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2016 CAMA E-Brief Partner:


Alberta Members: September 2 Deadline for Proposed Amendment to the Alberta Human Rights Act
The Government of Alberta is considering an amendment to clarify Section 11 of the Alberta Human Rights Act to make it clear that Alberta employers and organizations can develop targeted recruitment and hiring programs aimed at specific groups of people. These programs are often designed to improve the circumstances of disadvantaged individuals such as women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities or visible minorities.  The proposed amendment would provide employers who choose to implement these types of programs with a clear defence from a human rights challenge.

The Government of Alberta is seeking feedback on the proposed change through an online survey that will close on September 2, 2016.   Questions may be directed to Heather Collier, Director of Women’s Economic Security, Status of Women, by email or phone at 780-427-3975.



Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow: 2016 Smart Energy Communities Awards
QUEST announced that the nomination deadline for the 2016 Smart Energy Communities Awards has been extended to Thursday September 8, 2016.  QUEST is seeking nominations from Utility and Energy Service Providers, the Real Estate Sector (owners, operators and builders) and the Local Public Service Sector (and their agencies, boards, & commissions), universities, schools, and hospitals.

The QUEST Smart Energy Communities Awards are presented annually to recognize leadership and innovation in advancing Smart Energy Communities in Canada.  Smart Energy Communities improve energy efficiency, enhance reliability, cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"Awards will be presented on October 17, 2016 in front of up to 350 national and international leaders from Local Government, Utilities & Energy Service Providers, the Real Estate Sector, and Clean Technology & Service Providers at the QUEST2016 10th anniversary Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony." said Tonja Leach, Acting Executive Director, QUEST.

QUEST2016, Smart Energy Communities for Jobs, Infrastructure & Climate Leadership, will take place from October 17-19 in Calgary, Alberta.   To submit a nomination or get more information about the 2016 Smart Energy Communities Awards visit www.questcanada.org/2016awards



Canadian Dinner at the 2016 ICMA Conference - Kansas City
CAMA members who are attending the upcoming ICMA Conference being held in Kansas City, Missouri from September 24-27, 2016 are invited to the Canadian Dinner which will be held on Monday, September 26th, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at Johnny's Tavern.  Details have been sent directly to you via e-mail.  We look forward to seeing you there!



RECRUITING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
One of CAMA’s goals is to ensure that we are providing new and existing municipal administrators with information and a network, that assists them in their role; encourages the next generation of leaders; and, promotes the importance of the Professional Municipal Administrator.

This is just a reminder of two particular projects that CAMA recently launched related to recruiting the next generation of leaders in municipal government. 

A Toolkit to Attract The Next Generation

CAMA is pleased to have completed the first year of a two year Communications partnership with six of our Provincial/Territorial Associations:  LGMA (British Columbia), AMCTO (Ontario), OMAA (Ontario), LGAA (Alberta), ARMAA (Alberta), and AMANB (New Brunswick). 

One of the goals was to increase awareness of municipal administration as a career choice for students among academia/leadership in institutions which offer Public Administration and recruiting the next generation of municipal leaders.  A survey was undertaken by Insights West to gain insights into young Canadians’ current perceptions of municipal and local government careers; to measure awareness and familiarity with municipal and local governments; and, to compare and contrast perceptions of municipal and local government careers to those in federal and provincial governments.  The overall objective of this project is to develop a communications strategy that will encourage younger Canadians to consider careers in this field. 

A toolkit is currently being prepared that can be used to attract new employees to the local government profession as a great place to start to build a career with the main audience being the “soon to be post secondary graduates”.
 
We are pleased to provide you with the executive summary of the Insights West research.  The full report can be found in the Member’s Section of the CAMA website.  This report has some interesting insights which you may wish to pass along to your Human Resources Department’s when recruiting your own employees.
 
CAMA’s Next Generation Project

CAMA also launched its “Cultivating Leadership:  A Guide for the Next Generation in Local Government” project in July 2016.  Feel free to pass this document on to your employees in your organization.

