CAMA Toolkits & News

CAMA Toolkits

CAMA Launches Toolkit for the Effective Executive Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer

Huntsville, ON (May 31, 2023) – Having appreciation for the role of the Executive Assistant in local government, the Board of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) developed a “Toolkit for the Effective Executive Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer” which was launched during a presentation at the 2023 CAMA Conference at the Deerhurst Resort.

This Toolkit was compiled, produced and authored by Jennifer Goodine, CAMA Executive Director (and former Office Administrator to the CAO and Mayor of the City of Fredericton), with the assistance of a National Committee of the following local government Executive Assistants that work, or have worked, with CAOs and senior managers from across Canada, from all size municipalities.

  • Cassandra Rutland, Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Corporate Services, Region of Peel, ON
  • Beth Readman, Executive Assistant to the CAO & Administration, County of Lennox and Addington, ON
  • Victoria Bowering, Executive Assistant to the CAO’s Office, City of Nanaimo, BC
  • Elizabeth Grenon, Executive Assistant, City of Dawson, YT
  • Jacquie Thrower, Executive Assistant, Township of West Lincoln, ON
  • Roxana Dima, Executive Assistant to the City Manager, City of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC
  • Safiya Khan, Asset Management Specialist, City of Mississauga, ON
  • Tracy Hart, Executive Assistant, Office of the CAO, Town of Truro, NS
  • Denise Habibovic, Retired Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Corporate Services, City of Mississauga, ON

The primary audience of this Toolkit is the Executive Assistant to the CAO in local government, which includes existing Executive Assistants with experience in the role, as well as new Executive Assistants with minimal local government experience.

 

“While this Toolkit is meant to be a resource to Executive Assistants in local government, it is also focused on how a CAO or senior manager can effectively use their Executive Assistant to improve their own productivity and build a successful partnership” said Bev Hendry, CAMA President and CAO for the Township of West Lincoln, ON.  “Thank you to our members, and your Executive Assistants, who completed our 2022 survey so that we could provide a Canadian perspective on the Executive Assistant to the CAO role, hearing from both sides.”

 

The Toolkit will help Executive Assistants, gain a new perspective on their role and highlight the many benefits that they bring to the CAO, the organization, and the community.  It provides an introduction to local government and the various roles and responsibilities of those positions; insight into the role as the Executive Assistant; offers tips on the many office and leadership skills that are practiced every day; political acumen tools, as well as best practices on building relationships and networking, exercising self-care, and how to adapt to new leadership – just to name a few.  There are also “words of wisdom” from Executive Assistants across the country, along with some case studies of real-life scenarios, downloadable resources, and links to additional materials that will support this profession.

As well, it provides the CAO with some guidance on ways to build a partnership with your Executive Assistant.  The topics in the CAO Chapter include the hiring process (with a sample job description, posting, and interview questions), a business case to Council if you don’t currently have a staff member in this position, finding the right personality and fit, and some tips on communication, performance evaluations, and delegation.  The CAO Chapter has been provided in a separate document for easy reference or on Page 143 of the Toolkit.

 

“The more effective the Executive Assistant, the more effective the CAO…and the more effective the organization, Council, and the community.  We hope that this resource will assist Executive Assistants and CAOs to build stronger working relationships based on increased trust and improved communication.”  said Jennifer Goodine, CAMA Executive Director.  “I was honoured to work with an amazing team of Executive Assistants across the country who have brought their firsthand experiences in local government, specifically to the CAO and other senior managers, to the development of this guide.”

Please forward this Toolkit to your Executive Assistant and all your administrative staff as the skills highlighted are transferrable.  Your senior leadership team can also benefit from reading the CAO Chapter.  It is a public document and can be found on the CAMA website (and also in the above-noted links).

Download postcards for you and your Executive Assistant to help you both be successful in your partnership:

 

Got questions?  Want more information?  Contact Jennifer Goodine, Executive Director, CAMA National Office, 1-866-771-2262, [email protected].

CAMA Introduces New CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit: A Guide for the CAO and a Guide for the Mayor & Council

January 9, 2023

Recognizing the importance of the relationships between the City Manager, Town Manager, or Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), and Mayor and Council, the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) launched a CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit in 2017.  Over the years, we have heard feedback from our members and their Councils on the Toolkit, and are pleased to provide you with a new updated and improved 2023 edition with a “Guide for the CAO” and a “Guide for the Mayor & Council”.  These resources are available for free to member and non-member municipalities.

CAMA understands the challenges that both staff and Council face in conducting performance evaluations.  To assist, we encourage a broader, more holistic understanding of performance conversations, which form “part of an ongoing process, not just an annual event”.  This new Toolkit is flexible and customizable, and provides CAOs and their Councils, with best practices to ensure that performance management is fair and effective.

