Addressing the top challenges facing BC Municipalities in ...€¦ · What are the top 3, 5, or 10...

© Western Principles, 2020. Call us at 1.800.578.4155 or email us at [email protected].

Addressing the top challenges facing BC

Municipalities in 2020 with Project &

Portfolio Management

(A.K.A. Do the right projects and do projects right.)

Western Principles, © January 2020.

Key Points:

• In 2020, BC municipal governments are faced with numerous competing challenges in

many large categories – ranging from infrastructure to homelessness to economic

development (and many more).

• Do the right projects. Do projects right.

o With limited budgets and limited experienced people to address these pressing

challenges, municipal governments need to make complex decisions to prioritize

projects and programs.

o Once projects and programs are selected, each municipality needs to have

processes and technology in place to help manage projects successfully to

completion.

• Selecting and configuring a project and portfolio management system to meet your needs

will help you ensure you do the right projects, do projects right, and that you have visibility

into the programs, resources, risks, costs, and progress for the entire portfolio of work.

mailto:[email protected]


1. What keeps BC Local Government leaders up at night?

British Columbia is the third-most populous and second-largest province. British Columbia has 162

municipalities. Each municipality is governed by a mayor and council and is autonomous,

responsible, and accountable to their citizens and to the province. The provincial government set out

the legal framework and foundation for local governments in provincial laws called the Local

Government Act and the Community Charter.1

What are the top 3, 5, or 10 challenges facing municipal leaders in BC in 2020? Since Local

Government is so tightly tied to the Provincial Government, it is best to start by looking at the

provincial level. In that regard, the biggest issues in 2019 are likely going to carry over into 2020.

These include: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

• Maintaining a balanced budget (even a surplus) in the face of various economic pressures.

• The decline in the forestry sector (and WFP strike), with the closure of many mills and loss of

jobs. This has had severe negative affects on many BC municipalities with unemployment

and subsequently taxes.

• The remaining uncertainty in the mining sector.

• 4 major capital projects (LNG Canada, Coastal GasLink pipeline Site C dam, and potentially the

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion) are ramping up or in full swing and will employ

thousands of workers over the next several years.

• Additional big capital infrastructure projects like the Massey Tunnel, the Patullo Bridge, and

the Surrey SkyTrain and UBC SkyTrain extension are expected to start soon.

• The ongoing Trans Mountain pipeline fight with Alberta, and similar challenges to major

projects such as the Coastal GasLink within BC.

• Negotiations with the BC Teachers Federation.

• ICBC funding and potential rate increases.

• Climate change and environment.

1 http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015EOS-Community-Effort-Booklet.pdf 2 https://globalnews.ca/news/6341944/top-b-c-politics-stories-to-watch-for-in-2020/ 3 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/climate-change-speed-dating-meetings-on-agenda-for-ubcm-

conference 4 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubcm-10-resolutions-listicle-1.5291782 5 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/best-of-2019-here-are-b-c-s-biggest-stories-of-the-year 6 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ten-things-local-politics-government-british-columbia-

1.5409444 7 https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-sawmill-closures-hurt-bc-communities 8 https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-fallout-deepens-each-delay-meng-case-observers-warn 9 https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-bcs-skilled-labour-pains-about-become-acute


http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015EOS-Community-Effort-Booklet.pdf

https://globalnews.ca/news/6341944/top-b-c-politics-stories-to-watch-for-in-2020/

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/climate-change-speed-dating-meetings-on-agenda-for-ubcm-conference


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ubcm-10-resolutions-listicle-1.5291782

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/best-of-2019-here-are-b-c-s-biggest-stories-of-the-year

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ten-things-local-politics-government-british-columbia-1.5409444


https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-sawmill-closures-hurt-bc-communities

https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-fallout-deepens-each-delay-meng-case-observers-warn

https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-bcs-skilled-labour-pains-about-become-acute


• Wildfires – while not as bad in 2019 as in 2018 – continued to be a major problem for BC, and

with climate change, they are anticipated to be ongoing problems into the future.

• Affordable housing.

• Homelessness continues to be a problem for BC – with problems in cities like Vancouver,

Surrey, Nanaimo, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Prince George, and more.

• Transportation.

• Economic development.

• Addiction.

• Community safety.

• Provincial vs. municipal autonomy.

• In-migration of seniors (paired with out-migration of youth) and a need for delivery of new

and more expensive services.

• The arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and the subsequent arrest in China of two

Canadians has placed a chill on international relations – and affected local relations and trade

as a result.

• Even a possible election in 2020.

With all of this in mind, B.C.’s economy is probably in for a few more years of steady growth, thanks

to the large capital projects in the province. Even with the moderate economic slowdown in 2018,

these projects will ensure that BC continues to enjoy one of the best-performing economies. In that

context, the province continues to be in good shape financially, according to B.C. Finance Minister

Carole James. "We are on sound footing," James said. "We continue to have a balanced budget, and

we continue to have very strong metrics when it comes to looking at the indicators for debt as well in

British Columbia." 10,11

All these factors impact local governments – some favourably (like having a big capital projects in

your municipality), and some not (like wildfires, homelessness, addiction, and the collapse of the

forestry industry in your municipality). In addition, the ongoing challenge of the federal and

provincial governments downloading increased responsibilities and costs onto local governments has

a major and unfavourable impact on communities.

10 https://biv.com/article/2019/11/bc-still-good-shape-says-finance-minister 11 https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Economic-Outlook---Momentum-Play


https://biv.com/article/2019/11/bc-still-good-shape-says-finance-minister

https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Economic-Outlook---Momentum-Play


We have outlined these factors in the following diagram, and arranged them – along with others –

under some major themes:

(See the details for these challenges in the appendix)



2. What’s the solution?

Each of the problems and responsibilities described above are addressed with programs and projects.

These may be organized under portfolios or departments within a local government. Within a

department, all work – plans, progress, costs, and resources – all must roll-up to a portfolio view

allowing visibility to efficient planning and delivery. Similarly, all the departmental portfolios must

roll-up to the local government view, allowing for transparency.

