The School of Community Government

Community Government Management

A program designed for Senior Managers and aspiring managerial staff to manage and administer community government operations. There are three streams offered in the Community Management Program which provide specific training for: Senior Administrative Officers, Band Managers and Housing Managers in the Northwest Territories.

Who can take the courses?

These programs are open to both existing senior managers or aspiring managerial staff who wish to enhance their present skills, and knowledge or gain new skills and information.

What will I learn?

Learners participate in such courses as community financial management, community and municipal law, human resource management as well as office organization and business.

Partners

This Program is offered in partnership with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, NWT Housing Corporation, NWT Association of Communities, Local Government Administrators of the NWT, and Municipal and Community Affairs.

Program Outline

The Community Management Program has been designed to facilitate the work of leadership development by exploring ideas and practices that create shared vision, sustainable government and human services of the highest quality.  

This program consists of three streams:  Senior Administrative Officer, Housing Manager and Band Manager.  There are 26 courses in the program.  Students are required to complete 8 core courses, 6 specialized courses and 2 electives, for a total of 16 courses to be eligible to receive a “Certificate in Management” from the School of Community Government.   Each course is 45 hours.

Core Courses

Specialized Courses:

     Band Manager

     Housing Manager

     Senior Administrative Officer

Elective Courses 

The two required elective courses must be taken from one of the other two streams.

Course Descriptions

Aboriginal Commercial Law

This course will explore the legal context for First Nations government and the implications of the Indian Act and commercial law for contemporary Band management.   Topics include partnerships with government, working with contracts and commercial law, and Aboriginal business.

Communications

This course prepares leaders to communicate effectively in writing and speech.  At the end of this course the participant will be well prepared for any communications task required in his or her work as a Northern community leader. Participants will also have developed an appreciation of the value of excellence in personal communication.  Topics include communication theory, the written word, oral communication and the media.

Community & Cultural Values, Ethics and Diversity

This course will focus on values: their source, meaning, and use by individuals and in communities.  Topics include Northern communities and cultural values, ethics and diversity, Northern issues and communication and community government and tolerance.

Community Based Planning and Implementation

This course assists community leaders in improving the condition or their community.  Topics include understanding change, understanding your community, the tools of participation, understanding the human component and ensuring a successful progression.

First Nations Business Development

This course is designed to provide participants with the overall understanding, knowledge and skill that is required to develop and operate a small business.  Participants will explore the importance of small business and describe the characteristics and skill requirements that are needed by an entrepreneur to start and develop a small business. 

The course will take the participant through the process of organizing a small business to the eventual turning over or closing down of the business.  The preparation of a Business Plan is also a major part of this course.  Topics include the decision to go into business, organizing a small business, operating a small business and the growth process.

First Nation Programs, Planning and Implementation

This course will introduce program planning ideas and methods that will allow participants to work effectively as community leaders with Northern First Nations.  Topics include the Indian Act and beyond, program planning, needs, proposals and partners, practicing strategic management and program evaluation and change management.

First Nations Strategic Management

This course is based on general principles of strategic management that apply to any organization aimed at community service and community government. The strategic management of community government will be the focus in this course. Community senior managers, their staff, and decision makers will be able to bring their experience and concerns to the learning activities for this course.  Topics include goals before strategy, developing a strategic management system, practicing strategic management and learning, and strategic management.

General Financial Practices at the Community Level

This course provides information on the roles, responsibilities and skill sets of a financial manager.  Topics include the role of the financial manager, accounting and financial concepts, internal control, cash management, tax administration and other government reporting.

Governance with you Councils and Boards

This course is about how Councils and Boards work when Council members are: committed to the future of the community; have a clear, written understanding of their roles and responsibilities; and, are actively ‘listening’ to the residents they serve.  Topics include characteristics of a well functioning board, the roles and responsibilities of a council or board, basic principles followed by boards and monitoring and evaluating of boards and councils.

Housing Finances

This course is designed to provide Housing Managers with a comprehensive understanding of their financial responsibilities. Topics include:  Financial responsibilities of the Housing Manager, Legal liabilities within the Financial area of responsibility, establishing the budget and conducting variance analysis, reporting to the Local Housing Authority/Association and reporting to the NWT Housing Corporation.  

Housing Programs, Planning & Implementation

This course is designed to provide ideas and methods that will make the opportunities connected to the current challenges more accessible.  The focus will be on strategic program planning in the area of Northern social housing.   Topics include strategic program planning in Northern communities, Northern social housing programs, designing a housing program, and program planning and implementation.

Human Resources, Planning and Development

This course introduces you, as a leader and a manager, to the field of human resources management from a community government perspective.  Topics include human resource planning and job design, recruitment and development, employee relations and personnel administration.

