muniBLOG Archives

Are you meeting your AODA Requirements?

Evac Chair pic

Attention Human Resources & Employers

EVAC+CHAIR has been around for more than 30 years and the Company expanded its operations into Canada in early 2014, to meet growing demand here. The company’s core client base is public sector facilities and healthcare but now with changing accessibility legislation across the country they have focused on private corporations and businesses. Jim Closs, managing partner, EVAC+CHAIR Canada, says the device has started to attract the attention of human resource directors as it answers the question of providing a safe workplace to all those in need as well along with those who may have entered their workplace with a disability.

The emergence of the untapped populous of persons with physical disabilities entering or re-entering the work force means that employers need to ensure their staff’s complete safety in the workplace including the ability to evacuate quickly.

EVAC+CHAIR is designed to help evacuate people with limited or impaired mobility when the stairs are the only way out of a building. The 20-pound tool, which has a capacity of 400 pounds, can be stored flat on the wall. When needed, users can dismount and unfold it in around 10 seconds.

The Industrial Designers Society of America has recognized the EVAC+CHAIR with a Design of the Decade Award. The tool has also been credited with saving lives in the evacuation of New York’s World Trade Center towers on 9/11.

EVAC+CHAIR bears a lifetime warranty and comes with a mounting wall bracket, vinyl dust cover, instructional DVD, full- colour user guide and patient restraints.

For more information, visit www.evac-chair.ca or email [email protected]

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Municipal Procurement Is More Than Just RFPs

businessman-contact-sign-vector_23-2147491074

Municipal Procurement Is More Than Just RFPs

Over the past few months we’ve been out at a number of municipal conferences and events, and it always surprises me to hear the number of folks who think municipalities are only able to procure goods or services via the RFP (Request for Proposal) process. They express their dislike for the process and they report the process discourages many small and medium enterprises from attempting to find work in municipalities.

No doubt, in the municipal sector procurement is a dynamic, sometimes complex process. However, what many are not aware of is that there is a variety of procurement methods available to municipalities to procure the goods and services they need. The procurement of consulting and professional services still must be a competitive process, but whether you’re a large company or a small or medium consultant or professional enterprise, it is still possible to acquire work in municipalities without ever needing to respond to a RFP.

Municipalities must comply with the procurement requirements set out in the MunicipalAct,2001,S.O.2001,Chapter 25, Section 270(1) 3. The legislation requires municipalities to develop policies tobe adopted on the types ofprocurement processes thatwill be used, the goals ofeach, the circumstances under which eachtype will be used, and the circumstances where a tendering process is not required.

Here are some of the procurement methods municipalities can employ to procure goods and services.

1. Request for Proposal (RFP) – used to solicit solutions for the delivery of complex goods, services or constructionforobtaining uniqueproposals designed tomeet broad outcomes toa complex problem or need forwhich thereis no clear or single solution.

2. Request for Tender (RFT) – used to acquire goods and services based on stated terms and conditions and forobtaining competitive bids based on precisely defined requirementsfor whicha clear or single solution exists.

3. Request for Quotation (RFQ) – is where the municipality specifies the product or service and the criteria is based solely on price. The goals are the same as for Request for Tender,except thatbid solicitation is done primarily on an invitational basis from a pre-determined bidders list – but maybe supplemented with public advertising ofthe procurement opportunity.

4. Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) – is a procurement used to determine the interest of the marketplace to provide goods or service(s) which the agency is contemplating purchasing.

5. Request for Information (RFI) – isarequestused asageneralmarketresearchtooltodetermine whatgoodsandservicesareavailablethat maymeetbusiness/operationalrequirements and acquisition strategies.

6. Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) – is a procurement document used to solicit financial stability, technical information,productorservice suitabilityfrompotentialvendorsandmeasured againststatedevaluationcriteria. Successfulvendor(s) are pre-qualifiedorshort listedtobidonspecificcategoriesofworkor providespecifictypesofgoodsorservices,or respond to a particular RFP or RFT.

7. Informal, Low Value Procurement – used toobtain competitive pricing fora one-time procurement in an expeditious and cost-effective manner through phone, fax,e-mail, other similar communication method, vendor advertisementsor vendor catalogues.