Sounds easy? Well, it’s not. Solving the challenges faced by municipalities is only restricted by time

and money. Who doesn’t have a lot of that? Easy answer – local governments.

In the face of tight capital, limited resources,

and high demand for change delivered

through projects, it is critically important for

municipalities to make the right choices, and

once programs are in place, that projects are

well planned and executed.

Selecting the right projects

An integrated project and portfolio management system (PPM) gives you the ability to select the

right projects and programs with respect to “the triple constraint” – strategy, budget, and capacity.

In this picture, new ideas are pouring into the

organization. These may come from elected

officials, municipal staff, provincial bodies,

and local community businesses or

citizens. For a municipality, these may

include proposals like “Build a new arena”,

or “3-1-1 Technology Upgrade”. Literally

thousands of ideas a year may flow into

this funnel. Also, while the annual budget

is the “big show” for gathering and selecting proposals,

we all know that ideas aren’t restricted by a fiscal period,

and that they come in throughout the year. Some of

these may be mandatory work – such as changes to a

records management system mandated by a regulator, or

changes to the overall budget caused by an immediate change to Provincial funding. As a result of



the nature of some of these new ideas, the selected portfolio of projects needs to be frequently

rejuggled and rebalanced throughout a fiscal period. The natural progression of this process is to

move from an annual budgeting cycle to an ongoing portfolio analysis, repeated quarterly or

monthly.12

While hundreds of ideas may come into the funnel, proposals are either selected into the projects

and programs or rejected. If they are rejected, proposals may die completely or sit in a parking lot

for consideration later.

Projects and programs need to be selected based on the triple constraint of strategic fit, available

budget to do work, and the capacity of employees and contractors to get the work done.

• Strategies for local governments can be found in the mission and vision statements, and often

reflect community engagement, transparency & accountability, economic growth, quality of

life, environmental responsibility, innovation and excellence, employees, regional

collaboration, and safety.

• Budget constraints are imposed by the local government council on behalf of citizens.

Further constraints may be imposed by the Province. Which projects can be done with the

available bucket of funds? Are there some “must-dos” that force others out? What scenarios

can you create to optimize your mix?13

• Capacity of employees and contractors dictate the ability to get work done. How much time

do they have available to do project work? Do in-house resources have the skills to do the

work? Do you need consultants or contractors to help? Are they readily available? If you

don’t have people available, can you get them by training available in-house people, hire new

people, or contract them? Again, what scenarios can you create to optimize the ability to get

projects done, and drive results?

12 May require amendments to annual planning. P. 5 of https://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LG-Finance-

101.pdf 13 https://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LG-Finance-101.pdf


https://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/LG-Finance-101.pdf




Selecting projects based on the business strategy and doing what-if analysis based on budget and

capacity constraints, allows you to do long-term planning and to create balanced programs that will

drive success. Further, it will help you avoid selecting “bad” projects into the mix – those that aren’t

aligned with the key business drivers and those which have unacceptably high risks. This helps to

improve the overall ROI of your project investment portfolio14.

Doing projects right

An integrated PPM also gives you the ability to do projects right. It has underlying business processes

for gating your projects through your defined project lifecycle, ensuring standards like basic project

information is gathered, approvals are granted, schedules are created, risks are collected, and so on.

The project management side of the PPM allows you to configure the system to align with your best

practices, so that each project conforms to a set of processes and standards that help you deliver

projects and programs successfully.

14 For a local government, the “ROI” is likely not a traditional return on investment. It may have more to do with a

balanced scorecard that reflects a non-profit strategy flowing from the vision and mission statements and the

current mandate of the Council.



You may have several project types, each with their own workflow. For example, you may have

project types for:

• Engineering projects (such as a new road or interchange, an improvement to the water plant,

or a new pool),

• Parks and Recreation projects (such as an arena upgrade, or organizing a new seniors fitness

class),

• Community housing projects (such as renovating affordable housing),

• Fire Services (such as purchasing a new fire engine),

• IT (such as infrastructure, applications, and security), and

• Other local government areas (like communications for educating the community about

garbage and recycling programs, and finance for collections activities).

The workflow provides an overall methodology for the project, with gating to ensure governance.

Within the workflow, you should have a defined schedule template with standard milestones –

providing a project team a place to start their planning. Staring with a standard template also

provides the ability to roll-up the project progress for council and

executive visibility. For larger projects, you must also have a cost controls

template, integrated into your PPM, where you can create and track your

budget and changes, and easily manage a project

forecast.

The workflow should also generate a standard

project site, giving your project team a place to

store all working documents and drawings. The

site also provides the foundation for critical lists like risks and issues, where a project manager can

document these items, and track contingency plans and action to closure. Once again, these lists

must roll-up automatically for PMO and executive reports. Within the site, you can have forms and

automated processes for change requests, construction RFIs, status reports, lessons learned, HS&E

observations, and more (all kicked-off with the workflow and templates). Finally, all the information

in this site must be available for easy reporting at the project, program, PMO, and executive level –

with reports and dashboards crafted for people in each level.



This standardization and capabilities of the project management system are important as they drive

the ability to be predictable and repeatable in project planning and execution, and to gradually

mature your delivery capabilities over time.

A great project management system blends process and technology together and acts a big lever that

will improve your project outcomes and drive the expected return on investment of each project, and

their programs.

What’s important?

Different departments, programs, and projects may have

different important metrics that they need to plan and

track. This may be dictated by the resources that are

doing the work, and the degree of control the

municipality needs for each project.

For example, on a small and low-cost project being done

in-house by IT to build a new report for the council, the

project manager will be focused on the schedule and

resources. In contrast, on an engineering project to

build a new road, which is primarily being done by

third-party engineering and construction firms, your Roads

Department may need primary visibility and control of the

costs – from the budget to the forecast, as well as tight oversight and approvals on any changes.

The tools to help you manage schedules, resources, and costs must all be part of your PPM system,

and through project types, must provide you access to the right planning and control systems.



See what?

