Agenda Item No.: E.1.c. C
Edmonton Police Governance Audit: Recommendation 10 – Key Board Chair Evaluation
Process
Recommendation:
That Option ____ outlined in Attachment 1
of the September 8, 2005, