JUNE’13
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER
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Kathleen Barsoum from Waste Management presented her lessons on climate change and using waste as a resource at TEDxRegionOfWaterloo.
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Quality of Life
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The Employee Awards for Values Excellence provide recognition to staff who have demonstrated actions that exemplify our values in their day-to-day work with colleagues, citizens/customers or community partners. On June 4, the Rave awards for this year were presented to 110 Regional employees. Almost 300 staff were nominated by their peers for living our Regional values. Recipients were selected by a group of senior staff from across the organization and represented each of our five Regional values: service, integrity, respect, innovation and collaboration. Visit the employee portal for details on each award recipient. A big congratulations to all award recipients and nominees!
Innovation Station, pg. 5
We heard you!, pg. 6
Celebrating our diversity, pg. 6
Malik Saqib, IT Services, having some fun with TEDx performer, Joseph Peplinski, a student from Waste Management.
Mark Your Calendars
Webinar Series To register for the webinars below, visit the employee portal and click on the ‘values’ icon or contact Lorie Fioze at ext. 4758.
MindLab: Citizen Centered Innovation Hub July 3, 9 - 10 a.m. Presenter: Christian Bason, Director of Innovation from the Government of Denmark
Strategies to Support Social Innovation July 9, 12 - 1 p.m. Presenter: Cheryl Rose, Associate Director, Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience
Innovation and Service July 15, 12 - 1 p.m. Presenter: Faye Schmidt, Consultant Specializing in Service Improvement and Organizational Development
Sunnyside Foundation Golf Tournament Monday, September 9, 12 noon Conestoga Country Club The tournament was sold out last year and there was a waiting list. Don’t be disappointed. Register early by contacting Brenda Schmidt at bschmidt@regionofwaterloo.ca or ext. 4411.
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Torn From Home: My Life as a Refugee is on exhibit at the Waterloo Region Museum until September 2, 2013. The exhibition provides families with an opportunity to better understand the hardships and hopes experienced by refugee children and their families worldwide. In conjunction with Torn From Home, the Waterloo Region Museum explores the history of offering refuge in Waterloo Region. Associated special activities planned for the Torn From Home exhibit include:
Torn From Home TALKS Series Monday afternoons in June from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Presenters discuss refugee issues and re-settlement in Waterloo Region. For more information, visit www.waterlooregionmuseum.com or call 519-748-1914.
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Staff Spotlight
Samer Inchasi Manager of Rapid Transit Coordination, Rapid Transit
My name is Samer Inchasi but please call me Sam. I’m a Civil Engineering graduate from Ryerson and a practicing Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and Project Management Professional (PMP). I’ve worked in both the private and public sectors prior to joining the Region in early 2010. My current role is Manager of Rapid Transit Coordination. Prior to joining Rapid Transit, I was a Senior Project Manager in Design & Construction.
What do you consider the biggest challenge in your job? What is the most rewarding?
There are no challenges that cannot be overcome. Given the magnitude and complexity of the ION project, the impacts during and post-construction all need to be well understood, so solutions can be developed and effectively communicated to stakeholders and partners. The preparation of the Request for Proposal (RFP), Project Agreement (PA), and Output Specifications have been a major undertaking involving the entire team (Rapid Transit staff, Region staff and advisors). I’m happy to say we’ve achieved this successful milestone and have released the documents to the three short-listed consortiums in the running to build ION. As we embark on the next steps, I can say that I’m very excited. The most rewarding part of my job will come when I see ION in operation in a few years and know that I have contributed positively to its success.
What personal skills are essential to the work you do? Communication, technical and organization skills are essential for me to perform my duties.
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What do you do to relax after a long day? After a long day of work, I look forward to coming home to see my wife and our two wonderful children, Ziad and Zara. Just being outdoors, or reading a story to my kids at bedtime relaxes and regenerates me. What is your favourite meal? I have a love for food, especially anything with seafood.
What is your favourite holiday and why? I look forward to the Christmas holiday in December. It gives me a chance to visit family and friends, here and abroad.
If you could travel to one place, where would you go? Bora Bora! (It will take some time to save up for this trip.)