8. Non-Competitive Procurement/Invitational Competitive Procurement – in some circumstances, competitive procurements are not required. Municipalities can invite three or more qualified suppliers to submit written proposals to supply goods or services as specified by them. The goal is toallowfor procurement inan efficient and timelymanner withoutseeking competitive pricing.

Non-competitive procurement includes sole sourcing and single sourcing. Sole sourcing is the procurement ofa good or service thatis unique toa particular vendor and cannot be obtained from another source. Single sourcing is the procurementofa good or service from a particular vendor rather than through solicitation ofbids from other vendors who can also provide the same item.Single sourcing may be the best course totake in some circumstances, but it is important for the municipality tobe transparent about what those circumstances will be.

Typically, non-competitive procurement is used in the following circumstances:

  • when there is a statutory-or market-based monopoly on the item
  • when no bids were received inacompetitiveprocess
  • when the required item is covered by an exclusive right such as a patent, copyright or exclusive licence
  • when the purchase is already covered by a lease-purchase agreement where payments are partially or totally credited tothe purchase
  • when it is necessary toensure compatibility with existing products or toavoid violating warranty/guarantee requirements when service is required
  • when the required item is in short supply due tomarket conditions
  • when competitive sourcing forlow value procurement would be uneconomical or would not attractbids
  • when competitive procurement may be foundtobe impractical forsuch items as meal expenses, incidental travel expenses (e.g.taxi service, phone calls), and training and education expenses
  • when an urgent procurement is necessary forfulfilling a statutoryorder issued by a federal or provincial authority,such as an environmental, public health, or workplace safetycompliance order

So, if you’re a consultant and/or a professional who would like to find work in municipalities – don’t give up. There are opportunities that do not involve wasting endless hours filling out an RFP only to find that on the 99th page of the 100 page document, there is one requirement you can’t meet.

As you can see, municipalities can and do employ other methods to procure goods and services, particularly the informal low value and non-competitive methods when possible – and they do use muniSERV’s searchable database to find those they want to invite to bid or quote on the services they need.

Helping municipalities and professionals connect is the best way I know of to enhance the municipal procurement process and connect municipalities looking for a particular service to the professionals who provide it. Simple right?

Susan Shannon is Principal of Shaping Organizational Solutions (SOS) & muniSERV.ca. For most of her career she was a municipal CAO and it continues to be her passion to find ways to assist municipalities. You can reach her at [email protected] or toll free 855.477.5095.

Note: The information contained herein represents procurement processes in Ontario and processes may be different in other provinces. If so, we would love to hear your input on any differences so we can be sure to address these in future articles. If you liked this article, I’d be so thankful if you’d share it and join our muniSERV LinkedIn Group so I can continue to write and share with you on a variety ofmunicipal topics. Thank you, Susan

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Are You Overlooking the Office Facts?

Did you know office environment plays a key role in staff’s productivity and how the public views your efficiency and the services you provide?

Does this look like your municipal office?

messyoffice 

What kind of message do you think this is sending to your citizens?

Morale and business will be better with the right interior design and décor! It doesn’t have to take a lot of money from the budget, start by simply clearing the clutter, dead plants, old chairs, and torn carpets and you’ll soon see that your office functions with more enthusiasm and interest!

Improving your municipal office’s efficiency and functionality is actually pretty easy. From simply changing the colours of your walls, to the comfort of employee’s chairs, it all makes a difference.

 

Board room imageReception area.Over the holidays is a great time to make some changes. Start the New Year with a more welcoming reception area, better organized office space and desks, and a more professional looking board room to motivate all who enter! 

The Facts: 

  • 90% of workers believe that better office design leads to better overall performance and gives the company a competitive advantage
  • 90% of senior executives believe that a better physical working environment has a positive impact on the bottom line
  • 21 % more productivity
  • up to15 less sick days taken per year!

Deborah Stephenson is the owner of Impressive Interiors. She would be pleased to arrange a free professional consultation to discuss a plan for your office makeover project. Find her muniSERV profile here or contact her at 705 739-0088.

