Advanced Recreation Facilities Business Management I

This course is designed for recreation facility professionals who are currently in a supervisory/management role, or who aspire to move into such a position. Each module in this course represents an introduction to areas of strategic importance to the business management of recreation facilities.

Project Management

Contract Law: Review the processes involved with facility construction management

• Clerk of the Works
• Know your acronyms RFP, GC, etc.
• Tendering
• Examples of both well and poorly designed tender documents
• Request for Proposals
• Prequalification
• Tender Evaluation and Award
• Bonding
• Canadian Construction Documents Committee
• Construction Lien Act
• Bid Bond

Introduction to Facility Project Management

• Learn the basic project management methodology
• Acting as the General Contractor
• Overseeing an independent General Contractor
• Operating as a construction site
• Posting the area as a construction site
• Dealing with daily operations while under construction
• Use and non-use of on-site PPE
• Owner vs. GC H&S responsibilities
• Role of the facilities JHSC
• Getting positive results from the construction “holdback funds”
• The cost of mid construction change orders
• Architect drawings vs. as built drawings
• Site housekeeping
• Conducting a fire drill with all contractors
• Cataloguing construction using pictures and videos
• Understand the processes necessary for effective approvals from the various agencies
• Building permits
• Electrical permits
• Proactive strategies in identifying and addressing risk management issues

Instructor: Steve Hardie, RRFA, CIT, CPT, CAP, Director of Parks and Recreation (Retired), Municipality of North Perth

Asset Management

This session discusses the key concepts of asset management and will provide participants with the skills and knowledge required to manage the financial, capital and operational needs of public infrastructure.

Topics include:

1. The concept of asset management (the 7 questions of asset management)
2. Core principles and key elements of asset management
3. The importance of good data and record keeping
4. Data management and standardization
5. Priority planning and budgeting
6. Developing an asset management plan
7. Implementing the plan
8. Accountability

Instructor: Zack Tarantino, Marmak

Strategic Planning

Strategic positioning is fundamentally important to creating continued success in the delivery of municipal parks and recreation services. Strategic Planning is a systematic approach through which this positioning can be achieved and also create mechanisms for the delivery of relevant services that address consumer needs.

Throughout this process it is fundamentally important to reflect on the internal and external influences that impact service delivery. It is also essential to clearly define organizational vision, mission and values that are so important in providing the context for the establishment of goals, objectives, strategies and tactics for the delivery system.

Key elements of a dynamic strategic planning process, in the context of the delivery of municipal parks and recreation services, will be presented to provide participants with an increased awareness of: Creating a Desired Future State; Setting a Service Context (situational analysis); Defining a Strategic Framework (vision, mission, values, strategic priorities and core business); Developing Direction (goals, objectives, strategies) Aligning Resources (governance, human and financial resources); Executing Plans; and Managing Progress and Success.

Instructor: David Clark, Principal, David A. Clark Consulting

Budgeting and Financial Management

Finance is complicated and can often be intimidating even for seasoned accountants. The session will be delivered by finance professionals from Municipal Finance Officers’ Association (MFOA) and will provide a high level overview of the key topics you need to understand to get the job done. This module will enable the non-financial manager to understand the following topics:

• Legislative Overview (including some details for municipal staff), Financial reporting (what gets included in financial statements and what does it mean),
• Operating and Capital budget preparation (both current year and longer term)
• User Fees (overview of approaches)
• Long term financial planning (how to pay for future needs),
• Reserve funds (how they are used in long term financial planning
• Asset management (how to build the financial plan for both replacement and expansion asset needs).

Instructors: Donna Herridge, CPA, CA, Executive Director, Calvin Barrett, CPA, CA, AMP it Up Program Manager, Christine Duong, Senior Policy Advisor, Municipal Finance Officers' Association of Ontario 

Risk Management

This session will provide an overview in the ways in which different assets are exposed to loss: Property, Liability, People and Net Income. We will review the six steps involved in the risk management process from identifying hazards to your facility and grounds to implementing risk management techniques in an effective and impactful way. We will discuss ways to transfer risk, from insurance or by contract and the pros and cons to the different choices. The session will also introduce the concept of Total Cost of Risk or TCOR which looks at risk in a holistic manner. Finally, we will take what has been presented and implement the practice utilizing different risk scenarios. Using a full case study, participants will have the opportunity to implement a best practice protocol utilizing key concepts. It will focus on collaborations with Neighbourhood Associations and user groups, as well as best practice when working with volunteers. This session will also introduce real-life examples including pump tracks and splashpads as well as creating a process for new assets into your system.

Instructor: Tracy Eso, BFA, CIP, CRM, ACI, Risk Assessment & Solutions Manager and Adrian Pytka, C.E.T., Risk Inspector, Intact Public Entities