User Guide - Department of Community Services
Contents
1. Community Services Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements cccecccseccceeeeceeeeceucecsucecseecsucecsucessusecsueessusecsucessaeessaeessasessueessaeesas 2 We MEE OCU GUC e E E E 3 2 CASING AN eG esas ce atee cece at eect sates E 3 omer 5 69 EO 8k 8 6 1 6g ane ener ene ee ee eee 4 Sail INAVICALIO MA sasavecastexeneravexanaxedarcoavada EEEE E 4 3 2 Entering Responses ccccecccececeeeceecccececeeeceucecaeecseeceueeeseecseeseusesseesseesusseeeenaees 6 Bee WV CS Ol QU SONS areca cence seen E E 6 eA VICWING RO SUINS ori ataiatdtetatatelatecatetetacesd 7 3 4 Saving ANG Printing Results sc cscccscvencnevsiercnsecetvenerauencesusdeeeusneruserecdewausesdensyeeadeeocesss 8 A FIM Eh MOMA UON ereere EE EE EEEE E 8 Appendix 1 FAQ Frequently Asked QUEeSTIONS ccccccecseeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeesaeeeesaeeeeetaas 9 Appendix 2 Definitions cccccccsecccececeeeceeecceeeceeeceueeseeeceeeceaeesseeseeseueesseeseesseaeenaees 10 Acknowledgements The Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool was adapted from the Saskatchewan Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool with the generous permission of the Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of Municipal Affairs Acton Consulting of Edmonton was the lead consultant for the Saskatchewan tool and guide development project Government of Yukon gratefully acknowledg2. best pwn fosearchian ational s that are onara scommendate 1 describes how your municipal O atio ollowed e debate e ELG Council is informed Which of the following best a a a describes how your ee g ough p ate o O at late ee g occasionally misunderstood municipality s council makes decisions O O O Which of the following best 3 describes your municipality s sah NAR 2 e relationships with other regional aregies Or agreements independe governments D 4 Council meets on a regular schedule and conducts business in a timely fashion O O O 5 All meetings are held in public except when authorized in compliance with legislation O O O 6 Dates times and agendas of meetings are widely advertised to the public O O O Council decisions are made based upon debate that is conducted only in formal public meetings O O O 8 All council decisions are made by resolution or bylaw O O O 9 Council meetings follow an up to date and effective Procedural Bylaw O O O 10 Council orientation and training opportunities are adequate and well attended O O O 11 Council is familiar with the Municipal Act and all the municipal plans O O O 12 We have a satisfactory manual of policies to guide the administration O O O 13 Our council has a mixture of first term and returning councillors O O O 60 80 O O 14 The average Councillor meeting attendance rate is O O O How many joint Council meetings with regiona
3. costs should also be identified Core infrastructure Assets managed by the municipality that are critical to the day to day functioning of the municipality This could include buried utilities roads transit systems bridges water sewage treatment plants landfills and recreation centres Demographics and economic trends Declining and aging populations can create challenges for municipalities The economic and social bases of municipalities can be negatively affected Municipalities have to recognize the impacts of a declining and aging population on tax base overall economic position types and costs of services required and base for volunteer contribution They may have to seek alternative methods of service delivery where possible Emergency response exercise A simulated event designed to evaluate emergency operations policies plans procedures and facilities train personnel in emergency management and response duties and demonstrate operational Capability Environmental standards Broadly accepted practices and design requirements that support the environmentally responsible and resource efficient practices of municipal assets throughout their lifecycle from design through construction and decommissioning to operation and maintenance Finance Good financial management is one of the cornerstones of the success and continuity of any municipality It ensures financial resources are properly managed and funds are
4. spent in accordance with the stated priorities and mission of the municipality This category of sustainability reflects on whether the municipality is following principles of fiscal responsibility performing ongoing monitoring of its financial health and risks and following best practices in accounting budgeting and the preparation and presentation of financial statements Governance This is an evaluation of the elected municipal body in an effort to determine if council is complying with the requirements of territorial legislation and practicing principles of good governance It is recognized that good governance is a requirement for sustainability User Guide 10 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool 10 Infrastructure Municipalities provide service to residents largely through their core infrastructure portfolio Infrastructure includes recreational cultural and utility facilities In Keeping with the varied nature of the municipalities in the territory there is a large variance in the scale and scope of services offered by municipalities Proximity of services in municipalities may vary as may the revenue generating capacity of their municipal structures These unique elements must be understood and considered in sound infrastructure planning No matter the type of infrastructure it remains a public responsibility to ensure that infrastructure is managed in a sustainable manner That is to ensure that