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7 Tips for a Secure Holiday Municipal Event

Holiday Gift Wrapping

7 Tips for a Secure Holiday Municipal Event

Your festivity special event plan is likely all neatly wrapped with a bow and all of the excited community participants are looking forward to your parades, concerts and fireworks extravaganzas that are taking place over the holidays. Let’s make sure we check our list twice for all those naughty security gaps and risk hazards and offer some nice solutions that can mitigate things from becoming unwrapped.

7 Seasonal Event: Security and Risk Planning Stocking Stuffers

  1. Any temporary fencing or barriers that will be used for access control or crowd management are resistant to climbing, being easily detached and moved and especially in inclement weather, won’t tip or be blown over by high winds.
  2. Areas where crowds will gather have been checked for uneven ground, trip and slip hazards and are reasonably remedied.  This is important where the attendee’s attention will not primarily be at their footing but at the surrounding event festivities.
  3. If you are using either a contract security firm or your in-house security team for your event, ensure they have valid CPR and First Aid training and all have their current Private Security and Investigative Services Provincial licences.
  4. Where there is alcohol service, ensure there is a gate keeper at entry and exit points so alcohol is not removed or brought into the licenced area.
  5. In advance of any nighttime outdoor events, inspect the lighting and ensure any burnt out, malfunctioning or off-timer lights are 100% functional.  Also ensure that overlapping light coverage is consistent, especially at pedestrian crossing areas and areas where the grading changes.
  6. Where you have Closed Circuit Video (CCV) systems, be mindful of where you hang any holiday decorations.  Don’t block the field of view (FOV) of your cameras.
  7. If you are collecting cash in non-traditional open space environments, ensure there are always two employees present and train those employees on how to respond to a robbery situation.

These simple and practical tips will help with heightening the security of your hosted events and aid in mitigating common risk exposures that can dampen the holidays for your residents, visitors, businesses and employees.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact us at [email protected]    

Happy Holidays

Patrick Ogilvie,

www.writerightrisk.com

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The Progression of the Social Media Learning Curve

Computer cables

 

We’ve All Been There and Done It!

As entrepreneurs we’ve all fallen into the trap of the initial excitement of using social media. Wow, what a great tool!

I never wanted to make any silly mistakes using it but I have inevitably done so as I’ve progressed along the social media learning curve.

For instance, when I first went on LinkedIn I would search out my targets and randomly send out invitations to connect. That was before I realized that was a really “un-cool” thing to do – and it could be seen as “spam” and potentially damage your professional reputation on the platform. Come on – you know you’re out there and you’ve done the exact same thing!

In my defence, I honestly thought you were supposed to connect with folks you don’t know who have similar interests, in order to broaden your network. I have since learned that you’re only supposed to send invitations to folks you know and then build your followers from there. In most cases people were very accommodating and polite about accepting my random invitations.  I thank them for that and for their understanding with my lack of knowledge on proper social media etiquette.

There just seems to be so many rules with social media and they differ on each social media platform. Some platforms call your network “friends”, some “followers” and still others “communities” or “circles”. For instance, I’ve been told, (and I may stand to be corrected here), that you use the @ in front of a name (person/company name) and the # (or hashtag) ahead of a topic (i.e. #municipality, #consultant, etc.). While I’m definitely not an expert on any of the platforms, I am making a conscious effort to learn them and play by the rules – honest.

From there, I progressed to setting up accounts in every social media platform I could find – because that’s what all the “social media experts” say you should do. But I quickly learned that some are not suitable for my business. (i.e. muniSERV being on Pinterest just makes no sense at all)

While perusing the variety of social media platforms, I also started to sign up for all these free “something or other” white papers written by experts, who as we all know are really just businesses mining for your email address.  Now, I don’t want to lump them all together because some of these free e-books, etc. have actually been very interesting and quite helpful – but the volume of marketing emails I started to receive after the downloads increased dramatically.

Another hook that got me was when I registered for a referral key platform that one of my valued contacts sent me. It really did sound like a great thing, but it emailed all my contacts and told them I had work for them and I wanted to refer them – What??? I had some explaining to do to clarify to my highly respected and valued contacts that unfortunately, I did not have work or a referral for them. I probably didn’t uncheck something I was supposed to when I set it up but at any rate, that was an embarrassing lesson!

