projects and operational activities such as public works services that may not align directly with the strategic plan but are still required actions that take up time and resources. A leader is identified for each project and they are responsible for tracking and reporting progress. Council members are provided with the Corporate Plan so that they have the full picture of operational requirements and strategic initiatives underway. With the foundational plans in place, Kamloops has integrated their performance management component into the organization’s existing systems. As an example, there is a Council Strategic Plan category on their Council reports to highlight how the current report supports Council’s goals and objectives. There is a dashboardstyle report included with every Council agenda that provides an update on the status of Council’s goals and objectives showing the “now” priorities, next priorities and ongoing advocacy projects, as well as who is leading each project. The performance management reports are also integrated into Council workshops to show what has been completed on priority items and to receive direction from Council on how to move things forward for the next priorities. In the past, Council would load up the agenda with items that are not in the Strategic Plan, but with the reports and regular updates on their confirmed priorities, the workshops are now focused on their shared priorities rather than individual agendas.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
18
“The challenge before was we didn’t have direction on Council’s ‘now’ priorities versus their next priorities,” says Trawin. “Getting clarity on what we needed to do now and what could come next was big for us, as well as how we were reporting to Council. It provided for some accountability for leadership to flag items where we were not making progress and to delve into the reasons why so we can respond to Council.” In addition to supporting Council, the reports are shared with the community through the agenda updates at the regular Council meetings, at the annual update presented to Council that provides a summary of the various goals and related action items, and through performance management updates that are included into the Annual Report. For managers, this process has helped to focus on how their work falls within the Strategic Plan, and it helps to keep focused on these strategic priorities rather than simply focusing on regular operational requirements. It’s always top of mind because they do updates for Council every week and can see their project status in the dashboard report.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
19
“I don’t need to hear whether the managers are finding this process useful – I see it because things that were not getting done in the past are now being completed.”
“I don’t need to hear whether the managers are finding this process useful – I see it because things that were not getting done in the past are now being completed,” says Trawin. “And when we get to the year-end update, it’s easy because they have already been updating their progress throughout the year, and they see it all the time so there are no surprises.” ❖
tips & tactics Starting a Performance Management Program Getting Started:
Resources:
1.
Determine your purpose: Why are you developing a performance management program, for whom and what value will it bring to the people who have to support it?
Some resources related to local government performance measurement and performance management:
2.
Get buy-in from managers: The benefit may not always be self-evident, which means there is an opportunity for education to highlight the value to managers. There also needs to be give and take around what will be done and what managers need. This won’t happen all at once – it’s a matter of gaining trust.
3.
Be clear about long-term outcomes: Getting initial buy in and then moving ahead with another agenda is like a bait and switch, and it will undermine long-term results.
4.
Identify what you will measure: Get people to look at what they do – the services they deliver – and work through what you can measure that will show progress, as well as the potential indicators that will be meaningful. Consider carefully how indicators could be interpreted differently or possibly misrepresent outcomes.
5.
Assess data availability: Ensure that the data can be collected in a way that is sustainable (doesn’t take too much time or too many resources). Determine where to find it, and how easy it is to collect it and use it. If you’re a small local government, it may be you don’t have the resources to change anything to pull the data, so expectations have to be adjusted. You can’t completely predict up front what you’ll ultimately be able to sustain. You have to run it for a year to see what data can actually be produced before you can confirm the data for long-term use.
• Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement: An Introduction to Practice (textbook), particularly Chapters 8, 9 and 10: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/program-evaluationand-performance-measurement/book234254 • University of Victoria Performance Management Specialization Certificate and programs available through their undergraduate courses: www.uvic.ca/hsd/publicadmin/undergraduate/futurestudents/undergrad-programs/index.php • State of Victoria, Australia: ∙ State-wide community satisfaction survey report focused on local governments: www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au/__data/ assets/pdf_file/0024/66903/J00533-CSS-2017-State-wideReport.pdf#Local ∙ Council performance reporting: www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/ local-government-archived/strengthening-councils/councilperformance-reporting • Ontario provincial government reporting requirements for their Municipal Performance Measurement Program: www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page297.aspx • Performance Measurement and Reporting Framework for Sustainable Service Delivery (see The Art of Performance Management, page 6) – being presented in fall 2017 at UBCM. • CivicInfo BC visualization tools for data reporting: www.civicinfo.bc.ca under Municipalities, within each community’s content under Graphs and Data. Many thanks to Jim McDavid, Professor of Public Administration, University of Victoria for these tips and resources.