Do you know someone who would like to be spotlighted? Do you have suggestions for new Spotlight questions? Email your ideas to connections@regionofwaterloo.ca
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Regional innovation showcased at TEDXRegionOfWaterloo The recent TEDx event at the Region of Waterloo Museum was by all accounts a spectacular success! The TED style format featured seven presenters including: Nicole Francoeur and Colin Plant who spoke about the innovative work being done at STEP Home; Bob Henderson who demonstrated the Region’s new Traffic Tracker Phone App; Laurie Nagge who spoke about the Region’s new smoke-free policy for multi-unit community housing; Kathleen Barsoum who presented a humorous yet enlightening talk on recycling at home; and Pat Fisher who spoke about a recent research study into the walkability of our communities. Mike Murray also shared leadership lessons from his many trips into the wild, travelling by canoe. The TEDx event featured some very talented staff performances by Tom Kurevija, Joseph Peplinksi, Jeff Ham, Sean Berry, John Thomson, Julie Hill and the Sunnyside Serenaders. Video of selected portions of the event will be posted to the employee portal throughout the summer.
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All aboard . . . ION! On May 8, 2013, Regional Council approved ION as the brand name for the Region's rapid transit service. ION has a number of meanings, including ‘going’ in Greek. ION links to the academic and scientific communities in Waterloo Region as well as the pioneering heritage of electricity in the area. It is an innovative, memorable and distinct brand name that will provide plenty of inspiration for the Region to tell the rapid transit story, now and in the future. Next steps in the brand development process: creating a logo for the service. Work has started on this design, including graphics, typeface and colours. Public feedback will be collected through a series of focus group sessions. The comments received will help Regional staff make a final recommendation to Council on the logo later this summer. For all the latest news and information on the Region's rapid transit service, visit www.regionofwaterloo.ca/rapidtransit or contact Kimberly Moser, Manager of Community Relations at ext. 3461.
ROW Goes Wireless ITS (Information Technology Services) is now offering wireless access to the internet and the Region’s secure network in many Regional buildings. Wireless benefits everyone: • Employees will be able to wirelessly and securely access the Region’s network; this means access to email, TAMS, DOCS and any other application that requires the Regional network. • The Organization will have improved access to information, communication tools and will maximize meeting efficiency. • Citizens will have access to the internet while visiting or working in Regional buildings. Visit the portal for locations and instructions on how to connect.
Coming Soon - Virtual Private Network (VPN) The VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows you to access your work files and applications anywhere you have an internet connection. Having VPN means you can access your work files, including TAMS, from home, hotels or a coffee shop. Your computing experience is the same as if you were in the office. The new VPN is available on all Regional laptops with Windows 7, and is being added to existing laptops this summer. Can’t wait? Contact the ITS service desk to have VPN installed on your Region laptop today. ITS– we’re here to help.
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Accessibility training will make a positive difference
Introducing the Innovation Station‌ Do you have an idea that could help improve on a service, policy or process? Could you improve on equipment or technology use, or reduce costs? If you have an idea that is innovative we want to hear from you! The Innovation Station, recently launched at TEDx, is an online tool that allows staff to post their ideas to a collaborative forum. Ideas may be new or already in use and will perhaps help others at the Region solve an existing problem or improve on a service. All ideas will be reviewed within the program area responsible. A collection of ideas will be posted to the portal. You could be the catalyst for the next innovation at the Region of Waterloo! Contact Lorie Fioze for access to the online Innovation Station. For more information, click the values icon on the portal.
We recognize the work we do at the Region builds trust and improves the quality of life in our community. An important aspect of our work is to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, has the same access to our programs and services. Therefore the Region is excited to launch corporate wide accessibility training for all staff on the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulation (IASR). This legislated training will help staff understand the general requirements under Information and Communication and Employment Standards. The training will be provided in multiple ways to suit the needs of the different program areas. It will be available online through the employee portal, which will enable staff with internet access to complete the training modules at their own convenience. For staff without internet access, training can be deployed in team meetings or through brochures. Training content has been provided for free by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario which allows for consistency in training across the province. For more information about the IASR training, please contact Gina Hickman, Service Planning Associate (Citizen Service) at ghickman@regionofwaterloo.ca or ext. 3861.
