2012-2014
Facilitated by:
JW Consulting Associates

I’m pleased to be able to present a few remarks relating to the development of our new
Strategic Plan. The Executive Board of PMA is continuously striving to find ways to improve the suite of services and supports that we provide for our membership.
Needless to say, with limited resources and almost unlimited demands for information, training, financial resources, and various measures of support that are required in almost every part of Newfoundland and Labrador, we must ensure that we are making strategic investments and decisions on your behalf.
To that end, PMA has retained the services of JW Consulting Associates to assist us in the development of our second professionally developed strategic plan. In our initial strategic planning exercise, the focus was primarily on the development of a new name, new brand, new logo, and overall new image and structure for our organization. Thus,
Professional Municipal Administrators was conceived (from NLAMA) and we have been continuously seeking to find ways to better serve our members, focus our resources, and make good strategic investments aimed at maximizing benefits to our membership.
I encourage all of you to take the time to read our belief statements, review our priorities, and get involved in whatever ways you can to assist us in improving how we can benefit you most as members of this great organization. We are fully aware that we exist solely to serve you. And our success as an organization is measured by our ability to provide practical support and services to our membership.
I want to thank our Executive Director, Krista Planke, and all members of the Board, on your behalf, who gave freely of their time to participate in our strategic planning session, and to help develop priorities which we feel will serve our membership well over the next three years. If all goes well, before the completion of this planning cycle, we will have adopted a new Municipal Designation Program (among other things) that will establish a credible program of training and knowledge acquisition that is geared specifically to meet the needs of municipal administrators in this province. As always, we are interested in what you have to say. Drop us a line or give us a call. Stay connected with your organization, and hopefully, I’ll have an opportunity to speak with many of you at our upcoming AGM.
Regards,
________________________
Derrick Bragg, President
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1.
A Brief Look Back………………………………………………
2.
PMA’s Mandate…………………………………………………
4
6
3.
Values……………………………………………………………. 7
4.
Vision – What We Are Striving to Achieve…………………... 10
5.
Mission – Our Commitment to Our Members……………….
6.
Critical Issues……………………………………………………
11
12
7.
Choosing Our Priorities……………………………………….. 13
8.
Establishing Our Goals….…………………………………….. 14
9.
Communications………………………………………………… 15
10.
Membership Services…………………………………………… 18
11.
Revenue Generation and Accountability……………………... 21
12.
Conclusion………………………………………………………. 23
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Basically, your inaugural strategic plan saw the organization re-invent itself.
The plan’s implementation would have to be classified as an unequivocal success. So me of the highlights of the organization’s recent success were as follows:

New name and an entirely new brand for PMA; changed from
Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Municipal Administrators
(NLAMA) to Professional Municipal Administrators (PMA)

New logo that is more reflective of a progressive and inclusive organization that is very much “on the move”

Developed a strong sense of pride and professionalism that is associated with
PMA’s brand; broader appeal to municipal employees and potential members

Tremendous outreach and investment in bringing training and professional development opportunities “closer to the people”; more training opportunities and increased investment in grassroots learning and development; PMA provided training in
Happy Valley-Goose Bay and had an opportunity to meet with its members in Larador, for example

Continued to develop (and foster) strong partnerships with various organizations and stakeholder groups
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
Worked to maintain and strengthen funding partners to enable PMA to continue its work on behalf of the membership

Improved opportunities for communications with membership

Reviewed programs and services to better serve members

Continued efforts towards development of a Municipal Designation
Program (identified as a priority for completion in this planning cycle)

Sought more widespread representation and involvement at the
Board level to be more truly representative of the PMA membership

Developed improved relationships with corporate sponsors and partners; sought new and innovative means to build partnerships for the future
 Increased the structure and profile of PMA’s General Meeting to present a wider appeal and a more practical forum for discussion of issues and concerns on behalf of the membership

Maintained a reasonably strong cash flow and financial position for the organization

Strengthened relationships between Board of Directors and
PMA’s professional staff