Are you taking advantage of all your membership has to offer? Learn more: www.lgma.ca or 250-383-7032
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
20
LGMA UPDATES
Meet the 2017-2018 LGMA Board The new LGMA Board of Directors was elected at the 2017 Annual General Meeting held in conjunction with the LGMA Annual Conference in Penticton. Please welcome:
President Patti Bridal
Vice President Mark Koch
Treasurer Ron Bowles
Director of Corporate Services and Deputy CAO, City of Vernon
Director of Community Services, District of Lake Country
General Manager, Corporate Services, City of Campbell River
Director at Large Heather NelsonSmith
Director of Corporate Services, District of Port Hardy
Director at Large Bill Flitton
Director at Large Madeline Mcdonald
Director of Legislative Services/ City Clerk, City of Abbotsford
Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Harrison Hot Springs
Rocky Mountain Curtis Helgesen
North Central Karla Jensen
Chief Administrative Officer, District of Elkford
Corporate Officer, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George
Chapter Directors
Vancouver Island Don Schaffer
Consultant
Thompson Okanagan Raeleen Manjak
Lower Mainland Wallace Mah
Director, Human Resources, City of Vernon
Chief Administrative Officer, District of Kent
West Kootenay Boundary Theresa Lenardon
Manager of Corporate Administration, R.D. of Kootenay Boundary
Celebrating Excellence: 2017 LGMA Awards
May 16-18 Penticton BC
We congratulate this year’s deserving award winners, who were announced at the LGMA Annual Conference:
DISTINGUISHED PARTNER AWARD
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP
DISTINGUISHED MEMBER AWARD
• Will Pearce, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Vernon
• Wally Wells, Executive Director, Asset Management BC • Eli Mina, Registered Parliamentarian
• Darlene Morgan, Chief Administrative Officer, Gitlaxt’aamiks Village
PRESIDENT’S AWARD • Bill Buholzer, Partner, Young Anderson
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
21
MEMBERS PAGE SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Board of Examiners Spotlight
Board of Examiners Seven local government employees have been recognized for their education and work experience while working in the local government field in B.C. and are being awarded a Certificate by the Board of Examiners. The following four individuals have agreed to the release of their name: Certificate in Local Government Administration • Kevin Pearson, Director of Development Services, City of Salmon Arm Certificate in Local Government Service Delivery • Adam Eason, IT Applications Manager, City of Abbotsford • Ben Van Nostrand, Team Leader, Environmental Health Services, Columbia Shuswap Regional District • Kevin Wilson, Economic Development Officer, City of Kimberley
– advertorial –
Building SustainABLE Communities Conference set for Nov. 21-24 The Fresh Outlook Foundation is hosting its seventh Building SustainABLE Communities (BSC) conference in Kelowna Nov. 21-24. The overarching theme is Innovation Through Collaboration, with sub-themes being climate action, water stewardship, food security, and community capital/ infrastructure. Other topics include community health, leadership and governance, active transportation, local prosperity, collaborative change, sustainable development and pollution solutions. Evaluation outcomes from BSC in 2013 showed that almost 80 per cent of elected officials and staff who attended adopted more sustainable plans, policies, practices, programs, projects, and partnerships as a result of what they learned and who they met. Whether you’re a mayor or a CAO, you can’t afford to miss the event that people call truly “inspiring” and “transformative.” Visit www.freshoutlookfoundation.org for more information or to register.