Your PPM won’t manage itself. You need visibility into what

is happening on projects and programs, and how resources

are allocated so that you can gain insight that drives

decisions and actions. Other key performance

indicators, like project costs, risks, issues, and change

requests, also need to be part of this picture.

Your PPM analytics system must give you graphic and

tabular dashboards that quickly direct your attention

to problem areas and help you to make good and fast

decisions about how to resolve problems.

Why is this important? A PPM Analytics system

gives you roles-based visibility – so that your

executives, PMO team, project managers,

and other stakeholders can get the

information they need to find and fix

problems.

Hook it up

A complete PPM integrates into your other line of business systems:

• Your finance system is the single-source-of-truth for costs, so

your PPM system should pull budget and actual cost

information from it.

• Your operations and dispatch

system(s) let you know where your

crews are and what they’re doing.

These teams may also spend some of

their time working on projects and so

you need to be able to coordinate

time – such as pulling them off

projects to respond to emergencies.

• You may have a time reporting system,

where your team enters their daily or weekly time



for approvals. This should be hooked up to the PPM so that they can see what project work

they are responsible for and can report back on what they’ve completed.

• Your engineering & construction management teams need to track health, safety, and

environment observations and incidents. This information should be available to your PPM

system – much like tracking an issue or a risk.

• Your development teams may be creating new software using an Agile development

methodology. Your executive and PMO need to be able to initiate projects and plan

resources in that space, as well as get visibility to progress on the projects and additionally

the resource allocations. This should flow back and forth with your PPM system.

• There are a variety of other systems that you may want to integrate with your PPM system.

You may even need to integrate your PPM with other project management systems, to

provide a full view of what projects are going on in your organization, and who is working on

each. This may require two-way integration so that you can push project requests from your

portfolio management system and receive progress updates back into the project

management and analytics system.

Integration can be achieved in several ways. At the most sophisticated level, two systems may be

integrated with shared data so that both systems use the same tables. Data replication is another

approach, with one- or two-way integration either in real-time or batched. A simpler approach is to

integrate through reporting, bringing data together with analytics.

The value of integrating your PPM system and other core business systems is to reduce the

complexity of your business environment – ensuring a single-source-of-information, eliminating

double entries, and driving business value with better decisions.



3. What does it look like?

What PPM

solution is going

to help you do the

right projects and

do projects right?

There are only a

couple of PPM

systems that are

up to the challenge. To suit the diverse and rich needs of a municipal government you will need to

organize your PPM with a series of tightly integrated components. This allows you the ability to

approach your PPM implementation through a “crawl-walk-run” philosophy, and to extend the

capabilities as you need them.

We’ll use Microsoft Project Online for a discussion of this modular approach.

Microsoft Project Online has rich capabilities to help you select the right

projects through its portfolio management module15. This powerful

functionality provides for proposal intake and scoring against your business

strategy and other factors which you define. Then it gives

you the ability to look at selected projects against available

budget, and available capacity. From there, you can do iterations of “what if”

analysis and build scenarios that can be used for making critical decisions.

Need more than what Microsoft Project Online comes with? Some

municipal governments might. You can extend the Microsoft Project

Online solution with partner products – like UMT360’s Program Manager

and Portfolio Manager. This gives you the ability to see beyond individual

projects and look at the impacts of selecting or modifying programs based

on constraints like budget and capacity.

For project management, everyone knows of the rich scheduling capabilities

inside Microsoft Project Online. But many people aren’t aware of the project

governance and controls it provides. When configured correctly, Microsoft

15 Most Microsoft Project Online or Server users aren’t aware that this capability is right inside the solution they

already have. It simply needs to be configured.



Project Online also helps you progress projects through gating and provides templated project sites.

The project sites can contain project documents, risks, and issues.

Similarly, Microsoft Project Online has some “white space” where you can use

partner products, like UMT360, to fill gaps and roll-out additional capabilities

– such as cost controls or integration to Azure DevOps. A great advantage you

enjoy with Microsoft is the rich set of partners that have developed out-of-

the-box solutions over the years, and consequently the ability to extend the

base PPM solution when you have needs.

Visibility to your projects is provided by some out-of-the-

box reporting within Microsoft Project Online, and

additionally with Microsoft Power BI and the included

content pack. This provides actionable insights that can

be used to ensure the status of the portfolio, projects, and

resources.

Microsoft Project Online can also be extended further with customization provided through the

Microsoft Power Platform. This provides the ability to easily integrate Microsoft Project Online to

other systems and business

processes, and to create forms and

automated workflows. Microsoft

provides templates and samples of

the Power Platform capabilities

directly from their website. For

example, if you want to connect Microsoft Project Online to a help desk system like ServiceNow,

there are predefined models that you can use for starting this build, using Power Automate.

Microsoft Project Online is one of the world’s most popular PPM systems for many good reasons. It

has matured over the years and Microsoft has expanded the capabilities to cover portfolio and

project management, and a range of project needs – from simple to sophisticated. Microsoft Project

Online can be configured to meet your needs whether for IT projects, complex capital projects, or

other business projects in areas like communications, customer services, finance, and others.



4. Your PPM Next Steps

Heres’ a three-step process to help you get your PPM system in place, to address the municipal

government challenges you face:

1) Evaluate your PPM capabilities:

a. Are you limited or plagued by spreadsheets for your portfolio or project

management?

b. Do you have a system – process and technology – to help you select the right projects

and to help your project teams do projects right?

c. Do you have visibility to your portfolio, projects, costs, and resources?

d. Are these systems integrated?

e. Does your PPM need to integrate with other systems, or be extended?

f. What’s your starting point? With answers to the questions above, assess your

business processes and supporting technology, along with your team’s competencies.

2) Set a goal. Now that you know where you’re starting:

a. Where do you want to mature your PPM capabilities to?

b. What’s the business case for making the move?

c. How long can you wait to get there?