Considerable research and a survey of the membership was undertaken to guide the development of our new Strategic Plan which was launched in April 2016.  From that information, it was determined that a number of trends are emerging that could impact local government in the future.  Over the next five years, municipal senior management and elected officials should therefore expect to operate in a context of radical, ongoing, and accelerating change, which will require strong leadership.  On the other hand, it is a unique opportunity to attract and retain talented people, committed to the mission of local government and ready to embrace a change.

There is a demographic shift happening in CAMA’s membership which will likely also result in different expectations.  Given the impending retirement of a significant number of municipal administrators, municipalities have an opportunity to promote the positive rewards of having a career in local government. 

This project was designed in recognition of the importance of providing useful career advice to the next generation of local government leaders, and to provide an opportunity for our more experienced CAMA members to give back to the profession.  It is our hope that it will help CAMA members at different stages of their career, students considering a career in local government, and potential future CAMA members.  This is also a great resource to share with direct reports and managers throughout your organization.

“What Advice Would You Give to the Next Generation of Municipal Leaders?”  We posed this question to experienced CAOs from across the country to get their guidance on what it takes to make it in this profession.  We asked them to share their accomplishments, challenges faced, some of the most important lessons learned, and the key competencies and skill sets required now and in the future to be great leaders. 

It is our hope that this wealth of information will assist all of us to create stronger municipalities and communities.  We want the next generation of leaders to be ready!


 

CAMA Awards of Excellence Presented by Ravenhill Group Inc.
   
Ravenhill Group Inc. proudly presented the CAMA Awards of Excellence at the 44th Annual Conference held in Jasper, Alberta. Ravenhill Group is Canada’s municipal search specialists, meeting the growing demand for excellent Chief Administrative Officers and other municipal leaders through ethical head-hunting™. Ravenhill does this by bringing the very best men and women face to face with the opportunity in a municipality … an opportunity that they were unaware of because - simply put - they weren't thinking of a job change. Please visit: www.ravenhillgroup.com for more information.

 

City of Maple Ridge, BC: Winner of 2016 CAMA Professional Development Award ( 20,001 - 100,000 population)

 
 
Left to Right:  Bruce Malcolm, President, Ravenhill Group Inc.; Kelly Swift, Manager of Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services, City of Maple Ridge; Don MacLellan, CAMA Past President; Marc Landry, CAMA Representative for Alberta and NWT/2016 Awards Chair


The City of Maple Ridge, BC received national recognition for its Business Administration Diploma Program from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).  The City was presented with the 2016 CAMA Professional Development Award, in the 20,001 to 100,000 population category, during CAMA’s national conference in Winnipeg, MB.  

The City of Maple Ridge recognizes that their employees are their greatest asset.  They appreciate the benefit of investing in them to increase engagement, retention, and address any future needs identified in the succession planning process.
 
To support employees, the City explored the possibility of offering internal post-secondary programs in a cohort format that aligned with its Training and Development Policy. These programs address educational gaps for staff, and create opportunities for enhancing business knowledge to strategically align employees with projects.
 
In 2012, the City formally partnered with British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to host a post-secondary program that would either support a Diploma of Business Management or Bachelor of Business Administration. The intent was to provide a cohort atmosphere supporting full-time and part-time staff to enhance their formal education while maintaining their employment status.
 
Recognizing that many staff would not otherwise have had this opportunity, Maple Ridge implemented a blended format of on-site campus and on-line studies providing further flexibility for staff.
 
As a result of the program, eight of the students have moved into more senior roles and other employees have experienced professional growth.  Seven strategic projects have been completed, supporting a variety of departments.  Graduation of the entire cohort is anticipated in January 2018.

Congratulations to the City of Maple Ridge on this outstanding achievement!
 


What's Happening In ...
SEPTEMBER 2016
OCTOBER 2016
 



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