Program Areas: Leadership, Supervision, and Administration (LSA)

From contracts to conflict and everything in between, Leadership, Supervision and Administration offers courses to reinforce your leadership skills and help demystify contract law.

Emerging Municipal Leaders – VIRTUAL

Course Schedule

This is an instructor-led online course. There will be one 2-hour virtual lesson each week for a total of 4 weeks. In addition, there will be pre and post work such as readings and activities that are to be completed online. Participants should plan to spend 2.5 – 3 hours on this course each week (2 hours in the virtual lesson and up to 1 hour for pre/post work).

  • Weekly virtual lessons: Thursdays from 1 to 3 pm
  • Virtual Lesson dates: March 20, 27, April 3, 10
  • Access to online content opens Thurs, March 13

Note: Online courses take place on our education website not our main website. New users will be sent a username and link to set their password. 

Attendance in all virtual lessons is required for completion of the course.

 

Course Description

As an Emerging Leader, you will recognize the essential skills and knowledge required to succeed as a new leader in the ever-changing municipal environment.

The program goal is to expose you to scenarios, opportunities, and tools that you can apply in your work environment. You will develop a better understanding of your leadership style, become more proactive, prepared in planning and expectations, and add tools to your toolbox to be more resilient. You will learn methods to communicate effectively with others and understand the importance of your role as an emerging leader and the impact you can bring.

Highlights:

  • Interactive programming and virtual discussions led by an experienced Facilitator
  • Opportunity to network with other leaders across other municipalities
  • Participant Workbook for note taking and self reflection (printable PDF)
  • Curated content via our D2L learning management system
  • Action plan towards strengthening your performance and personal development with a Leadership Development Plan (LDP)

Participants who attend all virtual lessons will receive a certificate of completion.

Course Content

  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Leadership
  • Communication
  • Self-awareness and discovery
  • Resiliency
  • Team Management and Generations
  • Coaching & Feedback

Who Should Attend?

This course is for anyone that is hoping to better understand how to transition into a leadership position.

HR Essentials for Public Works – VIRTUAL

Course Schedule

This is an instructor-led online course. There will be one 2-hour virtual lesson each week for a total of 4 weeks. In addition, there will be pre and post work such as readings and activities. Participants should plan to spend 2.5 – 3 hours on this course each week.  (2 hours in the virtual lesson and up to 1 hour for pre/post work)

Course Description

Today’s organizations are doing more with fewer resources allocated to people services. And organizations are investing in their Management Team to become better Human Resource Leaders.

This introduction to HR Talent and Performance Management is designed for those who would like to learn about HR fundamentals and better manage their people resources This program was designed to introduce the many facets of HR and share foundational HR concepts to support your role. This HR 101 for non-HR professionals will help municipal leaders be better prepared to manage the HR function and align key practices and programs with their most valuable asset – people

The program goal is to provide you with the key skills to lead the HR function while engaging, selecting, retaining, and developing your top talent.   Learn HR skills for non – HR managers while networking with other small municipalities.

Highlights

  • Interactive programming and virtual discussions led by an experienced Facilitator
  • Opportunity to network with other leaders from small municipalities
  • Participant Workbook for note taking and self reflection (printable PDF)
  • Curated content via our D2L learning management system
  • Action plan that aligns with performance and personal development

Participants who attend all virtual lessons will receive a certificate of completion.

Course Content

  • Strategic Human Resources
  • Human Resources foundational topics
  • Recruitment & selection
  • Performance management
  • Coaching and feedback

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

  • mangers that do not have a Human Resources department to support their talent and performance development needs.
  • those that would like to increase their level of awareness of HR functions, and how you can improve your people programs

Introduction to Contract Law

Workshop Objectives

You  will gain a thorough grounding in the laws governing municipal construction and rehabilitation projects, and will learn about the most common types of contracts used for municipal projects, and become familiar with the risks, liabilities, and consequences of substandard performance, liens and claims. Participants will also learn about the rights, limitations, and obligations affecting their relationship with contractors and the public and be able to set ethical ground rules for dealing with contractors.

Workshop Content

  • Formation of a contract including offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity and legality
  • Factors affecting the contractual relationship including mistake, misrepresentation, duress, undue influence, conditional contacts, privity of contract and assignment
  • The end of the contractual relationship including performance, breach, discharge by agreement, frustration, remedies for breach of contract
  • The court system including adjudication and alternative dispute resolution
  • The 3 most common types of contracts
  • How to read, interpret and administer the contract
  • Parts of a typical contract
  • Performance bonds, warranties, & letters of credit
  • Liability and insurance
  • The best ways of dealing with substandard performance problems
  • Ethics in the workplace and your relationship with contractors

Who Should Attend

This workshop is recommended for new managers/inspectors and those with 1-5 years of experience administering contracts for municipal construction and rehabilitation projects.