3) Assess your options, build a roadmap, and start your implementation. Oh, that’s easy . In

truth, there are many PPM options available to you, but as you narrow your focus you will

find that there are only a handful that can really handle enterprise PPM, and even fewer

flexible enough to handle the broad range of PPM departments and the great many

challenges that a municipal government is up against in the next several years.

Western Principles can help you with your assessment of your current PPM capabilities, process

and technology – and help you build a business case and roadmap to start you on your PPM

implementation journey.

Western Principles can help you with this, regardless of the project management solution you use.

To start the process, call us at 1.800.578.4155 or email us at [email protected]. We

look forward to helping you.




5. Appendix - BC Municipal Government Challenges

Funding

• Federal & Provincial Grants: Lack of long-term & predictable

funding for projects. “Predictable funding allocations, fair-cost

sharing, flexible fund stacking rules, and streamlined

administrative requirements are keys to

getting projects moving in rural Canada.”16

“Using the reported costs, the UBCM

estimates that altogether B.C. local

governments will incur an average of $11.5

million per year in incremental costs due to

cannabis legalization. … “In some ways, it’s

another download to even now have to put

time and effort into obtaining that

information,” [Sooke Mayor Maja Tait]

said.”17

• Tax Hikes vs. Tax Stabilization vs. Tax Cuts.

“Introduction -- Local Governments: ever-increasing

load. Federal/Provincial: download responsibilities, decrease

services. Yet local government must balance budget, limited

amount of capital borrowing power. Diversified and new

revenue sources required for services and infrastructure.”18

• Limited Fiscal Capacity / Limited Financial Resources. Rural local governments face formidable

challenges providing the infrastructure that’s needed to build the communities of the future.

“Municipalities shoulder 60 per cent of Canada’s public infrastructure” 19

• Lower ratepayer densities. In rural communities, local governments are responsible for large

geographic areas with relatively low population densities.

• Shrinking Tax base. For many rural communities, the loss of critical businesses – such as the

forestry sector – along with out-migration and even lower ratepayer densities have contributed to

the shrinking tax base. “In addition to our lopsided income structure, we have a tax base that

shape-shifted from a cozy reliance on a formerly robust industrial sector to one disproportional

16 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 17 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cannabis-legalization-costing-b-c-communities-millions 18 http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Economic-Development-Lidston.pdf 19 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf


https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cannabis-legalization-costing-b-c-communities-millions

http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Economic-Development-Lidston.pdf



dependent on residential ratepayers. When the Woodfibre pulp mill was shuttered in 2006, over

300 good-paying jobs vanished and millions of dollars in municipal tax revenue evaporated.”20

• Falling Assessments vs. Rising Budgets. “The reason property taxes won’t necessarily decline in

step with assessments is because regardless of what’s happening with local real estate values,

every municipality still needs to raise enough revenue to fund its operations.”21

Pressures

• Economic Development. “Economic development

initiatives will assist a municipality in meeting

its growth and sustainability goals.”22

“Results show the hiring markets in the

province’s capital and in the

Vancouver area are expected to

increase by 20 percent and 11

percent, respectively. And

Vancouver companies aren't

looking to lighten their loads. The

survey reports that only 3 percent

of employers anticipate cutbacks in

staffing levels, while a majority (84

percent) will maintain their current

levels. In Victoria, things are looking a

little brighter. Along with sizable positive

hiring intentions, an additional 77 percent of

employers plan to maintain their current levels,

with only 3 percent unsure of what they will do.”23 ““We’re looking at a population increase of

about 8,000 to 10,000 people in the next decade, and we know we will have to build 5,000

housing units to accommodate those folks,” [Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain] said. This growth is

coming after 20 years of economic decline in Prince Rupert. The city is currently facing an

infrastructure deficit of $350 million. “We’re essentially starting from ground zero, from scratch

— not even a penny was saved for infrastructure,” Brain said. When asked about each

municipalities’ planning strategies to manage this, [Terrace councillor Brian Downie] said the City

20 https://www.squamishchief.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-uncertain-2020-for-squamish-1.24043639 21 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/dan-fumano-why-falling-property-assessments-wont-mean-lower-

property-taxes 22 https://auma.ca/advocacy-services/programs-initiatives/economic-development-resources-hub 23 https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Victoria-job-market-turns-up-the-heat-while-Vancouver-cools-down-report


https://www.squamishchief.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-uncertain-2020-for-squamish-1.24043639

https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Victoria-job-market-turns-up-the-heat-while-Vancouver-cools-down-report


of Terrace has learned from observing the effects of major projects on communities elsewhere.”24

“Intelligent Community Benefits: Future proofing our communities; Retaining and attracting

youth and knowledge workers; Enhancing innovation in our region; The ability to “insource” new

jobs and work remotely; Improving lifestyles through access to remote education and tele-

health; and improving convenience and services for citizens”25

• Slowing Growth. “In those smaller [Lower Mainland] communities, mayors were elected on a

promise of slowing down growth, and new OCPs will allow opportunities to put new regulations

on the height or form of new buildings in town centres.”26

• Collapse of the forestry sector. “The forestry strike on Vancouver Island has had a profound

impact on the entire community. If the strike continues to drag out expect more rallies at the B.C.

legislature as workers attempt to get their voices heard. The strike is just a part of the continued

forestry struggles. In the Interior, closures and curtailments have led to thousands of people

without a pay check. The province is working on figuring out how to spend $69 million earmarked

for retraining and retirement funding for workers to breathe life into a struggling industry. The

long shot for the industry in 2020 is a softwood lumber deal. But with an election in the United

States coming up that seems unlikely.”27 “Jim Girvan, a forestry consultant who estimated in

2010 that 16 Interior lumber, veneer and plywood mills would shut down in B.C. by 2019 – which

is exactly how many did – more recently predicted in May that another 13 mills will have to go.