My volume of emails continued to increase consuming more of my time every day. But I was drawn to reading through them though so I didn’t miss out on the next newest information about social media advancements or tips.

That’s when I started becoming overwhelmed. I had finally had enough. That’s when I took back control.

I hired someone to train me on the various social media platforms so I could protect my professional image on social media. Then I went through my emails and started unsubscribing to a bunch of them. Most of them were repetitive anyways (i.e. how to market on social media, how to improve your sales, blah, blah, etc.) I kept some I thought were of value and that I still enjoy reading, but I probably eliminated 80% of them.

Now, I glance quickly at offers and webinar invites. I’ve become like everyone else – very selective. If it doesn’t grab my attention in a couple of seconds, it’s deleted – and if they continue to bug me too much, I unsubscribe.

Sure I still set aside time for social media because, even though I jest, it is an integral part of your business and it is the way of the future. But at least I now feel much more in control of my valuable time.  

If this all sounds too familiar, take comfort. We’ve all been there – we’ve all done embarrassing things with social media and we all need to work our way through the progression of the social media learning curve. Always remember – you can still be in control even when it feels like you’ve lost it!

Susan Shannon is the Principal of muniSERV.ca.  She strengthens and engages municipalities across Canada by connecting them to the right professional.  Helping Municipalities & Professionals Connect!

Susan can be reached at [email protected] or toll free at 855.477.5095

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Municipality Newsletter – June 2015

 
June 10, 2015 – In This Issue:

FORGET ABOUT THE JARGON – SAY IT IN PLAIN LANGUAGE

Dr. Sandra Folk is founder of the Language Lab, an organization that teaches executives and their employees how to write and present targeted, efficient communications.  She can be reached at [email protected].

Have you ever had a conversation with a person who made a comment that made perfect sense to him, yet mystified you. I recently experienced this kind of confusion during a conversation I had with a business colleague, who talked about his “financial footprint.” ……

FREE WEBCAST – LEADING A PEAK PERFORMANCE CULTURE

 

With Jim Clemmer – The Clemmer Group

When – June 17 – 1:00 to 2:00pm EDT

 

Who should attend?       

  • CEOs, CAOs, General Managers, and Divisional VPs
  • Senior HR executives
  • HR leaders
  • Members of the senior executive team
  • Anyone leading and driving leadership and organizational culture transformation

Register Now!

Bring your entire team – seats are limited, so register now. Don’t miss this exclusive online event.

Is Your Culture Boosting or Blocking Performance?

Jim Clemmer will deliver a fast paced and information-packed 60 minute webcast, outlining the major learning he and his colleagues gained through thirty years of working with hundreds of organizations and the latest research on culture change.

 Join this webcast to learn…
  • How “Soft” Leadership and Culture Produce Hard Results: What’s your team or organization culture?
  • Bolt-on Programs versus Built-in Processes: Which best describes your culture change activities?
  • The Peak Performance Balance: Managing Things and Leading People: How’s your team or organization’s balance?
  • Six Core Components for a Peak Performance Culture: Are you using a programs-and-pieces or an integrated approach?
  • The Five Stage Commitment Continuum: Do your leaders role model your culture change?
  • Bringing Alive Vision, Core Values, and Purpose/Mission: How alive is yours?
  • Leadership is an Action, Not a Position: How energized and engaged is everyone throughout your team or organization in the culture change effort?
  • Getting (Re) Started: How do you sustain peak performance?

 

Jim Clemmer Wrote the Books on Leadership and Culture Development

Jim and The CLEMMER Group associates have strengthened thousands of managers in hundreds of organizations in boosting leadership skills and culture development for peak performance. Highly customized services include assessments, training design and delivery (or training internal trainers), culture/skill development for higher health and safety, defining/revitalizing vision and values, executive coaching, service/quality improvement, employee engagement, career and succession planning, strategy development and execution.

 

FEATURED CONSULTANTS
muniSERV provides a searchable database of Canadian consultants and professionals that assist municipalities. Here’s some of our reputable consultants.
 
 
   
SEARCH FOR A CONSULTANT NOW! 