Informatics

This course provides the learner with tangible managerial applications for computers in the workplace.  It features Microsoft business software products, however, the methodology can be applied to similar integrated business software products.  Topics include working in a computerized environment, effective use of the Internet, office communication systems, integrated business software, relational databases and project management.

Law, Land Claimis & Self Government

This course will survey the latest developments as well as the foundations and justifications for First Nations self-government.  Topics include foundations of the Canadian legal system, the doctrine of Aboriginal title, treaties and treaty rights, legislative authority, policy and the fiduciary relationship and self-government and the Indian Act.

Leadership for Community Managers

This course supports Northern managers to lead their communities towards greater self-government by connecting leadership skills and values with management tasks and decisions.  Topics include determining leadership goals, the many forms of leadership, practicing leadership skills, and leading in a Northern community.

Maintenance Management

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive approach to all of the systems that are involved in social housing maintenance.  This course is organized around the eight essential maintenance management functions of organizing, planning, identifying, scheduling, directing, executing, tracking and evaluating.  Topics include an introduction to maintenance management, maintenance contracts and administration, after-hours maintenance emergencies, computerized maintenance management systems and energy management.

Municipal Constitutions, Bylaws and Policies

This course will introduce the foundations, current practices, and future possibilities of municipal government systems in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.  Topics include Northern community and cultural values, bylaws, policies and procedures and guidelines.

Municipal Contracts, Tenders and Proposals

This course is designed to assist Senior Administrative Officers in managing and implementing contracts at the municipal level.  Topics include: Contracting Framework, Policy and Regulations, The Tendering Process, The Proposal Process, Contract Law, Contract Administration, Risk Management and Ethics.

Municipal Finances

This course is designed to provide Senior Administrative Officers with a comprehensive understanding of their financial responsibilities.  Topics include Financial responsibilities of the Senior Administrative Officer/Role of SAO, Legal responsibilities within the financial responsibilities, reporting to council, government reports, government accounting entities and principles, establishing the budget and conducting variance analysis and goals of government accounting, year end reporting and completing the annual audit.

Municipal Programs, Planning and Implementation

This course will discuss ways to plan, implement and evaluate programs and services.  It will also assist the manager to identify the sources of influence in the community and the role of the local government manager in addressing conflicting demands.  Topics include community dynamics and leadership, managing programs and services, the search for solutions and doing things differently.

Municipalities and the Law

This course is designed to provide insight into the law as it relates to Municipal Governments.  Topics include an Introduction to Municipal Law, Municipal Powers and Responsibilities, Statutory Law: Acts, Planning & Land, Employment Law, Liability Law, Administrative Law, and Avoiding and Resolving Conflict.

Property Management

The course provides a broad overview of the basic elements of property management for market housing and social housing, as well as condominium and cooperative housing management.  It is designed to complement more specific courses dealing with housing finances, maintenance management, housing programs and planning and tenant relations. 

Topics include an economic perspective on Northern rental housing, types of portfolios, managing revenue, managing expenses, and protecting and improving asset values.

Social & Economic Development

This course is designed to support Band Managers and other community leaders who want to make the most of social and economic opportunities by working towards the goals that First Peoples have set for themselves.  Topics include understanding social development, understanding economic development, social development strategies and economic development strategies. 

Social Housing, Management and Administration

This course will provide an introduction to social housing management from a community government perspective.  Participants will focus on the community Local Housing Organization (LHO) in order to combine a thorough understanding of social issues related to housing with management practices that work in Northern communities.  Topics include housing, poverty and society, social housing in the North, the property management process and LHO’s and legal considerations.

Tenant Relations

This course is designed to provide knowledge, skills and an appreciation of values, which are essential for social housing providers in the North.  Topics include determining eligibility and priorities in social housing allocation, the tenancy agreement, moving in, the residential tenancy act, collection policies and termination of the tenancy agreement.

Program Advisory Committee:

  • Carol Beck , School of Community Government, Yellowknife
  • Vicki Boudreau, Housing Manager, Inuvik
  • Ruby Jumbo, Band Manager, Trout Lake
  • Liza McPherson, Superintendent Deh Cho Region, MACA
  • Jane Haley, Manager, NWT Housing Corporation, Yellowknife
  • Albert Lafferty, SAO, Ft. Providence, Deh Cho Region
  • Tom Matus, SAO, Wha Ti, North Slave Region
  • Veryl Gruben, Housing Manager, Tuktoyatuk, Inuvik Region
  • Eleanor Young, NWT Association of Communities, Yellowknife
  • Shirley Lamalice, Band Manager, K'atlodeechee First Nation, South Slave Region
  • Graham Baptiste, Director, DIAND, Yellowknife

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