Since his May prediction, four mill closures have been announced, which mean nine will follow

before long if his projections are correct. And because B.C.’s forestry sector is so highly

integrated, the next wave of plant closures could be pulp mills and other processors that use

wood waste from nearby sawmills.”28

• Strategic Planning. “The majority … are planning, at most, a year or two ahead. ... This indicates

an operational, rather than a strategic, outlook.”29

• In-migration of seniors. “Rural communities are attracting a growing number of retired Canadians

who need access to a range of goods and services, such as preventative health and social services

and seniors’ housing. Smaller communities have fewer resources to help.”30 “This past April, 22

Squamish seniors signed a letter addressed to The Chief expressing their unease about the

inability of the Squamish General Hospital and Hilltop House to meet their needs.”31

24 https://www.terracestandard.com/news/northwest-b-c-mayors-join-in-terrace-to-discuss-impacts-of-growth/ 25 http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BC-Ideas-Exchange-Cormack.pdf 26 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ten-things-local-politics-government-british-columbia-

1.5409444 27 https://globalnews.ca/news/6341944/top-b-c-politics-stories-to-watch-for-in-2020/ 28 https://biv.com/article/2019/12/year-review-sawmill-closures-hurt-bc-communities 29 https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/6cc3814e-db5e-4f43-b322-865ecb1c49e4/9895_21-Insights_PublicSectorHR_RPT.pdf 30 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 31 https://www.squamishchief.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-uncertain-2020-for-squamish-1.24043639


https://www.terracestandard.com/news/northwest-b-c-mayors-join-in-terrace-to-discuss-impacts-of-growth/

http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/BC-Ideas-Exchange-Cormack.pdf





https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/6cc3814e-db5e-4f43-b322-865ecb1c49e4/9895_21-Insights_PublicSectorHR_RPT.pdf




• Youth Out-migration. Youth retention is critical to long-term economic vitality of rural Canada.

However, limited services in rural communities and greater access to learning and employment

opportunities in cities have drawn young people to Canada’s metropolitan areas. When young

people finish training at Canada’s colleges and universities, they are less likely to seek

employment opportunities in rural communities.32

• Limited human resources. “One of the most significant challenges facing many rural communities

is limited human resources. FCM research found that roughly 60 per cent of Canadian

municipalities have five staff members or less.”33 “Developing managers and leaders for

tomorrow. The baby boomers are retiring, and new generations are getting ready to step into

their footsteps. Will they be prepared?”34

• Trade Disputes. “Trade disputes have had serious economic consequences for many rural

communities.” 35 Examples include the recent tariffs imposed by the US Government on Canadian

resources, such as the softwood industry, and by China on Canada’s farming industries. Affects of

trade disputes have also been felt in mining, O&G, and others.

• Climate Change (flooding, wildfires, drought, etc.). “With over 80% of Canadians living in cities it

is the responsibility of our municipal governments to implement mitigation and adaptation

strategies to protect its citizens, and address significant climate related challenges.”36 “… While

the Township of Langley ponders the agricultural benefits of 25 more frost-free days and reduced

flood risk, Surrey is about to begin a $76-million public works program aimed at protecting a huge

chunk of the city from coastal flooding associated with rising sea levels. Climate consequences

will be baked into every decision that Surrey makes about roads, infrastructure and development

on a flood plain that extends from Mud Bay all the way to Fleetwood. The point is that as the

world’s climate continues to change, every city, town and village in B.C. will be living its own

unique version of heaven or hell.”37

• Homeless Population. “That legal battle ended in 2015 with the homeless being granted the right

to set up tents overnight in all but three city-owned parks.”38 “The [[Oppenheimer Park]

encampment in the city's Downtown Eastside is one of many that have sprung up across the

province in recent years due to a lack of housing. Vancouver's park board has full jurisdiction over

the park and has taken a cautious approach in how it deals with the camp, resisting calls for

32 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 33 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 34 https://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/6cc3814e-db5e-4f43-b322-865ecb1c49e4/9895_21-Insights_PublicSectorHR_RPT.pdf 35 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 36 https://climateforum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CCF-CCMunicipalities-PSD-April2015-FINAL.pdf 37 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/heaven-or-hell-b-c-communities-plan-for-an-uncertain-climate-

future 38 https://www.abbynews.com/news/the-evolving-relationship-between-the-homeless-and-abbotsford-city-hall/




https://climateforum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CCF-CCMunicipalities-PSD-April2015-FINAL.pdf

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/heaven-or-hell-b-c-communities-plan-for-an-uncertain-climate-future

https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/heaven-or-hell-b-c-communities-plan-for-an-uncertain-climate-future

https://www.abbynews.com/news/the-evolving-relationship-between-the-homeless-and-abbotsford-city-hall/


swifter action.”39 “After being on the margins of community concerns for some time, Kelowna's

homeless population became front and centre news in 2019. The number of people sleeping

rough in the city increased dramatically this year. By one account, there were at least 500

homeless people in the Central Okanagan, the majority in Kelowna, but also dozens in West

Kelowna.”40

• Cannabis Legalization. “New local responsibilities for keeping citizens safe and well served.”41

“Local governments are the order of government closest to Canadians’ daily lives and as a result,

municipalities are on the front lines of cannabis legalization. … Legalization has operational and

cost implications for as many as 17 municipal departments.”42 “Local governments in B.C. are

spending millions on administration, planning and enforcement related to recreational cannabis,

but are still waiting for the province to share the spoils of legalization.”43

• Massive Capital Projects. “Experts say B.C.’s economy is in for a few more years of steady if not

spectacular growth, thanks in large part to northern energy projects. Perhaps we’re a bit spoiled

in British Columbia. After a few runs of economic activity that would make some of the most

bountiful regions in the world blush, things slowed down some in the past year, and are projected

to remain on that trajectory for the foreseeable future. But even at a slowing pace, B.C. was

among the best-performing provinces in terms of real gross domestic product in Canada last year.