Sought opportunities for membership input on how PMA can better serve the needs of the membership on a continuous and ongoing basis

PMA has established itself as a credible and respected partner and a strong representative of municipal employees throughout all of Newfoundland and Labrador
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Most simply stated, PMA’s mandate is an expression of what the organization MUST do to fulfill its constitutional obligations to its membership – nothing more and nothing less.
“PMA is established to provide programs, services, and advocacy in keeping with the principles outlined in our current Constitution.”
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Values are the fundamental beliefs of an organization – principles which guide all of our decision-making and actions.
VALUES:
Transparency Our membership is committed to conducting business in an open and transparent manner in our daily jobs as municipal employees, and as members of our professional association.
Accountability We are committed to being completely accountable to our councils,
“The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the taxpayers, and to the general public for all our actions and decisions. credit for doing them.”
Ben Jowett
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Professional
Development and
Training Our membership is committed to
Service continuous education and lifelong learning as a means to better serve our clients in public service.
We are committed to providing the highest levels of professional service to the public, and for continuously striving to find ways and means to be more efficient and effective in our work.
“Strategic planning for the future is the most hopeful indication of our increasing social intelligence.”
William Hastie
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Accessibility
We pride ourselves in being accessible and responsive to our clients, to the public, and to the members of council whom we also serve.
Professional
Integrity Honesty and integrity are the hallmarks of our profession, and we commit to upholding the highest standards of professional integrity in all aspects of our work as municipal administrators.
“ Either lead, follow, or get out of the way.”
Ted Turner
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Our Vision Statement :
“To have well trained and knowledgeable municipal employees everywhere in
Newfoundland and
Labrador.”
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“To provide members with the knowledge and resources to achieve success as municipal administrators within the best of our abilities and resources.”
Dalai Lama
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Critical Areas Originally Identified:

Membership Recruitment

Membership Services

Increased Training
Opportunities

Improved Communications

Professional Designation

Financial Autonomy
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1. Improving Communications with the
Membership
2. Membership Services
3. Revenue Generation & Accountability
These were the THREE priorities that were ultimately identified and agreed upon to be the focus for the planning cycle for PMA from 2012-2014.
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Communications incorporates a myriad of means and target groups
– both internally and externally.
Programs and Services are at the very heart of what
PMA is about and why we exist as a professional organization.
Revenue Generation and Financial Accountability are extremely important (and related) issues that ultimately provides us with the means to develop programs, provide services, deliver training, and provide supports for our membership.
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GOAL #1
By June 30, 2012 PMA will have reviewed current communications policies and protocols and finalized an improved Internal Communications Plan for use among board members as a means to keep members of the
Executive Board better informed about issues and decisions, and to increase involvement.
Desired Outcomes:

Keep executive members more continuously informed about issues and developments

Make more effective use of technologies and electronic mediums

Streamline information to and from Board Members and various committees of PMA

Increase accountability at Board level

Improve overall internal communications between and among Board Members (and staff)
Indicators of Success:

More frequent communications among Executive Board

Higher approval rating for performance of Board

Increase in number of people willing to serve on PMA
Board positions

Improved decision-making at Board level and reduction of wait time in rendering decisions

Increased interaction between Executive Director and
PMA Board

Increased awareness and sharing of information and decisions at executive level
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GOAL #2
In an effort to keep PMA members well informed about issues that are important to local government officials and to better engage key stakeholders that are critical to PMA’s continued success, by April 30, 2013 the PMA
Board will introduce a detailed “communications plan” to improve its operations and effectiveness.
Desired Outcomes:

Improve communication with membership

Focus on more meaningful and focused information

Expand means of communication with PMA membership
& stakeholders

Minimize effects of distance and isolation in attaining information

Consult with membership on priorities and needs

Identify areas where improvements are required

Establish a more broad-based communications plan

Be recognized and respected for the quality of communications with our membership and with our stakeholders
I think it’s fair to say that computers have become the most empowering tool we have ever created. They’re tools of communication…depending on how effectively we use them.
(Bill Gates)
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Indicators of Success:

Improved respect and credibility of PMA among stakeholder groups

Increased awareness & understanding of PMA issues and concerns

Higher approval ratings of
PMA performance among membership

Increased membership pride

Stability AND/OR
INCREASE in memberships

Improved relations with key stakeholders (MNL; various levels of government; Municipal Affairs; Municipal
Assessment Agency; funding partners; corporate community; municipal councils)

Increased funding
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GOAL #1
To carry out a complete review of the suite of programs and services offered through PMA by December 2013, and revise and improve services (as required) to better serve the membership and better meet their needs.
Desired Outcomes:

to ensure our services are meeting the needs of the membership

identify gaps that may exist between what is offered and what the membership identifies as being required

maximize training opportunities for members

ensure PMA is in tune with the knowledge and skills required for success in the municipal sector

partner with various organizations and groups to secure training opportunities in various locations of Newfoundland & Labrador

access as many mediums as possible to enhance opportunities for training and skills development
Indicators of Success:

increased enrolment in training

higher satisfaction ratings with training offered

increased frequency of training
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
more diversity in location and/or training mediums

increased interest in positions in municipal administration

overall increase in salaries and other benefits for municipal employees
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GOAL #2
In an attempt to ensure training and learning opportunities for municipal employees are leading to professionally approved and recognized programs of study, before the end of 2012, PMA will adopt a
Professional Designation Program for municipal administrators similar to programs used for certification in other provinces or jurisdictions throughout Canada.
Desired Outcomes:

ensure learning opportunities are directed towards fulfilling requirements leading towards certification

enhance the professionalization of employees

improve access for professional designation among members

provide appropriate links between learning, designation, and opportunities for employment

increase levels of respect for municipal employees who are certified

encourage membership to seek professional designation
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“You are educated. Your certification entitles you to certain things. You may think it is the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”
(Tom Brokaw)
Indicators of Success:

municipal employees subscribe to professional designation program

direct correlation between program completion and increased salaries

increase in training requests from membership

enhanced pride among membership

increased spending on training and learning opportunities for members

increased memberships from among municipal employees
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GOAL #1
By the end of the planning cycle, to complete a thorough review and redevelopment of all aspects of our financial procedures and accountabilities, including:

fund development

financial reporting

procedures and protocols

partnership development
Desired Outcomes:

increase our accountability to the membership

improve monthly and quarterly financial procedures

apply best practice to our financial operations

become more financially self-sufficient
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
decrease our reliance on annual operating grants

be in a stronger financial position to increase support for accreditation and training for PMA members
Indicators of Success:

more frequent & detailed financial reporting

increased funding for PMA
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
increase in the number of corporate contributors and overall funding provided to PMA

more monies allocated to PMA members for training & accreditation
 expanded “in kind” contributions and other financial support
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Among a number of important and competing priorities, these three critical areas readily came to the forefront, and they will become the primary focus of our energies and resources over the next number of years. PMA is poised to build on its recent success and move forward with new programs, services, and opportunities for the future.
We have developed five (5) important goals around these three areas of priority, all of which will bring us incrementally closer to enabling us to achieve our goals. While all goals are extremely important, with the support of the PMA membership and other partners, we hope to finally be in a position to introduce a new accreditation program for our members that, we feel at least, will become a critical “first step” towards recognition, certification, and a new level of professionalism and respect for our members. This is long overdue.
None of this can be achieved without your support. As already stated, we’re here to serve the needs of our membership. Please feel free to put your ideas and suggestions forward. If you feel there is anything you can do to help us achieve our goals, regardless of how large or small you feel your contribution can be, don’t hesitate to step forward and drop us a line . It’s amazing how much more we can achieve by working together. Thank you for your continued support and understanding, and hopefully this strategic plan will enable us to reach a little further and achieve a little more on your behalf over the next three years.
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