OSUM, FONOM, OMAA & AORS
 

As some of you know, over the past 3 months we have been out at three municipal conferences – Ontario Small Urban Municipalities, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, the Ontario Municipal Administrators’ Association – and the Association of Ontario Road Superintendents’ Tradeshow.

It has been busy times, but we enjoyed meeting and chatting with you – plus you gave us some great ideas for features you would like to see on muniSERV that would assist you in your day-to-day work. We truly value your opinions and we’re already busy investigating how we can make some of them happen.

Acquiring these suggestions was very timely because we are working on a refresh of the muniSERV website throughout this year, which will include the development of a separate new landing page for municipalities. This will provide us with more space for more of the features you’ve asked for.

Even if you didn’t get talking to us at any of these conferences or the tradeshow, we would still like your opinion on any features you might like to have incorporated into this new “municipal page”. So please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions for this new page directly to me [email protected]

 
ACER TABLET CONTEST CLOSES JUNE 30TH
Just a reminder – There’s still time for you to register your municipality to be eligible to win the ACER Tablet.  If your municipality is already registered, get one of your municipal friends to register and we’ll enter your municipality in the draw too!  It takes less than 5 minutes to Register your municipality and start uploading your RFPs, Bids & Tenders for FREE!
 
HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL SUMMER!
 

 STAY INFORMED:

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and join the discussion on our muniSERV LinkedIn Group. 

 Susan Shannon

muniserv.ca
 1-855-477-5095

We’re always working to improve muniSERV.ca. Please share with us any comments you may have. 

 

Since muniSERV is made to assist any department in your municipality, please share this newsletter with the other members of your staff.  
Gray

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Are You Looking for Municipal Data?

Data Analysis

A Quick Tip for Finding Municipal Statistical Data

As municipal consultants we constantly have the need to research municipal operations and data. But have you ever had difficulty finding it all in one location?

My method of choice to research and collect such information for Ontario municipalities is to use the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Financial Information Return (FIR) site. There is a wealth of information available on this site: http://csconramp.mah.gov.on.ca/fir/welcome.htm.  Here is what the site looks like.

Financial-Information-Return

Municipalities in Ontario are mandated to report their annual operations to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs by submitting a Financial Information Return (FIR) by May 31st, for the preceding year – so for example, their 2014 FIR must be submitted soon.

You can search for information in a variety of ways – By Schedule, by Municipality, Provincial Summaries or Multi-Year Reports. I most frequently search Schedule 40 of the municipalities I am needing to compare, because it contains their expenditures which are categorized into the nine (9) main municipal operations. For my particular purposes, I also tend to frequently look at the Municipal Data, Schedule 10 – Revenues, Schedule 20 – Taxation Information and Schedule 80 – Statistical Data, which includes staffing numbers. There are however, a number of other Schedules you can search to find the specific information you may need.

The one caveat I must mention though, is that although municipal operations can be similarly categorized, there is no way to ensure that a municipality is consistently reporting their information in the same category as another municipality. So, if you are comparing municipalities and a number seems too high or too low in comparison, you should always seek clarification from the municipality to be certain you’re comparing apples to apples.

I can only speak to what I’m familiar with here in Ontario, but I suspect a similar reporting requirement exists between all Canadian municipalities and their respective provinces.

If you’re a consultant or other professional in another province, does your province have a similar municipal database?  I would be interested in learning about it so I can share it with our professional members.

Or if you use other methods to find municipal data, I’d love to hear about them too.  We all need data – so why not help each other find it!

Susan Shannon – [email protected] Susan’s experiences as both a municipal Chief Administrative Officer, and now as a consultant, led to the development of muniSERV.ca .  Her experiences have provided her with the insight she needs to help municipalities and professionals connect.

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Skip the Jargon: Use Plain Language

Skip the Jargon: Use Plain Language

By Dr. Sandra Folk

Have you ever had a conversation with a person who made a comment that made perfect sense to him, yet mystified you. I recently experienced this kind of confusion during a conversation I had with a business colleague, who talked about his “financial footprint.” Actually, I was too embarrassed to ask what a “financial footprint” was.  All I could envision in my mind’s eye was the outline of a shoe in the sand or even the mud, covered with dollar signs instead of the usual tread marks.

