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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Quality Strategic Planning – Are We There? A Comparative Evaluation Of The Current State Of Strategic Planning With Ontario’S Smaller Municipalities, Mike Macauley
MPA Major Research Papers
Strategic planning for municipalities is a common undertaking to identify goals and objectives to improve the quality of life of their residents. Research has shown that strategic planning offers many benefits to organizations, and allows them to strategically identify, implement and achieve top priorities. The strategic plan itself is the product of the strategic planning process, though evaluating the final published plan often does not occur and a lack of academic research exists to understand if strategic planning is producing quality strategic plans.By evaluating strategic plans in Ontario using a plan quality framework designed from a newly published study (Evaluating …
Financial And Strategic Planning In Ontario Municipalities: Examining The Theoretical Framework And Linkages Between Municipal Financial And Strategic Planning In Ontario, Brian Geerts
MPA Major Research Papers
Municipal councils in Ontario are charged with the administration and control of organizations through the Municipal Act, 2001. Councils are responsible for the financial and service performance of a wide variety of activities. Should the activities and finances be poorly linked, this could lead to an accountability disconnect. This research explores how well municipalities in Ontario link strategic planning to financial planning, and how they communicate this to the public. Nine municipalities were randomly selected representing small, medium, and large municipalities in the south, central, and northern regions of the province. Municipalities primarily rely on their corporate strategic plans and …
Corporate Structures In Transit: Comparing The Development Of Intermunicipal Transit In British Columbia And Ontario And Why Ontario Should Consider Reform, Luke Charlton
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper will argue for changes in the corporate structure of transit authorities in Ontario by contrasting their effectiveness in producing intermunicipal transit with British Columbia’s transit authorities. It is well established that transit is correlated to many benefits: socioeconomic opportunities, increased quality of life, boosting the local economy, and reducing the environmental impact of transportation. However, one area of neglect within Ontario has been the development of intermunicipal transit within Ontario outside of the Greater Toronto Area. British Columbia proves that with a centripetal authority structure (power towards the centre), transit organizations can be adaptive and cooperative. Ontario’s centrifugal …
Beyond Books: Evaluating Maker Spaces In Ontario’S Municipal Library Systems, Lise Conde
Beyond Books: Evaluating Maker Spaces In Ontario’S Municipal Library Systems, Lise Conde
MPA Major Research Papers
This exploratory research paper looks at how Ontario’s municipal library systems evaluate their maker spaces and programming. The literature review provides context on the purpose and value of libraries, the structure and agency of municipal libraries in Ontario and academic and applied studies of program evaluation. The research seeks to answer four questions: What municipal libraries have maker spaces and what are their characteristics? How have they positioned this service in terms of purpose and value? How have they measured success? What can Ontario’s municipal library systems learn from the evaluation of maker spaces to position themselves for the future? …
Toronto’S Private Tree By-Law: Performance Measurement Design And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Arthur Beauregard
Toronto’S Private Tree By-Law: Performance Measurement Design And Cost-Benefit Analysis, Arthur Beauregard
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper presents a practical application of designing and implementing a robust performance measurement system by applying the principle of integrated management to Toronto’s private tree by-law. The robust performance measurement system is assessed based on the following five criteria: satisfying accountability reporting requirements to elected officials and to the public at large; facilitating policy and program effectiveness measurement; supporting management reviews that help inform service quality and efficiency improvements; guiding staff from the apex of management down to front line service delivery personnel on specific goals and deliverables; and increasing staff productivity, satisfaction, and motivation by providing meaningful feedback …
The Incidence And Impact Of Strategic Human Resource Management In Canadian Municipalities, Cheryl Smith
The Incidence And Impact Of Strategic Human Resource Management In Canadian Municipalities, Cheryl Smith
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the incidence and effectiveness of strategic human resource management (SHRM) in Canada based on a survey of 68 municipalities in eight provinces with populations exceeding 38,500. The findings reveal that SHRM is being practiced in a small majority of Canadian municipalities and the majority of the respondent municipalities with SHRM have fully integrated their human resources function within the strategic planning process, which suggests that there is significant potential for the improvement of organizational effectiveness.
Implementing And Managing Change In The Fire Service, Terence Allen
Implementing And Managing Change In The Fire Service, Terence Allen
MPA Major Research Papers
This paper examines the potential for strategic planning to act as a tool for anticipating, identifying, and successfully managing change within the fire service based on an analysis of the external change issues that are affecting the fire department as a workplace. The findings reveal that there are many components of the strategic planning process that can assist in the implementation and management of change in the fire service.