NAM hampered by administrative, personnel problems

The Nunavut Association of Municipalities website promises visitors that an English version of the site will be available by March 17, 2009, and an Inuktitut version by April 28.

Turns out the site isn’t available yet in any of Nunavut’s four official languages.

The organization, which lobbies on behalf of Nunavut communities, also had to cancel its spring annual general meeting.

NAM has also been without an executive director since last fall, when former CEO Linda Gunn left, said Shawn Maley, the assistant deputy minister of Community and Government Services. The association’s Iqaluit office is down to one staffer out of a usual three.

“Like any organization they have their highs and lows and this is definitely not their best moment,” Maley said.

“The executive’s been trying to keep things right, but it will be a while until they’re back the way they used to be.”

In the meantime, CGS staff are helping NAM clean up its financial statements by the end of summer so the organization can qualify for outside funding next year, Maley said.

The Government of Nunavut funds NAM to the tune of about $150,000 a year.

Maley said that funding won’t be cut off because of the current problems.

Maley said that NAMIX, the association’s collective insurance program, runs independently of NAM and isn’t affected by the organization’s current doldrums.

The impact on hamlets, Maley said, is that they go without NAM’s advocacy on behalf of Nunavut’s municipalities.