I really wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by this expression. Were his finances like footprints in the sand, likely to disappear when the next wave came along? Was he leaving too much money behind? Was he leaving too little money? Maybe you know what he was thinking, and could enlighten me!

But this conversation got me thinking about other commonly used business expressions that make me uneasy. Rather than clarify meaning, these phrases obscure it.

Here’s another expression that I hear frequently that turns me off: “reaching out.”  When a person in business whom I contact by phone says to me, “Thanks for reaching out,” my imagination runs wild.  I envision myself, at that very moment, “reaching out” to save this person standing on a precipice, from a nasty fall. Thank goodness I called just in time. So I ask, does “thanks for reaching out” simply mean “thanks for calling”? Or is there some deeper, more complex level of meaning that eludes me?

These days, business conversations are filled with expressions of this sort.  Here are some examples:

On a go forward basis
Talk offline
Engagement process
Action a different outcome
Leverage our industry-leading relationships

Do you know what these expressions mean? Some, I can guess at. “Engagement process,” has nothing to do with weddings, for example. And “action a different outcome” probably translates as “create a different result.” Or does it? With such imprecise language, it’s really difficult to know. Here are a few tips to help you improve your “professional-relationships” by using direct, clear language.

The Language Lab’s key to plain language

Choose action-oriented verbs: These are verbs that convey a specific meeting. Action-oriented verbs are important when building a resume, but they’re also needed in your daily business communications.

Avoid vague nouns: Vague nouns lead to unnecessarily complex sentences. Here are a few examples of the kinds of nouns not to use. http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CCS_vaguenouns.html

Avoid additional verbs: Why say, “My manager conducted an investigation into why we like to use jargon” when you could say, “My manager investigated why we like to use jargon.”

Choose the simple word: If you have the option to use a simple word rather than a complicated word, choose the simple word. People are more likely to understand you. (Or as the old joke goes, “eschew obfuscation.”)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obfuscation#.22Eschew_obfuscation.22

Be direct: Why say, “We will endeavor to engage your team in the new online project” when you could say, “we hope to work with you on your website.”

Ultimately, the best way to communicate clearly is to keep language direct and simple. When in doubt, ask yourself,  “Is that word necessary?” You may find the response you get from using clear, direct language is better than the response to jargon-laden phrases. In other words, you will have “actioned a different outcome”!

Sandra Folk is founder of the Language Lab, an organization that teaches executives and their employees how to write and present targeted, efficient communications.  She can be reached at [email protected].

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Municipality Newsletter – April 2015

 
April 13, 2015 – In This Issue:

WORKING SMART – THE ART OF DELEGATION
We all tend to take on too much ourselves – we’re human. But sometimes the best way to work smart is to determine the things we’re good at and delegate those we’re not so good at. See the 5 phases of delegation that will get you working smart!   
 

SPECIAL OFFERS ON TRAINING & EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC SECTOR FROM muniSERV’S PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

 

#1 – 18th Annual Customer Service Conference – 40% SAVINGS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR & NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
 
Each year, Customer Service Professional’s Network (www.myCSPN.com) hosts a conference for customer service professionals.  Conference delegates include leaders from municipalities, various levels of government and corporations. 
 
This year we have 24 dynamic speakers, including David Forget, Manager of Quality Service and Special Projects at the Town of Ajax, and Jacqueline Spencer, Director of Retail Customer Care of the Central Region at ServiceOntario. 
 
 
 
#2 – There’s still time to register for this free webinar:
Leading Local Government Teams for High Performance

 

In the dynamic environment of local government, leaders need broad perspectives, expansive vision, and acute awareness of the trends and developments shaping their organizations. As a leader in local government, you must have the skills to guide, coach, and inspire your staff – sometimes simultaneously – while encouraging others to communicate, accept responsibility, and problem solve.

 

Are you clear about the results you are looking for and the desired behaviours essential for the success of your city? Based on of a recent workshop at the Local Government Managers Association of British Columbia CAO Forum, this webinar aims to help you reflect on your leadership and increase the overall performance, motivation, and effectiveness of those you work with.