5. User Guide 3 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool 3 Step by Step Instructions The tool uses Microsoft Office Excel software If you experience technical difficulties in opening and operating the tool please contact your Community Advisor 3 1 Navigation Once the tool is open you will see a number of worksheet navigation tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet The first navigation tab Introduction Figure 1 gives a brief introduction on the tool including the basic instructions Figure 1 Intro Tab Introduction Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool Introduction The Government of Yukon Department of Community Services has developed this self assessment tool for Yukon municipalities as part of the implementation of its Our Towns Our Future OTOF initiative A key objective of Our Towns Our Future was to find out if Yukon municipalities are sustainable and if not what changes might be required to get there A measuring tool for municipal sustainability was therefore identified as essential to provide an ongoing way to assess the state of the municipalities The tool provides an improved understanding of the overall health of the municipality The intended outcome is a simple and relevant big picture representation that identifies barriers and opportunities to improvement thereby aiding planning and program development It enhances the professional and administrative cap
6. acity of local officials to become alert to problems and areas of concern before they become unmanageable This tool focuses on eight core areas of municipal sustainability governance administrative capacity planning and safety demography and economy finance infrastructure service delivery and community engagement It reflects principles of practicality accountability and evidence based input Local governments are in the best position to assess their municipality s sustainability given the necessary information and tools This is a tool for municipalities with results for use by municipalities Results are not required to be reported to the province or shared with other municipalities unless so desired It is based on local knowledge and available data and can be completed by Council administration and or together On average it is expected to take a municipality approximately two to complete the self assessment tool The length of time it takes to complete will vary based on the size of the municipality availability of information and Council staff experience Instructions You will see a number of worksheet navigation tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet The second navigation tab next to this Introduction is the Summary screen showing the gauges for each of the eight core areas of sustainability The Summary screen is automatically populated based on the responses entered in the remaining tabs The remaining eight tabs are as shown i
7. d sewage treatment Meeting public safety needs and legislated requirements is another key indicator of municipal sustainability Public safety risk assessment A documentation of the public safety risks existing within the municipality For each risk identified the risk should be evaluated based on the probability that it will occur and the impact it would have Then actions to reduce the occurrence of the risk and or mitigate its impact should be identified Municipal public safety initiatives can encompass fire protection bylaw enforcement building inspections emergency planning street lighting and the monitoring of water and sewage treatment Service Delivery The provision of basic services is a fundamental responsibility of a municipality Determining whether a municipality is able to provide these services in a manner that meets public needs and legislative requirements is an important indicator of success Staff training plan A documentation of the learning and development activities to be undertaken by an employee in a given time period This could include on the job learning such as job rotation cross training and mentoring as well as formal training courses conferences and seminars Strategic plan A documentation of the municipality s vision for the future and its long term plan to achieve this vision This plan is intended to look at the municipality holistically incorporating citizens opinions and giving council and adm
8. descriptive scenarios that might describe your municipality or its operations For these questions select the scenario that best describes your situation While none may be an exact representation of what you do or your municipality select the one that is closest by clicking on the button in the box below it Agreement questions provide you with a statement You then may indicate if you Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement again by clicking on the button in the box below it some of the statements ask you about two related aspects For example on the Governance tab Council meets on a regular schedule and conducts business in a timely fashion If you don t meet on a regular schedule you may choose to Strongly Disagree If you do meet on a regular schedule but in your opinion you do not conduct business in a timely fashion you might choose Disagree If you meet on a regular schedule but also find a need for many special meetings to conduct business in a timely manner a response of Agree may be appropriate A council that is able to conduct all its business well within its regular meeting schedule may earn a response of Strongly Agree Quantitative questions provide you with the question and then ranges of possible answers Select the range that best describes your municipality again by clicking on the button in the box below it lt may prove challenging for some municipalities to access and work w