Much of the same is expected for 2019.”44

39 https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/vancouver-homeless-camp-brings-community-safety-home-says-resident-

1.24035326 40 http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_8b702c00-2b52-11ea-abb0-97a3cdd3a067.html 41 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 42 https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/legalization-is-here-but-municipalities-are-still-waiting-for-tools-to-handle-it 43 https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cannabis-legalization-costing-b-c-communities-millions 44 https://www.bcbusiness.ca/Economic-Outlook---Momentum-Play


https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/vancouver-homeless-camp-brings-community-safety-home-says-resident-1.24035326


http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_8b702c00-2b52-11ea-abb0-97a3cdd3a067.html


https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/legalization-is-here-but-municipalities-are-still-waiting-for-tools-to-handle-it




Public Services

• Roads, Bridges, Sidewalks. Roads services

provide affordable, well-managed and safe

traffic flow for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers,

public transit and commercial traffic. A

municipality’s transportation system

affects the economic vitality and

quality of life of residents by

providing ease of access to other

residences, and institutional,

commercial, recreational and

cultural facilities. Transportation

infrastructure generally includes

roads, bridges, culverts, sidewalks,

pathways, traffic control systems,

signage, medians and boulevards. Roads

services operations include

repairing/replacing road surfaces, marking the

road directional lane and other lines, clearing the transportation network of debris to keep it safe

and convenient to use and keeping traffic signals and signage operational.” 45 “Municipal

governments own and maintain two-thirds of Canada’s stock of public infrastructure. This burden

is met by municipalities within the parameters afforded to them by their respective provinces.”46

• Water & Sewage. Building improving and maintaining safe water supplies is expensive and

complex – as municipalities deal with intake, processing, and distribution systems that are

complex, aging, and/or inadequate. “Whistler, the famed ski town north of Vancouver, has

known for at least five years that its tap water is corrosive, increasing the risk for lead and copper

leaching into drinking water in homes and hotels.”47 “The governments of Canada and British

Columbia are investing in modern reliable water services to build healthy sustainable

communities where families can thrive today and for years to come. Today … announced funding

for 15 projects to improve drinking water and wastewater services for residents across British

Columbia. Six projects will help protect the health of residents by improving access to safe and

reliable drinking water in small communities, including First Nations communities, in some cases

resolving current drinking water advisories and reducing the likelihood of future ones. Nine

projects will support new and upgraded wastewater systems to meet regulatory standards,

45 https://www.lethbridge.ca/City-Government/Benchmarking/Documents/Roadways%20Report%20AMBI.PDF 46 https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/municipal-capital-infrastructure-tassonyi-conger.pdf 47 https://globalnews.ca/news/6301590/whistler-safe-water-lead/


https://www.lethbridge.ca/City-Government/Benchmarking/Documents/Roadways%20Report%20AMBI.PDF

https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/municipal-capital-infrastructure-tassonyi-conger.pdf

https://globalnews.ca/news/6301590/whistler-safe-water-lead/


modernize services and support growing communities. The Government of Canada is investing

more than $100 million in these projects … The Government of British Columbia is contributing

nearly $80 million and the municipalities are contributing more than $60 million to these

projects.”48

• Recreation & Cultural Programs. “Investing in recreational and cultural infrastructure builds

strong dynamic communities, supports economic growth, helps celebrate Canada's diversity, and

promotes people's health and wellbeing.”49

• Fire Protection. “The aim of a Municipal Fire Service is to reduce the impact of events to people,

property and the environment by rapidly responding to fires, rescues, and hazardous materials

and other incidents with well-equipped and well-trained responders.”50 This includes a range of

fire suppression and avoidance methods for a range of fire risks from structural fires to wildfires.

These costs can be extraordinary in events such as the forest fires in BC in 2017 & 2018, or an

event like the Fort McMurray fire in 2016. “Wildfire management funding boosted to $101M as

B.C. prepares for dry season. 58% budget increase after record 13,000 sq. km burned in 2018.

The additional funding will help the B.C. Wildfire Service with its fire response capabilities,

according to Donaldson. It will be used to help reduce wildfire risks in affected communities and

to pay for more crews and equipment.”51 “The Province of British Columbia is providing $5

million in funding to support volunteer and composite fire departments with grants for

equipment and training. Local governments and all First Nations in BC will be eligible to apply for

up to $25,000 towards the purchase of fire department and interface firefighting equipment (i.e.

hoses, bladders, personal protection equipment) and firefighting and mental wellbeing

training.”52

• Policing. “In many rural communities across Canada, residents depend on their local Royal

Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment to maintain order and keep them safe.

Unfortunately, attracting and retaining police officers remains a challenge for rural communities

across the country.”53 “Paying for more police officers is shaping up to be one of the biggest

challenges facing city councillors in B.C.'s midsize cities when they return to work in 2020. From

Kelowna to Prince George to Terrace, municipal leaders are being asked to hire more RCMP to

48 https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/better-drinking-water-and-wastewater-systems-coming-to-multiple-bc-

communities-893033744.html 49 https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-and-improved-culture-and-recreation-centres-coming-to-six-bc-

communities-862402237.html 50 https://www.lethbridge.ca/City-

Government/Benchmarking/Documents/Fire%20Protection%20Report%202017.pdf 51 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-preparation-wildfires-2019-1.5062537 52 https://www.ubcm.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archive/2019-archive/volunteer-fire-department-funding.html 53 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf


https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/better-drinking-water-and-wastewater-systems-coming-to-multiple-bc-communities-893033744.html


https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/new-and-improved-culture-and-recreation-centres-coming-to-six-bc-communities-862402237.html


https://www.lethbridge.ca/City-Government/Benchmarking/Documents/Fire%20Protection%20Report%202017.pdf


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-preparation-wildfires-2019-1.5062537

https://www.ubcm.ca/EN/meta/news/news-archive/2019-archive/volunteer-fire-department-funding.html



respond to rising public safety concerns — as well as more bylaw officers to tackle problems

associated with the province's addictions and housing crises.”54

• Emergency Preparedness & Response. “Rural municipalities are acutely aware of the rising costs

of responding to and rebuilding from natural disasters. Local governments across rural Canada

are demonstrating leadership by developing plans to manage risk and continue to deliver services

in a world where many trusted system design approaches need to be revisited due to a changing

climate. Rural municipalities are working with limited resources to appropriately fund emergency

management systems.”55

• Snow Removal. “Municipal roads departments are usually responsible for the Snow and Ice

