FAQs
Documents
- How do I search for a specific document?
- I can't find the document I'm looking for. How can I get help?
- How do I contribute documents to the CivicInfo BC online library?
Education
- Why do you list some post secondary institutions on your site and not others?
- How often do you update the course information?
- What is the "Intermunicipal Training Database"?
- What is the "LGI Bibliographic Database"?
Event Registrations & Event Listings
- How do I list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
- Is there a cost to list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
- How much does it cost to use CivicInfo BC’s online registration service?
- What is the RSS Events Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS Events Feed?
Forum & discussion boards
- Who can use the discussion boards?
- My posting has been deleted. Why?
- Where can I find detailed instructions on how to use the forums and discussion boards?
Job Postings
- How do I list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
- How much does it cost to list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
- I am hiring several people, and my ad is on a single page. Can you charge me for a single posting?
- Can I search through old job postings?
- What is the RSS Jobs Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS Jobs Feed?
Local government directories
- Do you have a list of all the Mayors (or Chief Administrative Officers, or Clerks, or Treasurers)?
- Can I get a complete electronic copy of your directories?
- How current and accurate are your directories?
- Do you have a complete list of local government websites?
- Do you have a listing of other agencies in the BC local government sector?
- How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
News stories
- Where does CivicInfo BC get its news stories?
- How do I submit a story to CivicInfo BC?
- What is the RSS News Feed?
- How do I subscribe to the RSS News Feed?
Newsletter
- Who subscribes to your e-mail newsletter?
- How do I subscribe to your e-mail newsletter?
- Does CivicInfo BC sell its subscriber list?
- When is the e-mail newsletter published?
- Is there a cost to post an announcement in the newsletter?
Suppliers Directory
- How much does it cost to purchase a Supplier's Directory listing?
- What services does my listing package include?
Documents
How do I search for a specific document?
CivicInfo BC's "Find Documents" feature indexes approximately 100,000
document using search technology from Google, the world's leading search
engine company. To find a specific document, simply enter the key words
you are searching for, just as you would when conducting a regular internet
search using the Google search engine. The search will return documents
found on local government websites across BC, and documents found only
in CivicInfo BC's archive.
Those who use our "Find Documents" feature can refine their searches by using all of the "Advanced Search" features offered by the regular Google search engine. See: http://www.google.ca/help/refinesearch.html for details.
I can't find the document I'm looking for. How can I get help?
Personal assistance is available at no cost if your organization is a member of the CivicInfo BC Society. (99% of BC local governments are members.) Just call our office in Victoria at 250-383-4898, and we will gladly help you find what you need.
How do I contribute documents to the CivicInfo BC online library?
Please send your documents by e-mail to info@civicinfo.bc.ca. We welcome sample bylaws, policies, best practice guides, reports to council, and virtually any other document that may be of interest to professionals working in the BC local government sector.
Education
Why do you list some post secondary institutions on your site and not others?
In the "Education" section, CivicInfo BC lists only institutions and organizations that offer courses or programs leading toward certification by the Provincial Board of Examiners. For more information about the Board of Examiners, and the certificates it awards in Local Government Management and Administration, please see http://www.mcaws.gov.bc.ca/lgd/pol_research/BOE/.
How often do you update the course information?
We update our course information twice a year; before academic terms begin in the fall and spring. As required, we also make small changes to the course information throughout the year.
What is the "Intermunicipal Training Database"?
The Intermunicipal Training Database is a joint initiative of the Local Government Management Association of BC, the Government Finance Officer's Association of BC, and CivicInfo BC. Using this tool, local government staff can look up, and request to attend, in-house training opportunities offered by other local governments. The database is maintained by the Local Government Management Association, and technical support and hosting is provided by CivicInfo BC.
What is the "LGI Bibliographic Database"?
The Local Government Institute (LGI) Bibliographic Database was created in the mid-1990s by the School of Public Administration, at the University of Victoria. It was an early effort to help local government practitioners find documents via the internet - an extremely innovative concept at the time. While the database only contains bibliographic records, and has not been updated in several years, it is still a valuable resource for researchers. At the request of the LGI, the database was moved to a permanent home on the CivicInfo BC server in 2002.
If you have questions about the LGI Bibliographic Database, please contact Cindy Vallance at the University of Victoria, 250-721-8071.
Event Registrations & Event Listings
How do I list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
Simply send your event information to info@civicinfo.bc.ca, and if it
is of interest to those in the BC local government sector, we will generally
post it. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse at our sole discretion.
Is there a cost to list an event on the CivicInfo BC website?
No. Posting event information is a free service.
How much does it cost to use CivicInfo BC’s online registration
service?
As a fundraising activity, CivicInfo BC offers online event registration
services. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/32.asp for complete
details, including prices.
What is the RSS Events Feed?
RSS stands for “Rich Site Summary” or “Really Simple
Syndication”. Using an RSS reader, such as Sharp
Reader, you can receive direct and near-instant notification when
any new event is posted to the CivicInfo BC website. For more details
about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS Events Feed?
Copy and paste this address into your RSS reader: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/event_rss.asp.
Forum and Discussion boards
Who can use the discussion boards?
