Program to improve city and hamlet services and training

CHARLOTTE PETRIE

The Nunavut Association of Municipalities has devised a program to compare and contrast every municipality’s method of service delivery in order to determine each community’s strengths and weaknesses.

The Municipal Training Organization has identified a list of performance indicators to measure the delivery practices of each hamlet and city.

By breaking down the function of all the service deliveries, such as accounting, water and sewer, and bylaw enforcement, the organization has created a performance measurement program that evaluates the success or failure of each service area.

Once the strengths and weaknesses of each community’s method of delivery are identified, the organization will apply one community’s “best practices” to another community’s area of weakness.

“We want to find out from the municipalities what are their best practices, what they are doing right, and share that information with the other municipalities,” explained Keith Peterson, NAM’s chair.

“By doing that we can figure out which municipalities are having problems, and in what areas, then target those issues.”

MTO was incorporated as a non-profit organization in February 2003. Its board consists of two members of the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators and two representatives of the department of community government and transportation.

In March, the board approved 59 training events, and continues to seek money to offer another 46 events. Beginning last February, MTO offered courses to 69 students in accounting, computer basics, driving, bylaw enforcement and advanced medic first aid.

By improving the skill level of hamlet and city employees, MTO hopes to improve the performance of service delivery in all the communities.