“Guides are available for the CAO and the Mayor and Council to help define the roles, and to create a process to hold open conversations to assist in achieving a collective vision, and reaching strategic goals for the success of the organization and the community”,  said Bev Hendry, CAMA President and CAO for the Township of West Lincoln, ON.  “There is no right or wrong process or one that’s perfect.  What worked last year may not work this year depending on the complexities, so it’s important to customize the best performance evaluation that works for everyone.”

This Toolkit can be used for a

  • a CAO and Council that are developing a new process and it is their first time conducting a performance evaluation; or
  • a CAO and Council that already has an existing process with specific templates that already work well, but would like to add some other components and best practices.

This three-step performance evaluation process starts and ends with the CAO.  The CAO provides an Information Package to the Mayor & Council with both parties agreeing on a process.  The Mayor and Council review the CAO’s Self-Evaluation, provide their feedback and create a Final Performance Evaluation Report as step two.  In the third step, elected officials and the CAO sit down to discuss the Final Performance Evaluation Report, establish new goals for the CAO to meet over the next year, and sign off on the report.

What is included in the CAO and Mayor & Council Guides?  Both guides offer information on the value of performance discussions, quick reference guides of the three-part process, a sample performance evaluation template without a rating system focusing on the specific annual Council and CAO goals, a sample mandate letter outlining the annual expectations of a CAO, a checklist, and a sample timeline.   The CAO Guide provides details on completing the self-evaluation and Information Package, while the Guide for the Mayor & Council outlines the specific steps that should be followed in preparing the Final Performance Evaluation Report and meeting with the CAO.  To make it easier to see the final product, we have also prepared a completed sample Final Performance Evaluation Report and Mandate Letter.

With the goal of the performance evaluation to provide the CAO with meaningful feedback, hiring a third party, such as a consultant, to work with the Mayor and Council as a neutral party may be an option.  For the CAO, it provides meaningful feedback, it separates the message from the messenger, and focuses on results-oriented opportunities.  For the elected officials, it professionalizes the process, values all opinions around the table, makes the process easier with one person responsible for managing the evaluation from start to finish, and it creates clarity.

“As a national association focused on administrative excellence in local government, this Toolkit is about building better municipalities together,” added Hendry.  “We are excited to give back to our profession by making this free resource available to Canadian municipalities.”

The Toolkit and the above noted resources are available by clicking on the links above and on the CAMA website.

Bev Hendry

CAMA President

CAMA Launches A Toolkit for Effective Chief Administrative Officers:  The Right Questions to Ask

 

October 13, 2021.  Recognizing the importance of building a team within any organization, the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) has launched a “Toolkit for Effective Chief Administrative Officers:  The Right Questions to Ask” which is now available to members by visiting the Member’s Section (Resources area) of the CAMA website.  A copy of the toolkit is also attached for your easy reference.

 

“This toolkit is meant to be a resource to support our members whether they are just starting their job as a CAO (or senior administrator) or have been in the role for some time in a new community or one they’ve been in for many years.  It will assist all of our members with building a team with their staff and Council.” said Jack Benzaquen, CAMA President and CAO for the City of Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, QC.   “No one is born a local government administrator.  Each of us comes to this role by way of a path of some kind.  Being an effective CAO is not about knowing everything; it is about asking the right questions and challenging appropriately.  This resource is a guide to support CAOs in their work.  One of the most powerful management tools that you can have at your disposal is very basic…the question.”

 

The Toolkit will provide the following tools:

  • Sample Questions for Council.  It is important to build and maintain a strong relationship with your Council and asking them questions will help to learn more about them as individuals and as a team.  Some questions have been included to help you establish a strong Council-CAO working relationship.   Meeting with Council first will also help guide your questions to your senior management team based on their feedback.
  • Sample Questions for each Division and Department.  A template has been provided of sample personal, operational and specific questions that a CAO can ask their various Department Heads, Commissioners, Chiefs, and Managers about their operations whether you are just starting your job or have been in it for some time.  The questions have been drawn together to offer food for thought and useful prompts that take Departments beyond operational discussions.  They are questions that a CAO, in any size municipality, should be asking their staff to ensure that the right issues are raised, and that transparency and effective oversight are achieved with the common goal of having a successful community and being able to respond to requests from citizens and Council efficiently.  At the end of this toolkit you will find a checklist of some questions that you can ask yourself after listening to your management team and Council that will help you identify your organization’s capacities and needs, and the community’s culture and values.
  • A Resource for your Executive Team.  In addition to being invaluable for CAOs, this resource is also a very useful tool for the Executive Team in understanding the kind of questions their CAO are likely to ask to learn more about the operations.  Change is also difficult for the senior management team and it too creates a lot of anxiety.  Therefore, a section has been included about how to deal with a change in leadership and the direction of an organization.

 

Each chapter and section is organized to help you quickly access information.  Organizational structures vary and the names of Departments and Divisions differ, but the questions are typically all the same.

 

CAMA hopes that this toolkit will become a valuable resource to support senior administrators in their careers.

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