Control (SNIC) program. A SNIC program helps make the municipality safe for pedestrians and

vehicles according to a priority system along the developed roadways right-of-way (ROW). An

effective and efficient SNIC program is necessary to allow the municipality to function under

normal winter weather conditions, to reduce snow and ice hazards, and to provide reasonable

winter mobility on municipality roadways, in parking lots, and on sidewalks and pathways.”56

“Which municipalities budget the most – and least – per capita to handle the snow. The District

of Squamish budgets the most, at roughly $23 per person. The area has received 17 centimetres

of snow as of Feb. 19, according to Environment Canada. … The City of Delta is at the other end

of the spectrum, budgeting $3.32 per person in the community of roughly 102,000 people.”57

• Solid Waste & Disposal/Waste Management. Provinces set standards for waste management,

and municipalities are largely responsible for delivering on those.58 This includes waste reduction,

recycling programs and the operation of landfill sites.

• Affordable & Social Housing. “Preserving social housing is particularly important in small

communities, which are less likely to have private market rental housing affordable to low-income

households.”59

• Shared Services. “Regional districts and municipalities have a range of options for providing local

or regional services in partnership with another local government, private corporation, not-for-

profit organization, First Nation or a public authority such as a school board. … Local governments

may choose to enter into a partnering agreement for a number of reasons including potential cost

savings (for example, value for money or economies of scale), outside expertise, risk sharing and

operational efficiency.”60

54 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/interior-british-columbia-police-kelowna-prince-george-

1.5404701 55 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 56 https://banff.ca/DocumentCenter/View/5949/Benchmarking---Snow-and-Ice-Control?bidId= 57 https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/how-much-does-your-city-spend-per-person-on-snow-removal/ 58 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management 59 https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/report/rural-challenges-national-opportunities.pdf 60 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/powers-

services/partnering-agreements-for-service-delivery


https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/interior-british-columbia-police-kelowna-prince-george-1.5404701



https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/how-much-does-your-city-spend-per-person-on-snow-removal/


https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/powers-services/partnering-agreements-for-service-delivery



• Indigenous Communities. “Strengthening Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples requires

a long-term, national effort from all orders of government. … Local governments know that

tomorrow’s Canada must unfold at a four-cornered table—with federal and provincial/territorial

governments, alongside municipalities and Indigenous communities as equal partners. It’s the

only way to truly unlock our potential as a country.”61 “The B.C. government became the first in

North America to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

UNDRIP has become an international rallying cry for Indigenous people to leave behind colonial

rule and achieve “free, prior and informed consent” for resource development and other activity

in their traditional territories.”62 “Three Northwest B.C. mayors shared the stage earlier this week

at the Nation2Nation conference to discuss how municipalities and First Nations can work

together to manage the impacts of multi-billion dollar industrial developments. Since 2015,

Nation2Nation has brought First Nations leaders, industry representatives, local politicians and

residents together to learn, participate in panel discussions and network with each other on

developments in the area. The conference was held from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25 at the Thornhill

Community Centre.”63

61 https://fcm.ca/en/focus-areas/indigenous-partnerships 62 https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/blackface-a-gifted-skull-and-an-icbc-dumpster-fire-b-c-s-top-political-

stories-of-2019/ 63 https://www.terracestandard.com/news/northwest-b-c-mayors-join-in-terrace-to-discuss-impacts-of-growth/


https://fcm.ca/en/focus-areas/indigenous-partnerships

https://www.mapleridgenews.com/news/blackface-a-gifted-skull-and-an-icbc-dumpster-fire-b-c-s-top-political-stories-of-2019/




Administration

• Human Resource Management. “Quality human

resource management is essential to the

successful operations of a municipality. It is

advised that the CAO implement strong

policies and procedures to ensure

consistency and equity are principles

applied to all those who work, or apply

to work, for the municipality. Policies

and procedures should be in place for

items such as staff recruitment,

personnel, job descriptions,

evaluations, and professional

development.”64 “Small local

governments constantly face a wide

variety of challenges and issues that

require a broad range of skills and creativity to

address in part due to the limited staff resources

available in smaller communities. Like their larger

counterparts, small local government organizations require staff with skills such as the ability to

inspire others, foster cooperation and resolve conflict, in addition to professional and technical

skills and knowledge. Further, small local governments need managers to understand and

perform a range of practical human resource skills—from recruiting, selecting, training, coaching,

work plan development, defining and monitoring standards to dealing with employee and labour

relations issues.”65

• Records management. “Good records, properly created, organized, stored and classified are

critical for government’s success across the thousands of services that it provides, manages or

authorizes. However, records do not need to be retained by government forever and at the end

of their operational life they are either destroyed or retained … in the Archives consistent with

legislative requirements.”66 “An area that requires much attention is a municipality’s records

management and protection of information. A CAO is required to ensure all bylaws, minutes of

council meetings and other official records and documents of the municipality are kept safe.” 67

• Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy. “The Freedom of Information and Protection of

Privacy (FOIP) Act aims to strike a balance between the public’s right to know and the individual’s

64 http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf 65 https://www.aglg.ca/app/uploads/sites/26/2017/06/AuditReport-SQUAMISH.pdf 66 https://www.oipc.bc.ca/special-reports/1664 67 http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf


http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf

https://www.aglg.ca/app/uploads/sites/26/2017/06/AuditReport-SQUAMISH.pdf

https://www.oipc.bc.ca/special-reports/1664



right to privacy, as those rights relate to information held by public bodies in BC. … All records

that are in the custody or under the control of the municipality are subject to the FOIP Act unless

a specific exclusion applies. • A municipality has custody of a record when the record is in the

possession of the municipality.”68 “BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

(FIPPA) sets out the access and privacy rights of individuals as they relate to the public sector. …

FIPPA also sets out the terms under which a public body can collect, use and disclose the personal

information of individuals. Public bodies are held accountable for their information practices.”69

• Risk Management / Insurance. “Municipalities are adopting risk management policies or

strategies which seek to minimize the effects and liability risks for a municipality.”70 Municipal

insurance is typically obtained through an association like the Municipal Insurance Association of

British Columbia or the BC Municipal Insurance Exchange. The Municipal Insurance Association is

member owned and operated, and contributes to the financial security of local governments in

British Columbia.71

• Information Technology. IT provides information technology planning, consultation,

procurement, implementation and support services to all departments of a Municipality. Among

other critical jobs, IT is responsible for overall cybersecurity and protection of electronic records.