9. e are many questions asked that evaluate things that are outside of the CAO s control How do our results compare to other Yukon municipalities Currently there is no intention to collate scores and generate an average As the tool is used if willing municipalities share results voluntarily Community Affairs will continue to calibrate and refine the tool based on that data If consultations with municipalities Support a capacity to compare results in the future then this may be considered How can I share my results with other Yukon municipalities lf you choose to share your results with other Yukon municipalities or the Government of Yukon simply email your saved spreadsheet to whomever you User Guide 9 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool would like to have view it Appendix 2 Definitions 1 Administration A significant part of determining the sustainability of municipalities is associated with the capacity of municipal administration its ability to provide council with accurate and reliable information and its ability to carry out responsibilities required by statute Capital budget A plan that details the costs incurred to acquire construct or improve municipal assets including infrastructure Citizen engagement plan A document outlining the goals and activities that the municipality will undertake to engage its citizens in local governance and decision making Associated
10. es this assistance User Guide 2 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool 1 Introduction The Government of Yukon s Department of Community Services has developed this self assessment tool for Yukon municipalities as part of the implementation of its Our Towns Our Future OTOF initiative The Community Affairs branch worked with the OTOF Implementation Committee composed of three representatives from the Association of Yukon Communities and three from the Government of Yukon A key objective of Our Towns Our Future was to find out if Yukon municipalities are sustainable and if not what changes might be required to get there A measuring tool for municipal sustainability was therefore identified as essential to provide an ongoing way to assess the state of the municipalities The tool provides an improved understanding of the overall health of the municipality The intended outcome is a simple and relevant big picture representation that identifies barriers and opportunities for improvement thereby aiding planning and program development It enhances the professional and administrative capacity of local officials to become alert to problems and areas of concern before they become unmanageable This tool focuses on eight core areas of municipal sustainability Governance Administrative Capacity Planning and Safety Demography and Economy Finance Infrastructure Service Delivery and Community Engagement I
11. ge indicate that the municipality is likely moderately sustainable in this area e Green Range Above 66 Gauges scoring in the green range suggest a highly sustainable municipal organization in this area User Guide Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool Please note that there is no overall sustainability gauge due to the diversity of municipalities in the territory Differing populations and needs of the municipalities would impact the weighting that the core areas have on overall sustainability 3 4 Saving and Printing Results To save your results simply save the spreadsheet as you would any other Microsoft Office Excel document We recommend that you save a unique copy of the tool each time you use it so that you can compare contemporary and historical results Save the tool before printing The tool is already preformatted to print on most printers and printing adjustment should not be required Do not use the Print Entire Workbook function This function will damage the tool and data will be lost 4 Further Information For further information assistance in completing the tool or follow up in interpreting the results and accessing tools to address any issues identified please contact your Government of Yukon Community Advisor User Guide 8 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool Appendix 1 FAQ Frequently Asked Questions 1 Are we required to report the resul
12. icipality will take to reduce or eliminate specific risks to the municipality 16 Operating budget A plan outlining the level of spending required to support the municipality s day to day operations Operating costs include labour maintenance fuel and insurance 17 Optional services Services and facilities that are provided based on the opinion of council that they are desirable This often includes recreational and cultural services 18 Partnerships Partnerships are increasingly recognized as an essential component of municipal sustainability Whether with other municipalities not for profits First Nations or private sector entities partnerships enable enhanced capacity When considering partnerships mutual benefits beyond cost savings should be included User Guide 11 19 20 21 22 23 24 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool Partners may bring efficiencies of scale and scope specific technical expertise enhanced service levels or reduce overall risk Public Safety The level and type of municipal mitigation preparedness and response capabilities to reduce or eliminate long term risks to people property and the environment from hazards and their subsequent effects is a major concern of municipal governments Municipal public safety initiatives can encompass fire protection bylaw enforcement building inspections emergency planning street lighting and the monitoring of water an
