Tools

Harassment Prevention Policy Template

Employers are required to keep their employees safe and ensure that any work-related setting (including workplaces, conferences, travel events, and social events) is harassment free. This template is to help municipalities develop a policy to respond appropriately and promptly to any allegations of harassment that arise.

Download it here.

 

Access to Information Sample Policy for Municipalities

This sample Access to Information Policy from the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner is designed to assist towns, villages and municipalities in developing a policy regarding access requests.

Download it here.

 

Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network

The Saskatchewan Crime Watch Advisory Network provides RCMP and its partner agencies with the ability to communicate directly with the public on matters of crime prevention and community safety. Citizens can sign up to receive crime watch advisories from their local RCMP detachments by text message, email, or phone. By receiving advisories and reporting crimes or suspicious activities, residents can help foster resilient hometowns that proactively prevent crime, enhancing public safety. The system also supports crime prevention groups like Citizens on Patrol and Neighbourhood Watch.

 

10 Minute Trainers

Short trainers have been developed to help councils work together more effectively using everyday examples they might face on the job. The training is led by the administrator and designed to help councils help themselves, using their own legislation like their council procedures bylaw.

Access the trainers here.

 

Saskatchewan Municipal Peer Network

The Saskatchewan Municipal Peer Network connects municipal officials and administrators with highly experienced mentors who can provide advice and help resolve disputes. Mentors are trained in coaching, communication, facilitation, and dispute resolution. Using their own experiences and training, mentors can offer coaching on interpersonal conflict, governance practices, public issues, service provisions, and roles and responsibilities. Saskatchewan's municipal peer mentors can be reached by phone or met with in person, and all conversations are confidential and free of charge. ​

Find a mentor.

 

FCM: First Nations Municipal Community Infrastructure Partnership Program Service Agreement Toolkit

Municipal governments and First Nations across Canada are working together to provide improved and cost-effective services to their residents while strengthening ties between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada. Although there are many successful service agreements, there are also many communities that have yet to meet their neighbour and work collaboratively. Through improved communication and relationship-building, First Nations and municipalities can create partnerships based on respect and a sense of community to meet their mutual service and infrastructure needs.

A toolkit has been developed to help municipalities develop service agreements.

 

FCM: Know Your Rights (of Way)

Canada’s property taxpayers subsidize telecommunications companies by more than $107 million a year. That’s how much municipal governments pay so these for-profit companies can dig up our streets and use public rights-of-way without paying the full cost. FCM has long supported Canadian municipalities in their struggle to regain control over their property and save taxpayers money.
 

Page 30 of this toolkit has a checklist for municipalities wishing to draft their Municipal Access Agreement.

 

Municipal Government Sustainability Self-Assessment Tool

Municipal Affairs, along with sector partners, has developed a new interactive tool to help you assess the sustainability of your municipal operations and help you identify opportunities for improvement. The easy to use interactive tool allows municipalities to evaluate the sustainability of their municipal operations by answering questions related to the key areas of municipal sustainability. Based on the responses, the tool will provide municipalities with a score related to each area. Examining the self-assessment scores will help municipalities assess the things that are going well and areas where there are opportunities for improvement. This tool is exclusively for municipal use and results are not required to be shared.

 

Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) Performance Evaluation Toolkit

CAMA produced this Toolkit in recognition of the importance of the relationship between the City Manager, Town Manager, or Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).  An effective working partnership between Council and its CAO can be one of the most critical prerequisites for municipal success.  CAMA encourages a broader, more holistic understanding of performance conversations, which form “part of an ongoing process, not just an annual event”.    

This Toolkit is flexible and customizable, and provides CAOs and their Councils, with best practices to ensure that performance management is fair and effective.

Download the toolkit here.

Governance FAQs

The Ministry of Government Relations - Advisory Services and Municipal Relations has developed a quick reference guide of common questions they receive from local governments. If you'd like more information, please visit the Government of Saskatchewan website or consult legislation, which is available for free download at Publications Saskatchewan.

 

Asset Management Getting Started Guide

The Asset Management Getting Starting Guide is now available to help you understand asset management and how to use it to help support municipal operations. 

 

Inter-Municipal Collaboration in Recreation

In 2014, SUMA and our partner, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, embarked on the creation of a guide for municipalities to facilitate collaboration between municipalities to provide recreation services. SUMA's portion of this intiative was funded through the advocacy fund created in 2013. We hired HJ Linnen and Associates to do the research and create the guide, which debuted at Convention 2015, and are pleased to present it to our membership.

Download it here.

 

Social Media

SUMA is happy to provide a copy of our social media policy and handbook as a starting place for your municipality. To see the policy in action, you can follow us on Twitter @SUMAConnect, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

The Elected Officials Handbook includes tips on using social media, and a version of this article on mitigating the risks of social media appeared in the fall 2017 edition of Urban Voice. 

 

Community Safety Officer Program

The Ministry of Justice has provided a fact sheet and a list of frequently asked questions on the Community Safety Officer Program to inform municipalities about what the program is, how it works, and the benefits for municipalities. 

 

Resources from the Ministry of Government Relations

The Ministry of Government Relations YouTube channel contains several videos. Two series may be of particular interest: Freedom of Information (duties of the public and duties of the municipality) and Conflict of interest (for elected officialsmunicipal administration and citizens)

They also have a page of municipal administrator resources, including a document outlining municipal services and functions in legislation, an administrator's calendar, and other resources.

 

Grade Crossing Regulations Resources

SUMA has compiled some resources to help members comply with the Grade Crossing Regulations information-sharing requirements, due November 27, 2016.

Download those resources here.

 

Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Toolkit

Saskatchewan hometowns are where people come together in community, and there's a free toolkit to help you make your communities as welcoming and inclusive as possible. The Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan (MCoS) has created an eight-module toolkit, as part of the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) | #WelcomeHome150 initiative. SUMA is proud to share this amazing resource, and we encourage all our members to take advantage all the tools available to make your hometowns welcoming and inclusive to everyone.

 

Vehicle Fire and Accident Claim Form

For municipal fire departments who provide MVC services, SGI uses the productive call rate for time spent for fire departments responding to motor vehicle collisions on provincial highways.

This form must be filled out to receive proper reimbursement.

 

Request for Municipal Essentials Level Certificate

Download the fillable request form here.

Please email the completed form to escampusadmin@southeastcollege.org

 

Municipal Financing Tools

This document includes a list of financing tools available to Saskatchewan municipalities as of August 2015. For each financing tool, a brief definition and the legislative authority is provided. The onus is on the municipality to identify all requirements necessary to make use of any one of these financing tools.

 

Cybersecurity Tips, Tricks and Resources

SUMA has received an increase in reports of municipalities who have been impacted by cyber attacks.

With the increase in reports, SUMA has created a page of tips and resources to help protect Saskatchewan's hometowns.

Access SUMA's cybersecurity page here.

 

People First HR

People First HR Services has partnered with SUMA to provide HR advice and services to member municipalities. If you would like to learn more about what is offered to your municipality please contact HR On Call at 1-866-899-1340 or send them an email

Visit their website here.