“For municipalities, information technology (IT) needs are more than just setting up smartphones

and fixing laptops. At every turn, Canada’s cities and towns must think outside the box about

making things work better. An understanding and appreciation for how technology can achieve

this must be in a municipality’s corporate DNA, detailed and committed to in strategic plans. …

Technology empowers residents to have greater ownership in decision making, pull up a seat at

council chamber, and brainstorm solutions that produce real results. … Modern technology is

needed for the effective delivery of local services.” 72

• Liaison with the General Public. A municipal government has the responsibility to maintain open

communications with the public on “any matters that deal with bylaws, policies or procedures

established by the council or programs and activities involving the community.”73 “Municipalities

and regional districts may (and sometimes must) engage with citizens in a variety of informal

and formal ways on various matters. Informal engagement includes open houses and

advisory bodies, while formal engagement includes legislatively-required local government

consent or elector approval.”74

68 https://www.servicealberta.ca/foip/documents/faq-municipalities.pdf 69 https://www.oipc.bc.ca/guidance-documents/1466 70 http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf 71 https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/agencies?id=3 72 https://www.municipalworld.com/feature-story/building-a-connected-city/ 73 http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf 74 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/councils-

boards/public-engagement


https://www.servicealberta.ca/foip/documents/faq-municipalities.pdf

https://www.oipc.bc.ca/guidance-documents/1466


https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/agencies?id=3


https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/councils-boards/public-engagement

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/governance-powers/councils-boards/public-engagement


• Public Access to Information. Ensuring that records management systems are in place to both

collect and protect public information, and to provide appropriate access to it.

• Transparency & Accountability. “The MGA includes provisions related to the transparency and

accountability of council and its local boards and committees. This includes the conduct of

meetings and the public’s right to attend. Transparent decision-making processes are seen as part

of the foundation of good governance of a municipality.”75 “All meetings of the council/board

must be open to the public except where meetings are permitted to be closed to the public.”76

“There are four reasons that councils must go in camera and over a dozen reasons why they

"may" close a meeting. The nuance between "may" and "must" seems to have been lost on a

few.”77

• Financial Management. “Responsible financial management is a primary focus of BC’s

municipalities. The MGA outlines a financial management framework, which requires

municipalities to create a budget and engage the public on financial matters. Through the MGA,

municipalities are empowered to borrow funds and are responsible for making financial decisions.

Financial administration and accountability are key components of the MGA.” In BC: “All local

governments in B.C. operate within a legislative framework that governs their administration and

finances including financial planning, reporting, revenues (taxes and fees), liabilities, capital

financing, development financing, and property acquisition and disposition.”78 “Municipalities and

regional districts must annually adopt, by bylaw, a five-year financial plan, which includes capital

and operating items.”79

• Planning & Development. “Municipalities play a large role in the planning for the responsible use

of land, both within their boundaries and regionally. Planning and development involves the

appropriate use and management of land resources, provision of services and infrastructure,

orderly development of new growth, management of risks, and proper decision-making models

for land-related issues.”80 “Local government planning establishes land use patterns that can last

for hundreds of years. … Local government land use regulations, such as zoning and other bylaws

(for example, parking and loading, sign and screening and landscaping bylaws) enable local

governments to implement the vision expressed in these plans. Many local governments include

planning policies in their official community plans that support positive economic, social and

cultural, and environmental outcomes.”81

75 http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/CAO%20Handbook.pdf 76 https://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Services/Publications/2018/2018_UBCM_FactSheets.pdf 77 https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/dermodtravis/government-transparency_b_9585164.html 78 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/finance 79 https://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Services/Publications/2018/2018_UBCM_FactSheets.pdf 80 https://rmalberta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Planning-and-Development-Position-Statements.pdf 81 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/planning-land-use/local-government-

planning



https://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Services/Publications/2018/2018_UBCM_FactSheets.pdf

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/dermodtravis/government-transparency_b_9585164.html

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/finance


https://rmalberta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Planning-and-Development-Position-Statements.pdf

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/local-governments/planning-land-use/local-government-planning



• Assessment & Taxation. “Local governments obtain their revenues from these principal sources:

taxes on real property (land and improvements), fees and charges for services, development cost

charges, and transfers or grants from other governments.”82

Settling for Subpar

Finally, making subpar investment decisions is an overarching

problem for municipalities. Municipalities (like many public and

private organizations) habitually have made subpar investment

decisions. This means that they are biased toward investing in

initiatives that provide immediate payback, as opposed to

investing for the long run. Subpar investment decisions are also

caused by investing in pet projects rather than more important

projects, or small pilot programs that aren’t big enough to make a

difference. These problems are barriers to innovation and long-term

delivery on the municipal government’s strategies.

But wait, there’s more!

Undoubtedly this list is not comprehensive. It’s long; no doubt about it. But each municipality is

going to have its own challenges beyond this list.

This further underlines the need for a PPM system that allows you to pick the right projects and do

projects right.

82 https://www.ubcm.ca/assets/Services/Publications/2018/2018_UBCM_FactSheets.pdf




6. Bibliography

“A Community Effort. Local Government in BC.” Updated 2015. http://lgla.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/2015EOS-

Community-Effort-Booklet.pdf

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lumber production cut down, Joel Wood; BC’s Double-Dip Recession?, Trevor Tombe; The growing gap between oil

supply and pipeline capacity, Rob Roach; BC’s resource revenue roller-coaster, Steve Lafleur and Ben Eisen; Municipal

governments are bucking the deficit trend, Farah Omran and Bill Robson)

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1.5403665

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