Accreditation

This course is recognized by:

  • This course may be used as credit for technical specialists programs only. Please contact OACETT to make sure that this course satisfies your particular examination program for certification. Point Value = 2
  • The Engineering Institute of Canada awards 7 Professional Development Hours to this workshop.

Format

Through lecture, class discussion, case studies and small group exercises, participants will review examples of case law that illustrate how the courts have applied the principles discussed in this course. Attention will be given to the factual situations of each case, along with the lessons that can be learned from the related judgments. The court process will be introduced and will include the benefits of alternative dispute resolution including negotiation, mediation and arbitration.

 

 

Advanced Contract Law

Workshop Objectives

Discuss administrative issues pertaining to the performance of a contract and variation of a contract. The goal is to equip you with the skills needed to make sound decisions based upon the express and implied terms set out in the contract. Attention will also be given to ethical issues involving contract administration, risk analysis, being called to court as a witness, and other relevant issues related to contract administration.

Recommendation: You should be familiar with requests for tenders and construction contracts.

Workshop Content

• Review of basic contract law principles and terms

• The tendering process

• Liquidated damages and penalties

• Contract performance and variations

• Ethical considerations and relationships

• Being called as a witness

Who Should Attend

Employees with over 5 years’ experience administering municipal contracts or those who have taken the Introduction to Contract Law workshop.

Accreditation

This workshop is recognized by:

  • This course may be used as credit for technical specialist programs only. Point Value = 5
  • The Engineering Institute of Canada awards 7 Professional Development Hours to this workshop.

Format

Through lectures, class discussion and small group exercises, participants will undertake an in-depth examination of tenders, construction contract issues, and leading case law relating to construction matters. Best practices when preparing a request for tender and considering bids will be thoroughly scrutinized, along with the relationship between the municipality and contractors and the need for accurate and timely documentation of facts.

Municipal Liability: Traffic Collisions

Course Description

The course provides an in-depth understanding of municipalities’ exposure to liability due to their legal obligation to provide safe road facilities to the public, and how to avoid that costly exposure. The course explains the legal principle of “joint and several liability” in Canadian courts, and practical steps that municipalities can take to fulfill their legal obligations through proper design, inspection, maintenance, and documentation of road facilities. Several real-life examples will be discussed to explain how municipalities were found legally liable.

Course Content

  • Liability in designing roadways and Intersections
  • Liability in implementing traffic control devices
  • Liability in planning and designing road facilities dedicated to vulnerable road users
  • Liability in designing roadway/intersection lighting
  • Liability in routine road patrol and maintenance
  • Liability in winter patrol and maintenance
  • The importance of conducting routine traffic safety studies
  • Municipal liability in Ontario’s civil court system
  • The benefits of using emerging technologies
  • Identifying and documenting design/maintenance flaws
  • Practical methods to address design/maintenance flaws
  • Understanding experts’ perspectives when analyzing cases related to municipal liability
  • Several case studies

Who Should Attend?

The primary target audience of this course is transportation professionals and risk managers

involved with road design, inspection, and maintenance. Participants do not need to have formal engineering education. Examples of municipal positions that would be interested in taking the course include:

  • Transportation manager.
  • Transportation planning manager.
  • Transportation operations supervisor.
  • Transportation engineer.
  • Transportation planner.
  • Transportation technician.
  • Transportation technologist.
  • Traffic technician.
  • Road superintendent.
  • Any position involved with traffic/road safety.
  • Any managerial position involved with public works, transportation services, risk management, or design and construction.

Prerequisites

Course participants are encouraged to make themselves familiar with the level-of-service standards adopted by their respective municipalities regarding the design, inspection, and maintenance of road facilities.

Course participants are also required to bring an Internet-connected device (tablet, laptop, or smartphone) to participate in course polls using the Slido app. The polls can be accessed through the Slido app or a browser – no registration required.

Evaluation Process

Your grade will be calculated as follows:

  • In-class Course Project: 50%
  • Final online test (20 multiple-choice questions): 50%

A final grade of 60% is required to pass the course.

Participants will receive a certificate of completion upon passing the course.

Learn more about Traffic Collision liability as the instructors of this course joined the Good Roads Podcast to discuss liability in traffic collisions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttSZ6OCQipY