Hate traffic and congestion? Now YOU can help improve commute times! The Region is committed to improving daily commute times on our Regional road network. For the next several months we will be collecting traffic congestion data on Regional roads. With the use of an innovative mobile phone GPS app that has been developed to track traffic slow-downs as you drive, the public can now assist in collecting traffic data on the most congested Regional roads in Waterloo Region. This real-time road data will assist us in prioritizing and focusing in on roads that may need improvements such as changes to traffic signal timing, new turning lanes or roundabouts. Interested participants can find out more and will be asked to fill out a
quick survey on the Region of Waterloo’s website. Participants who qualify will be sent a link to download the application to their mobile phone. The data will be collected from May through August 2013. For more information on the traffic tracker, contact Bob Henderson, Manager of Transportation Engineering at ext. 4515.
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Celebrating our diversity Waterloo Region is recognized as an excellent place to live and work, and as our population grows, so too does the diversity of our workforce. The highest rate of growth among those who identify as having a religious affiliation is our Muslim population at a growth rate of 106 per cent over a 10 year period (2001-2011). The next in order of growth are Hindu at 52 per cent, Sikh at 48 per cent, Buddhist at 40 per cent, and those professing the Jewish faith at 38 per cent. The Region of Waterloo would like to publish your stories of religious observance as part of the Region’s effort to promote diversity awareness among our employees. Specifically,
the Connections newsletter. To register, please visit the Diversity and Inclusion tab on the portal and complete the form provided. All those that register will receive a call back to arrange an interview time where you will be able to relate your story in detail. Following the interview, you will confirm the suitability of your story before publication. we are looking for stories that highlight significant events and religious practices. By sharing your story you help co-workers better understand and appreciate your unique heritage and the significance that your culture has for you. Stories will be published on the portal and in
We heard you!
The results of the Survey results identify priority employee survey areas to improve engagement were released this spring. The survey results indicated that there are two priority areas the Region should focus on in order to better engage employees. They are to increase dialogue with employees and encourage employee contributions.
For questions or more information, contact Carl Nattrass, Social Work student, at ext. 3208. For questions on the Region’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, please contact: Lorie Fioze 519-575-4758 lfioze@regionofwaterloo.ca
Regional commercials win award! The Region of Waterloo’s “Touchpoints” commercial campaign has been awarded a Gold Quill Award of Excellence by the International Association of Business Communicators. The six commercials, which highlight a variety of Regional programs and services, are currently being aired on CTV and social media. They originally aired in August/September 2012. The commercials were produced by PrismaLight and feature staff members and their families.
Dialogue with employees means increasing communications at both the corporate level and with your supervisor. Encouraging employee contribution is about getting employee’s input into changes and making better use of employee’s skills and developing them. After consulting with various groups across the organization, there have been a number of actions suggested to address these two areas. You can have your say into the actions the Region takes by voting either on the portal or through paper forms found in the bulletin boards in your work areas (for those areas without regular portal access).
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Five-year-old Noah is the son of Kay Heu (Human Resources). He acted in the Region’s water commercial.
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Poverty reduction: What role do you play? Recently, as part of the Region’s Comprehensive Approach to Poverty Reduction, staff were challenged to share their stories and thoughts about how their work contributes (either directly or indirectly) to poverty reduction. When you think about it, one way or another, staff from every department play an important role in reducing poverty and this contributes significantly to an inclusive, thriving and sustainable community. Thank you to those who enthusiastically submitted stories that will be used in a variety of ways. Below, read about perspectives from a bus operator, a community engagement coordinator, and a police services inspector about how they are making a difference every day. Darlene Wilson, Grand River Transit Bus Operator Working as a Transit Bus Operator at the Region of Waterloo brings with it the opportunity to make a difference every day in the lives of people within the region. From something as little as a warm greeting to the people who board our buses – to making the time for a conversation concerning their present struggles – I feel I am making a significant contribution in giving people value, regardless of their socio-economic status. Recognizing the important issue of poverty in our community, and valuing people experiencing poverty is a critical component of poverty
reduction in our community. I am proud to serve the members of this community as a public service employee, and feel especially privileged to be able to play a part making a difference in creating awareness and reducing poverty in our community. Juanita Metzger, Community Engagement Coordinator, Crime Prevention Council In my work with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, I am just one person among hundreds in our community who make a commitment, every day, to work at prevention. Collectively, our work is all about crime prevention through social development which looks different in many corners of our community. In our office, our daily work is bringing together community partners to reduce and prevent crime, victimization and fear of crime by advancing social development for ALL in our community. We know there are many risk factors for crime and we acknowledge that these risk factors are entirely preventable. Our crime prevention efforts address all of the various risk factors, including poverty. In addition to the community-based and system level work of the Crime
Prevention Council, I always strive for inclusion, ensuring that people with lived experience (including people who are low-income) are involved in meaningful and collaborative ways in the work of prevention. Together, our voices keep prevention at the forefront of our community social development agenda. Inspector Mark Bullock, Support Services, Waterloo Regional Police Services As police officers, we see and deal with poverty everyday. Officers interact daily with people who are affected by the reality of poverty. Because our police officers are keenly aware that poverty exists within our community, we act as a conduit to find and direct people in need to resources that can help. Poverty reduction starts with the awareness that a problem exists. Helping people to access the supports they require is often the first step to helping people transition towards a better future and a better life.
