Career path for better succession planning
Sponsored by AMCTO
We know that the competition for qualified, skilled municipal staff is a challenge in Ontario and across the country. Employee retention and succession planning is a top concern for CAOs and other senior municipal leaders.
There are many reasons why this is the case:
- competition from both the public and private sectors
- municipal “poaching” of talent
- increased workload causing burnout
- perceived decline in the council-public-staff relationship
These factors, in addition to an aging demographic within the municipal sector, are contributing to skill shortages that are having a real impact on an organization’s ability to address council and community priorities.
New Career Development Packages
How do we assist municipalities in building staff skill sets while preparing them for career advancement? How do we support municipal succession planning?
When developing their people or bringing in new staff, CAOs and HR professionals focus on three competencies:
- Municipal-specific education – Do they understand municipal government (i.e., governance, finance, law, policy development, strategic planning, etc.)?
- Municipal-specific experience – Do they have experience working or managing in a municipal government environment (i.e., people management, budgeting, council interaction, etc.)?
- “Power” or “soft” skills development – Do they understand the environment and how to effectively navigate it (i.e., communications, political acuity, problem solving, emotional intelligence, etc.)?
These components are already available to municipal professionals through various AMCTO programs, services, and member benefits. This led to the creation of the association’s newest offering: career development packages (CDPs).
These packages are carefully curated groupings of AMCTO programs and services designed to meet the professional development needs of municipal professionals in any part of a municipal organization and at any stage of their careers.
Opportunities for Staff Development
The three CDP streams – early career, legislative, and leadership – offer sector-leading education, professional development, accreditation, mentorship, and member benefits to those that apply and meet the criteria. Individuals accepted into a CDP will receive a significant discount: 25 per cent off the market price annually of each package component.
In addition to addressing the key areas of municipal staff development, enrolling in a CDP will:
- contribute to significant savings to municipalities, helping stretch training budgets even further
- increase the connection between staff and the organization, aiding with staff retention
- demonstrate commitment of employer to employee
- increase individual marketability and help strengthen the overall talent pool within the sector
Applications for CDPs open this month, and spaces will be limited to 10 per CDP stream in the first year. AMCTO is proud to support municipal professionals grow in their ability to provide service to their communities.
To learn more about CDPs, visit https://www.amcto.com/cdp.
✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Michael Genova’s article: Planning for succession planning.
David Arbuckle is the executive director of AMCTO and an accomplished, outcome-focused public sector leader who enables organizational success through people development, problem solving, and collaboration.
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