Jennifer Russell Deputy Corporate Officer, District of Mission ➤ Awarded a Board of Examiners Certificate in Local Government Services Delivery
What led you to the BOE? During a MATI course, I heard Alison McNeill of Capilano University speak about professional development and the value of the BOE program. As I don’t have a post-secondary degree, I was very interested in learning more about the program’s criteria, certification process and scholarships that support local government staff. Has the BOE made a difference, professionally or personally? It’s made a great difference! I joined the District of Mission 12 years ago in an entry-level position and progressed to where I now serve as Deputy Corporate Officer. The fact that the BOE Certificate recognizes both my experience and education is a real confidence-booster. In my day-to-day work, I now handle many different matters that can arise with greater assurance. I’m also working towards a Local Government Statutory Administration Certificate – a perfect fit for my current position. Were you surprised by anything in the BOE certification program? I was pleasantly surprised that courses I’ve taken over the years were transferrable to the BOE program. It’s a great validation of my previous education and certainly welcome when one is pursuing a BOE certificate while working full-time. I’m also grateful for the networking opportunities. For example, a group of us continue to connect regularly. We exchange ideas, opinions and get support – a valued resource both in my job transitions and now my current role. What would you say to someone considering the BOE and its value? Don’t hesitate! It took one phone call, and I was on my way. I haven’t come across another certification program of this type, one that recognizes credentials from a wide variety of educational institutions and on-the-job experience, with support through scholarships. It’s a great way to recognize the work and talent of local government staff.
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
22
MEMBERS PAGE MEMBER MOVEMENT Aniz Alani, Director, Property Risk Management and Legal Services, City of Abbotsford (formerly Lawyer, BC Hydro) Doug Allin, Chief Administrative Officer, Township of Spallumcheen (formerly Chief Administrative Officer, City of Grand Forks)
Thomas Knight, Director of Planning Services, City of Powell River (formerly City Planning Manager, City of Powell River) Vitali Kozubenko, Chief Financial Officer, City of Williams Lake (formerly Executive Director of Finance and Negotiations, Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services)
Scott Barry, Chief Administrative Officer, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (formerly Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Operations, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality)
Brent Molnar, Manager of Development Services and Subdivision, City of Colwood (formerly Manager of Land Development, City of Langford)
Rebecca Billard, City Clerk, Village of Burns Lake (formerly Reception and Administrative Assistant, Lakes District Maintenance Inc.)
Corey Paiement, Team Lead, Development Services, Columbia Shuswap Regional District (formerly Chief Administrative Officer, Township of Spallumcheen)
Alex Bjelica, Manager of Human Resources, City of Powell River (formerly Director of Human Resources, Inclusion Powell River)
Holly Ronnquist, Chief Financial Officer, Regional District of East Kootenay (formerly Chief Financial Officer, City of Kimberley)
Ronald Campbell, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Lantzville (formerly Interim Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Port Alice)
Raj Sharma, General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services, City of Abbotsford (formerly Senior Manager, Financial Services, Capital Regional District)
Donna Forseille, Deputy Clerk, District of Wells (formerly Manager, The Pond Enterprise Inc.)
David Svetlichny, Director of Finance, District of Summerland (formerly Chief Financial Officer, Town of Oliver)
John France, Chief Administrative Officer, Village of Sayward (formerly Chief Administrative Officer, Sunshine Coast Regional District) Bridget Horel, Community Economic Development Officer, Central Coast Regional District (formerly Economic Development Intern, Island Coastal Economic Trust)
Matt Vader, Manager of Strategic & Support Services, District of Lake Country (formerly Ward Councillor, Cars Landing) Nigel Whitehead, Director of Development Services, City of Revelstoke (formerly Senior City Planner, City of Dawson Creek)
Chris Jackson, City Clerk, City of Powell River (formerly Manager of Legislative Services, Corporate Officer, City of Nanaimo)
Andrew Yeates, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Sechelt (formerly Chief Administrative Officer, District of Ucluelet)
Kenna Jonkman, Manager Development Services Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (formerly Planning Leader, Regional District of Fraser-Fort George)
Devon Wannop, Manager of Financial Services, Town of Oliver (formerly Director of IT and Finance, Town of Taber, AB)
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
23
Carol Newsom, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Chetwynd (formerly Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Corporate Administration)