What role do you play? For more information about the Region’s Comprehensive Approach to Poverty Reduction, contact Social Planning, Policy and Program Administration at 519-883-2117.
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From blue boxes to the BlackBerry, our community has a rich history of innovation. This tradition of innovation continues within our organization. In fact, you may be surprised at some of the novel approaches we’re taking to meet the needs of citizens in this community. Here are just a few examples: 䊳
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The Region’s “Traffic Tracker” GPS mobile phone app was recently launched to help us track areas of congestion on Regional roads. The data we receive will help us make changes to improve daily commute times. STEP Home is a unique collaboration of programs and services coordinated by the Region that works to end persistent homelessness in Waterloo Region by offering tailored support and flexible options for clients. This program won an Innovation Award from the Canadian Urban Institute last year. The biosolids heat-drying facility that the Region is planning to build will be partially powered using waste heat from a nearby private company. This will reduce costs and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
range from day-to-day improvements in a specific work area to large program changes that affect the whole community.
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” – Albert Einstein The Region has also been working to foster and support a creative environment to encourage innovation among our employees. From providing professional development opportunities, to continuously improving our best practices, we want employees to have the opportunity to share new ideas and explore creative solutions. Innovation can happen at all levels and at all scales within our organization. It can Do you have a question for Mike? Send it to connections@regionofwaterloo.ca
TEDxRegionOfWaterloo was held for staff on June 13. This unique event encouraged employees to share their ideas, successes and challenges while living the value of innovation. The event featured presentations on Regional innovations, live entertainment, and time for staff to share stories and ideas related to innovation in the public sector. We also recently launched the “Innovation Station”, an online collaborative tool that allows staff to post and comment on innovative ideas. These could be new solutions to existing problems, or ideas that are already in use, but that could be applied elsewhere in the Region. Finally, we are hosting a series of lunch hour webinars that focus on innovation. The webinar talks are open to all staff and will feature a guest speaker who shares ideas about innovation-themed topics. I encourage you to participate in these events and to continue to put our value of innovation into practice.
movie Planes was a hit On June 1 and 2, the with the kids. With over skies were filled with 25 food vendors in aircrafts of all types “Food Truck Alley”, the from cartoon-like airport was brimming characters to heavywith delicious treats. duty jets performing The jet car was racing the aircraft, when the pyro went off (intentionally) amazing aerobatics. Despite rainy weather, and the jet car won! The crowd enjoyed the and high winds, the antics of Ken Pietsch show continued, and many residents. landing his aircraft on a moving all performers had the chance to The Canadian Forces Snowbirds gave an entertain the crowds. Many thanks to all Winnebago camper, as well as the awe inspiring performance on both days, of the volunteers who helped make this pyrotechnics demo with the CF18 jet, and with all eyes to the sky for the incredible event a success. Clear skies, and soft a jet car racing an aircraft! The Waterloo formation flying of nine graceful Tudor Airshow has become a tradition in landings, see you next year! Jets. Dusty, from the upcoming Disney Waterloo Region, much to the delight of
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