You will learn:

  • How to more effectively communicate your expectations to staff to ensure you get what you want

  • How organizational culture impacts performance and what you can to do shift it

  • What you need to do to create an inspiring workplace and motivated people

This webinar is suited for anyone in a local government leadership role, from middle or senior level. Please share this with others who would find it valuable.

The webinar is on Thursday, April 23 at 11:00am (PST)/ 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). You can register here.

Presenters:

Rob Cooke (@robcooke2) is an executive coach and leadership advisor. He brings over 30 years’ experience helping leaders and their teams accelerate performance and his clients emphasize that he brings an exceptional depth of business and leadership wisdom. Most often Rob is supporting leaders to enhance the performance of their direct reports, establish clarity of direction, build collaboration across business units, shift culture, enhance the effectiveness of communication and deal with personal workload stress.

Peter Weeber is the highly regarded CAO for the District of Mackenzie. He brings great insight into many of the challenges facing today’s local government leaders. He has been working in local government and as a private sector manager for 17 years. Prior to becoming a CAO, Peter worked as Fire Chief and Emergency Program Manager for the City of Terrace. Peter is one of the very few Fire Chiefs that have made the transition into the CAO realm and offers a unique perspective of challenges of providing community services with limited resources.  

 

 

 

FEATURED CONSULTANTS
muniSERV provides a searchable database of Canadian consultants and professionals that assist municipalities. Here’s some of our reputable consultants.
 
 
                       

 

SEARCH FOR A CONSULTANT NOW! 

WE’RE HEADING TO MUNICIPAL CONFERENCES – COME SEE US
We always have fun activities and great prizes for you just for stopping by the booth at one of the two conferences we’re attending. Bring one of your municipal friends with you and when they register their municipality, you’ll get an extra entry ticket for our main prize – an ACER tablet! 
 
We’ll be at the OSUM (Ontario Small Urban Municipalities) conference April 29th – May 1st, in Belleville.  Drop by and see us at Booth 43.
 
We’ll also be at the FONOM (Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities) conference May 6th – 8th, in Sudbury. Hope to see you there!
 
 LOADING YOUR BID DOCUMENTS IS QUICK, EASY & FREE!
Haven’t uploaded a bid document yet because you’re not sure how?

 

It’s easy. Here’s how:

Step 1. Go to Homepage www.muniSERV.ca

Step 2. From the Municipalities dropdown menu, select Post RFP, Bid or Tender.

 

 

 

Step 3. Select your province and your municipality.

Step 4. The site will then open to your page where you can fill in the details, upload the document, select the closing date, etc.

AND YOU’RE DONE!  We will then review it and approve it – usually right away. 

 

  

STAY INFORMED:

 

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and join the discussion on our muniSERV LinkedIn Group. 

 
 Susan Shannon
1-855-477-5095

We’re always working to improve muniSERV.ca. Please share with us any comments you may have. 

 

Since muniSERV is made to assist any department in your municipality, please share this newsletter with the other members of your staff.  
Gray

PARTNERS
 
                      
                       
 
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Consultant Newsletter – April 2015

 
April 2, 2015 – In This Issue:

WORKING SMART – THE ART OF DELEGATION
We all tend to take on too much ourselves – we’re human.  But sometimes the best way to work smart is to determine the things we’re good at and delegate those we’re not so good at.  See the five (5) phases of delegation that will get you working smart!

 

CONFUSED ABOUT CONTENT MARKETING & SEO?
Connecting the Words – Content Marketing & Search Engine Optimization

 

Content Marketing is gaining in popularity and those that once said, “I don’t have time”, are now weighing the time commitment against the benefits.  All for good reason, Content Marketing works, but you need to start with an organized foundation.
 
This brings us back to the overly discussed and often misunderstood, Search Engine Optimization, more specifically, keyword optimization.  See the full article
 
Thanks to our Premium member, Home Cooked Website Solutions Inc., for publishing this great article on muniSERV, for our members!

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS
Innovations are Here! Special Introductory Offer.

 

You’ve got a great new and innovative service, product or tool for municipalities but how do you introduce it to them? Or, perhaps you know someone who has had real difficulty getting the attention of municipal decision makers to showcase their solution. We’re pleased to announce that we have just designed a unique new Innovations section on muniSERV, in response to your needs.

 

How does it work?