13. infrastructure will appropriately meet residents needs now and into the foreseeable future at a manageable cost and consideration of its environmental impact Need and cost consideration is dependent on an understanding of asset condition and the employment of robust asset management practices Such practices identify life cycle costs and conditions prolong asset life and identify timing and cost of replacement 11 Lifecycle costing plan A documentation of the total cost required to maintain the municipality s infrastructure assets in full performance for its service life This can include the design construction operating capital and operating leases maintenance user and socio economic costs 12 Lifecycle maintenance Maintenance activities performed on an infrastructure asset throughout its life to preserve and extend its useful life 13 Long term capital asset management plan A documentation of how municipal infrastructure assets will be managed over the long term Management considers the financial economic and engineering practices applied so as to maintain the asset in the most cost effective manner 14 Maintenance Planned or unplanned activities related to preserving the asset in its Original condition and for the purpose for which it was originally intended Maintenance generally consists of inspections preventative maintenance repairs and rehabilitation 15 Mitigation plan Documentation outlining the actions the mun
14. inistration a means to chart the future of the organization The strategic plan should encompass all aspects of the municipality s operations and its plans Succession plan A course of action outlining a process for identifying and developing internal personnel with the potential to fill key or critical organizational positions Succession planning ensures the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available User Guide 12
15. ith the data required to answer some quantitative questions precisely In these cases use your judgment to select the answer you feel best represents your understanding of the situation As you answer the questions you will notice movement in your Sustainability Gauge for that category These indicators move as you complete a question and move on User Guide 6 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool 3 4 Viewing Results To view a Summary of your answers to the tool go to the Summary navigation tab The responses to each question are rolled up based on formulae to provide a sustainability score for each category The level of these indicators is shown graphically on the eight gauges See Figure 3 Figure 3 Results Summary Summary Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Summary YN l Demography and NN a N ha A 4 lt i f f Community Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment The ranges on the gauges are broken down into three equal ranges In establishing the gauges the acceptable ranges were broken down into thirds and then formulas were generated based on the acceptable percentages The ranges indicate the following e Red Range Below 33 Gauges scoring in the red range should caution the municipality that this may be an area where sustainability can be improved e Yellow Range 34 65 Gauges scoring in the yellow ran
16. l First Nations and neighbouring 13 municipalities have been held over the last year O O O Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Depending on your screen settings you may need to scroll from left to right to ensure you can read all of the questions and responses As well it is important to ensure that you have maximized the Excel window so that you can see the response tabs on the bottom of the page To maximize the screen click the box in the top right corner User Guide Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool 3 2 Entering Responses To complete the tool you must answer the questions within each of the eight core area response tabs You do not need to answer the questions and tabs in order You can move from question to question using your mouse track pad or the tab button on your keyboard Indicate your chosen response by clicking on the button in the box below the choice that best reflects your answer All questions are assumed to apply to your municipality If you leave a question blank the tool assigns a default response of the furthest left option It is not possible to select more than one answer 3 3 Types of Questions On each of the tabs for the eight core areas you will find a series of questions for you to answer You will find three different types of questions Scenarios Agreement and Quantitative Scenario questions provide you with a general question and then four
17. n Figure 3 and are for entering your responses for each of the eight core areas of municipal government sustainability The gauges that appear on the navigation tabs for each of the eight core areas match the corresponding gauges on the summary screen tab To complete the tool you must answer the questions within each of the eight core area response tabs You do not need to answer the questions and tabs in order You can move from question to question using your mouse track pad or the tab button Indicate your chosen response by clicking on the button in the box below the choice that best reflects your answer All questions are assumed to apply to your municipality If you leave a question blank the tool assigns a default response of the farthest left option It is not possible to select more than one answer Scenario questions provide you with a general question and then four descriptive scenarios that might describe your municipality or its operations For these questions select the scenario that best describes your situation While none may be an exact representation of what you do or your municipality select the one that is closest by clicking on the button in the box below it Agreement questions provide you with a statement You then may indicate if you Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree or Strongly Agree with the statement again by clicking on the button in the box below it Quantitative questions provide you with the question and then ranges of pos