RETIREMENTS Doug Fleming, Chief Administrative Officer, District of Chetwynd Randy McLean, Chief Administrative Officer, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
2017 LGMA PROGRAMS & EVENTS August 13-18 MATI Foundations UBC-Okanagan, Kelowna September 6-8 Thompson Okanagan Chapter Annual Conference Kamloops September 8-10 Working Together: Effective Fire Service Administration for Fire Chiefs and Local Chief Administrative Officers Smithers September 20-22 Local Government Administrative Professionals Conference River Rock, Richmond September 28 CAO Breakfast Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, Vancouver October 1-6 MATI - Community Planning in Local Government Organizations (CAPU/ LGMA) The Cove Lakeside Resort, West Kelowna October 11 Bylaw Drafting & Interpretation Workshop Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, Victoria
October 11-13 Clerks and Corporate Officers Forum Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, Victoria October 22-27 MATI School for Statutory Approving Officers South Thompson Inn, Kamloops November 1-3 Vancouver Island Chapter Conference and AGM Bear Mountain Resort, Victoria November 21-23 Labour Negotiations Workshop Radisson Hotel, Richmond
2017 RELATED PARTNER PROGRAMS & EVENTS August 20-23 Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) Annual Conference Charlottetown, PEI September 25-29 Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Annual Convention Vancouver October 15-17 BC Municipal Occupational Health & Safety Conference (BC Municipal Safety Association) Penticton October 22-25 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference San Antonio, TX
MEMBERS PAGE
Located on the banks of Howe Sound and surrounded by a spectacular mountain backdrop and temperate rainforest, Squamish is recognized world-wide for its culture, recreation and mountain lifestyle. The town that was once known primarily for its logging operations and rail infrastructure is now supported by a diversity of sectors.
TOURISM SQUAMISH | EXPLORE SQUAMISH | #EXPLORESQUAMISH | EXPLORESQUAMISH.COM
OUR TOWN: DISTRICT OF SQUAMISH It does not take long to figure out that Squamish is in the midst of significant growth. Drive down almost any road and you are certain to see a new home, building or business in development. Stop by any local hotspot and you will hear the chatter of a changing town. Located on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish Squamish Nation at the northern tip of a glacially etched fjord on the Pacific Ocean, and surrounded by a spectacular mountain backdrop and temperate rainforest, Squamish (Skwxwú7mesh) is recognized worldwide for its culture, recreation and incredible mountain lifestyle. At just under 20,000, Squamish‘s population has grown by nearly 14 per cent in the last five years, almost three times that of the average growth in British Columbia. Not only is the town experiencing fast-paced growth, its population is relatively young, with a median age of 37.5 years compared to that of British Columbia of 42.3 years. From the proximity of the Lower Mainland and more affordable housing prices, to improved highway access and international recognition as a place to live, work and play, Squamish has been on the radar of many young families in pursuit of work-life balance. Whether you are a climber, mountain biker, kite boarder, hiker, naturalist or backcountry skier, Squamish offers locals and visitors alike world-class outdoor recreation while serving as a unique selling proposition for companies in attracting and retaining employees.
While many know Squamish for its outdoor recreation, the town has another side: its cultural capital is expanding, providing vibrant experiences for the people who live and visit here. With a full summer of events and festivals, Squamish’s events mirror the industries that have flocked here. On any given weekend, bike races, beer festivals and community celebrations stretch from the heart of the downtown to our world-famous backyard playground. Likely drawn by the lifestyle and proximity to Vancouver, the town also seems to be a magnet for entrepreneurs. From clean-tech and rec-tech, to education and tourism as well as advanced building systems and its deep-sea terminals, the town once known primarily for its logging operations and rail infrastructure is now supported by a diversity of sectors. While Squamish is on a trajectory of growth benefiting from its location and natural setting, the town is not absent of any challenges. In the last year, the average home assessment value increased by 40 per cent. With its growing population and increasing cost of living, there is also pressure for more local employment at higher wages, along with the services and amenities that support this growth. Town residents, however, are not ones to sit idle. The considerable involvement in the community by our citizens is working to ensure that their vision for Squamish is realized and the reasons people choose this community as their home, for their business or to visit are aligned. – Kate Mulligan, Economic Development Officer
Promoting Professional Management & Leadership Excellence in Local Government
24