CONCLUSION
In consultation with Council members and Administration, a revised corporate template for Council and committee reports is being implemented to ensure reports provide the right information at the appropriate level of detail to support sound decision-making.
Administration is also exploring additional ways to improve the quality of Council and committee reports. As part of continuous improvement, a strategy and implementation plan to enhance reports will be undertaken in conjunction with the new template’s introduction.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on November 26, 2018, City Council approved recommendations respecting the Council Committee structure and related procedural amendments (CR18-105 Executive Committee – Council Committee Recommendations).
Members commented on the merits of the format for Council and committee reports and directed the City Clerk to review the existing templates with the objective of making reports more “user-friendly” to the reader (ie., members of Council and the public).
A multidisciplinary team reviewed the templates and provided options:
Amber Ackerman Deputy City Clerk | Pamela Deck Director, Corporate Strategy & Performance |
Maureen MacCuish Manager, Communications | Leah Goodwin Senior Communications Strategist |
Linda Ungar Manager, Corporate Information Governance | Donna Mitchell Corporate Strategy and Performance Consultant |
Councillor Bob Hawkins participated in discussions as a liaison between the team and City Council.
In developing recommendations, the team conducted a literature review and researched other municipalities. That led to the development of new templates designed to present information more concisely and focus on key information.
Key stakeholders were invited to review the templates and provide advice, guidance and
expertise:
§ Council officers | § ELT (Executive Leadership Team) |
§ Business and systems staff | § ELT administrative and executive staff |
§ Corporate governance staff | § Ten report writers from across the corporation |
§ Governance review team |
At its meeting held on August 28, 2019, members of the Priorities and Planning Committee approved a new council and committee report template (Appendix A-1 & A-2) and requested that the Administration undertake to present the new report template to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for information and feedback.
DISCUSSION
The new template is designed to balance detail and brevity with:
§ standard headers organized to follow a clear policy analysis process;
§ an introductory matrix to present key information quickly;
§ visual appeal and less repetition;
§ clear communication and plain language principles; and
§ a new section to outline the options to the recommendation, or alternatives for consideration.
1. Reports initially going to a committee or directly to Council will be in the form attached to this report (Appendix A-1).
2. When a committee recommendation is forwarded to Council for consideration it will include the original report (Appendix A-1) along with a cover memo (Appendix A-2).
This approach reflects the fact that most reports (~ 90% in 2018) are submitted first to a committee. After considering the report, the committee will either approve and/or amend the report and forward it to Council. This approach maintains the integrity of the original report while providing a user-friendly and transparent way for the committee to summarize and convey any changes or amendments made for Council’s consideration or approval.
Implementation of new templates
A series of workshops will be held with staff to review the new templates and reinforce best practices related to report preparation. Implementation will be targeted to be in place by January 1, 2020.
Improved reports
While a new and improved template is a good first step to improve Council and committee reports, Administration is exploring ways to further improve the quality of reports over the next few months. The plan is expected to be completed in conjunction with the implementation of the new templates by January 1, 2020.
RECOMMENDATION IMPLICATIONS
Financial Implications
None with respect to this report.
Environmental Implications
None with respect to this report.
Policy and/or Strategic Implications
The new templates support two strategic goals:
1. Improve Processes. The new templates are designed to improve the corporation’s reporting system by encouraging report writers to pull together all the relevant information decision-makers need with balance and objectivity. This will improve the information flowing through the corporation to Council and its committees, and then from Council and committees to the general public.
2. Improve Decision-Making. The effectiveness of Council and committee decision-making is dependent on the quality of the information it receives. The new templates are designed to provide good quality and timely information by presenting key information in a way that makes it easy to grasp the critical issues and providing enough information for the decision-maker to make a well-informed decision.
Other Implications
None with respect to this report.
Accessibility Implications
None with respect to this report.
COMMUNICATIONS
The Office of the City Clerk, in concert with members of the multidisciplinary team will provide guidance, focused workshops and other tools to assist report writers using the new templates and reinforce best practices related to report preparation.
DELEGATED AUTHORITY
There is no delegated authority associated with this report and it is for information purposes only.
Respectfully submitted, | Respectfully submitted, |
Amber Ackerman Deputy City Clerk | Jim Nicol City Clerk |
Report prepared by:
Donna Mitchell, Corporate Strategy and Performance Consultant, Public Policy