18. rinting adjustment should not be required To print the report select print at the top left hand corner of the tool or press Ctrl p When the print box appears select Entire workbook and click OK This will print all navigation tabs of the tool For further information assistance in completing the tool or follow up in interpreting the results and accessing tools to address any issues identified please contact your Government of Yukon Community Advisor Community Services Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool The second navigation tab from the left is the Summary screen showing the gauges for each of the eight core areas of sustainability The Summary screen is automatically populated based on the responses entered in the remaining tabs User Guide 4 Yukon Municipal Government Sustainability Self Assessment Tool The remaining eight tabs are as shown in Figure 3 and are for entering your responses for each of the eight core areas of municipal government sustainability e Governance e Administrative Capacity e Planning and Safety e Demography and Economy e Finance e Infrastructure e Service Delivery and e Community Engagement The gauges that appear on the navigation tabs for each of the eight core areas match the corresponding gauges on the summary screen tab Figure 2 Governance Response Tab Governance Ove Which of the following
19. sible answers Select the range that best describes your municipality again by clicking on the button in the box below it It may prove challenging for some municipalities to access and work with the data required to answer some quantitative questions precisely In these cases use your judgment to select the answer you feel best represents your understanding of the situation To view a summary of your answers to the tool go to the Summary navigation tab The responses to each question are rolled up based on formulae to provide a sustainability score for each category The level of these indicators is shown graphically on the eight gauges The ranges on the gauges are broken down into three equal ranges In establishing the gauges the acceptable ranges were broken down into thirds and then formulas were generated based on the acceptable percentages The ranges indicate the following Red Range Below 33 Gauges scoring in the red range should caution the municipality that this may be an area where sustainability can be improved Yellow Range 34 65 Gauges scoring in the yellow range indicate that the municipality is likely moderately sustainable in this area Green Range Above 66 Gauges scoring in the green range suggest a highly sustainable municipal organization in this area To save your results simply save the spreadsheet as you would any other Microsoft Office Excel document The tool is already preformatted to print on most printers and p
20. t reflects principles of practicality accountability and evidence based input Local governments are in the best position to assess their municipality s sustainability given the necessary information and tools This tool is for municipalities with results for use by municipalities Results need not be reported to the territory or shared with other municipalities unless so desired Upon request the Community Affairs branch will assist municipalities in following up on results by continuing to work with them to develop appropriate resources and solutions to help address any identified challenges This document is intended to guide you through the use and interpretation of the tool and answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions 2 Getting Started The tool is intended to be easy to use and provide municipalities with the opportunity for self reflection without recourse to external expertise or significant expenses lt is based on local knowledge and available data and can be completed by council administration and or together On average it is expected to take approximately two hours to complete the self assessment tool The length of time it takes to complete will vary based on the size of the municipality availability of information and Council staff experience Step by step instructions for how to use the tool follow below including a section on viewing results that provides greater detail on how to interpret the scores
21. ts to Community Affairs Results are not required to be reported to the Government of Yukon or shared with other municipalities unless so desired If all our scores are in the green does that mean we are sustainable Achieving all scores in the green does not necessarily indicate that a municipality is sustainable Due to the diversity of municipalities throughout the territory factors that impact the sustainability of one municipality may not impact another Green scores indicate that the municipality is functioning at a high level but nothing can guarantee sustainability If all our scores are In the red does that mean our municipality is unsustainable Achieving all scores in the red does not necessarily indicate that a municipality is unsustainable As indicated above the diversity of municipalities throughout the territory can lead to the sustainability of some municipalities being more impacted by certain factors than others Red scores help to identify areas for improvement What do I do with the results lf completed by the municipal administration only sharing results with Council is a good conversation starter for potential improvements The results will also help to identify areas where goals can be developed for future strategic and operational planning Can this replace our CAO s performance evaluation No this tool has not been designed to replace CAO performance evaluations Ther
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