THE NEW CMO
articulated the association ’ s newly refined focus on municipal management and leadership support , issuing a challenge to her fellow members : “ It is incumbent on all of us to be great leaders and managers within our organizations – whether you are a formal or informal leader .”
But we must understand that leadership is not a birthright . It does not come because of our title or by virtue of the number of letters we can put behind our name . Leadership is instead demonstrated by our actions and behaviours and by how we inspire others .
Regardless of our position in the organization , be it director of finance , CAO , municipal clerk , planner , IT or HR manager , we have an obligation to be professional . That equates to , amongst other things , enjoying what we do , doing it with excellence and always seeking to improve . But that is not all . Professionals always maintain a customer or client focus . We also must be ethical , great communicators and practice good emotional intelligence . We know our jobs demand results , but we also never forget the importance of forging relationships within the organization and outside . We can never forget the necessity of helping others to grow and develop , but we must also recognize the need for developing ourselves . We need to continuously and intentionally learn and grow .
One way to unequivocally demonstrate our professionalism is by achieving a respected designation in our chosen industry . For those of us in the municipal field , there is no designation as highly regarded as the CMO . Achieving the designation is a way of demonstrating competence , professionalism and leadership to your municipality and community .
In 2013 , to ensure the CMO ’ s continued relevance to the needs of the sector , the AMCTO Board of Directors requested a comprehensive review of the CMO program . To ascertain the perceptions of the CMO and other accreditations in the sector , as well as the actual needs of the sector , AMCTO commissioned an independent research study , conducted by Dr . Zachary Spicer of the Institute on Finance and Municipal Government , Munk Centre , University of Toronto and Dr . Andrew Sancton , Professor of Political Science at Western University .
The research study involved surveys , focus groups and interviews with members and Board members of Ontario municipal professional associations , including AMCTO , the Ontario Municipal Human Resources Association ( OMHRA ), the Municipal Finance Officers ’ Association ( MFOA ), the Ontario Municipal Administrators ’ Association ( OMAA ), the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association ( OMSSA ) and the Ontario Municipal Tax and Revenue Association ( OMTRA ).
The researchers found respondents generally viewed gaining a professional designation quite favourably and agreed that being accredited can help career advancement . When asked what are the key elements in a successful accreditation system , there was general agreement that a valued accreditation should include a requirement for continued education ; a minimum number of years of experience ; endorsement by an objective body ; and adherence to a code of ethics .
Specific questions were asked regarding the recognition and value perception of each of Ontario ’ s municipal professional designations . The research clearly outlined that while there is a need for better clarity regarding the value and purpose of the CMO , respondents overwhelmingly affirmed that it is the most recognized and valued municipal professional designation in Ontario . The report further identified that there is a gap in the sector for a credible , specifically
focused municipal management and leadership designation .
The research also gathered specific feedback regarding the mandate and value perception of the CMO , as well as its accreditation process . There were perceived to be operational issues that needed to be addressed with the application process and also strategic questions about where we needed to go with the program in order to better serve the sector ’ s needs . The lack of clarity on what is the mandate of the CMO , and whether it is a generalist professional designation or specifically management focused was cited . While a few respondents identified the more rigorous standard of the CMO as compared to other municipal accreditations , as a factor that might discourage its pursuit , significantly more respondents praised the CMO ’ s rigorous standard as what makes it so prestigious and valued in the sector .
With research results in hand , AMCTO assembled an Accreditation Review Task Force comprised of accreditation experts , and managers from various municipal operation areas , many holding multiple technical , specific designations .
Membership of the Task Force included :
• Garth Johns , CMO ( Chair ) Business Consultant , Author
• Raymond D . Callery , BA , CMO , CMMIII - HR ( Vice-Chair ), CAO , Greater Napanee
• Edward DeSousa , CGA , AMCT , Director of Corporate Services & Treasurer , Halton Hills
• Michael Wildman , MCIP , RPP , CET , CMO , CAO , Arnprior
• Stephen Pellegrini , CMO , PMP , Supervisor , Business Systems , Brampton , and Mayor , King Township
• John Daly , CMO , Director of Corporate Services / Clerk , Springwater
• Paul Shipway , CMO , CAO , Bayham
10 Q2 2015 www . amcto . com