Our Innovations package on muniSERV provides you with a number of key ways to get the attention your innovation deserves.

  • Featured Homepage Innovations Article – prime homepage space introducing your innovation to our members. The homepage space will then include a link to an editorial page where you can even include a video to demonstrate your innovation. Your editorial page stays on the site indefinitely or until you ask us to take it down. What this means to you is that any municipal staff member in Canada (or anyone for that matter), can see your innovation, now and in the future

  • Innovations Article Published to our Municipal Newsletter – this means information about your innovation is delivered directly to the inboxes of our municipal members – municipal decision makers.

  • Premium Homepage Ad Space – your ad appears in our premium ad space and rotates on the homepage with our Premium members for one month

  • Newsletter Ad Space – we will include your ad in one of our 2 available ad spaces in one of our Municipal Newsletters. Again, these are delivered directly to the inboxes of our municipal members – municipal decision makers. More eyes, more sales.

  • Social Media Post – We will announce your new innovation on all our social media channels. We have over 2100 followers on LinkedIn alone.  


 

**To see PDF version, click here.

 

Our package is of course the best value, but should you be a Premium member receiving some of these features already, or if you would just like to purchase one or some of the features separately, contact us and we can create a custom package to suit your specific needs.

 

So, What’s the Special Introductory Offer?

Because we’re heading out to municipal trade shows in April & May, and we want to demonstrate this new section face-to-face with municipal decision-makers as they visit the booth, we are looking for the first innovations to showcase on the site. Let us attend those trade-shows for you and showcase your services. We know the people and how to get your message to them!.

  

Our need to showcase this new feature to municipal clients is a great opportunity for you!

So, if you’re one of the first two requests we receive, you will get the complete package for $500 plus applicable taxes!

 

Now is the time to act for the best price, (it won’t be offered again), and the best exposure!

 

Contact us right away so we can ensure you’re up and running in time for the municipal trade shows. [email protected]

 

PUBLISH ONLINE
Share important industry, company and municipal information on muniSERV!

Did you know MuniSERV is an online publishing platform? This feature, previously only available to Premium accounts, is now offered to all members. Publish important industry, company or product news directly to the muniSERV website. We may even choose your article to feature in our monthly municipal newsletter. 

 
Why is this good for you? Three reasons. The first, muniSERV works hard to target municipalities and we continue to grow in popularity. Every time a municipality is on the site, it’s a chance for your article to be spotted.  
 
Secondly, you are free to link your article back to your website.  With our online reputation growing, this link will help to build yours as well. This encourages growth in your online search engine rankings. 
 
Lastly, posting reputable, educational and municipal targeted content on the muniSERV website helps us all. The growth of content on the muniSERV website will help push us up in rankings which will help to make us more easily found by municipalities when they are searching for any kind of municipal consultant. Maybe their search results will have them landing on your article! 
 
This feature, still included in Premium packages, is now available to all members for $25/article. Articles will remain on the site indefinitely. Post an Article Now!
Publish your articles soon.  We’ll be showcasing the site and all it’s functions at our upcoming round of municipal trade shows and conferences. Make sure your articles get seen!
 
If you have questions about this feature or find it difficult to use and need assistance, please contact us.
 

Publish Your Article in our Newsletters Too

If you want additional exposure for your great article, our muniSERV Newsletters are for you. We publish two separate newsletters so you can select the audience you want to reach – one for our professional members and one for our municipal members. Your article is delivered directly to the inboxes of your audience. The cost is $120 + applicable taxes. Just send us your article – [email protected], and we’ll take care of the rest.

CURRENT RFPs
A listing of Current Request for Proposals from Municipalities
 
Transportation Master Plan
Town of Penetanguishene
Due by: April 3, 2015
Learn More.
 
Engineering Design & Contract Administration Services
Town of Penetanguishene
Due by: April 8, 2015
Learn More.
 
Records Management System
Municipality of Brockton
Due by: April 10, 2015
Learn More.
 
Susan Shannon
1-855-477-5095

We’re always working to improve muniSERV.ca. Please share with us any comments you may have. 

Know someone you think might enjoy our newsletters?  Feel free to forward to a friend.
Gray
 

PARTNERS
 


 
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