The forums provided on the CivicInfo BC website are for those who work for member organizations of the CivicInfo BC Society. Specific forums may be limited to specific professional groups. Forum moderators may, at their sole discretion, grant or deny access to any specific user for any reason.
My posting has been deleted. Why?
Any posting may be deleted at the sole discretion of a forum moderator. A posting will not usually be deleted unless it is considered slanderous, libelous, racist, or generally inappropriate.
Where can I find detailed instructions on how to use the forums and discussion boards?
A complete list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the online forums can be found at http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/phpbb2/faq.php.
Job postings
How do I list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
E-mail your posting to jobpostings@lgma.ca, or info@civicinfo.bc.ca.
The job posting service is offered in partnership with the Local
Government Management Association of British Columbia.
How much does it cost to list a job on the CivicInfo BC website?
Single job postings are $425, plus GST. Discounts on package purchases
are available if your organization is both active in the Local
Government Management Association, and a member of the CivicInfo
BC. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/162.asp for
details.
I am hiring several people, and my ad is on a single page.
Can you charge me for a single posting?
No. The price is per job, not per page. Exceptions to this rule
are made if you are hiring two or more people for the same position,
or if the positions you are filling are closely related to one
another.
Can I search through old job postings?
Yes. You can search for old postings by professional category, by date,
or by local government. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/163.asp.
This is a very useful feature if you are looking for language to use
in your own job posting.
What is the RSS Jobs Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Using
an RSS reader, such as Sharp Reader , you can receive direct and near-instant
notification when any new job is posted to the CivicInfo BC website.
For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS Jobs Feed?
Copy and paste this address into your RSS reader: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/job_rss.asp.
Local Government Directories
Do you have a list of all the Mayors (or Chief Administrative Officers, or Clerks, or Treasurers)?
Yes. CivicInfo BC maintains lists of elected officials and senior staff. To see a contact list for a specific community, simply type in the community's name into the "Organization Finder" box that appears in the left hand margin of every page of our site. You can also use our "Find Organizations" page at www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp.
Can I get a complete electronic copy of your directories?
To protect our members from unsolicited mail and e-mail, CivicInfo BC does not sell the directories it maintains. CivicInfo BC does, however, occasionally share its directories with other government agencies.
How current and accurate are your directories?
Directories are updated on an ongoing basis, but in general each record is checked for accuracy every three months.
Do you have a complete list of local government websites?
Yes. See www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp and select "Show All Local Governments", or click on this link: www.civicinfo.bc.ca/111.asp?showAll=yes.
Do you have a listing of other agencies in the BC local government sector?
Yes. These agencies appear in a drop down menu at the bottom of www.civicinfo.bc.ca/11.asp. You may also find them by typing their names into the "Organization Finder" box appearing in the left hand margin of each page.
How does CivicInfo BC protect personal privacy?
All of the information contained in CivicInfo BC's databases is in the
public domain, and our lists contain no personal information.
News Stories
Where does CivicInfo BC get its news stories?
Local governments and the Province of BC frequently send their press
releases to CivicInfo BC. CivicInfo BC also combs newspapers from across
the province looking for stories. When a story comes from a community
paper, CivicInfo posts a short pieces of that story, with a link back
to the online edition of the newspaper it came from.
How do I submit a story to CivicInfo BC?
Send your story to info@civicinfo.bc.ca, and if it is of interest to those in the BC local government sector, we will generally post it. We do, however, reserve the right to refuse at our sole discretion.
What is the RSS News Feed?
RSS stands for "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication". Using
an RSS reader, such as Sharp Reader , you can receive direct and near-instant
notification when any news story is posted to the CivicInfo BC website.
For more details about how RSS works, please see www.civicinfo.bc.ca/56.asp.
How do I subscribe to the RSS News Feed?
Copy and paste this address into your RSS reader: http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/news_rss.asp.
Newsletter
Who subscribes to your e-mail newsletter?
Our subscribers include local government managers, elected officials, provincial employees, students, and business people who work with local governments. Anyone is free to subscribe to our e-mail newsletter.
How do I subscribe to your e-mail newsletter?
Enter your e-mail address into the "Newsletter" subscription box located in the left hand margin of every page of our website. You can unsubscribe at any time at www.civicinfo.bc.ca/unsubscribe.asp.
Does CivicInfo BC sell its subscriber list?
No, CivicInfo does not sell or share its subscriber list. E-mail addresses are used solely for the purpose of distributing the e-mail newsletter.
When is the e-mail newsletter published?
The newsletter is published on Fridays. When Friday is a holiday, the newsletter is published on Thursday.
Is there a cost to post an announcement in the newsletter?
There is no cost for local governments that are members of the CivicInfo BC Society to post an announcement. For private firms, the cost to run an advertisement in the "Sponsor's Corner" section of the newsletter is $75 per week, plus GST.
Suppliers Directory
How much does it cost to purchase a Supplier's Directory listing?
A one-year listing in the Supplier's Directory is $200, plus GST.
What services does my listing package include?
With your purchase, you receive a complete listing that includes your firm's logo, contact information, e-mail and web address, and a description of your services. You also receive three 75-word ads in our e-mail newsletter, which you can choose to use at any time within a year of your purchase.
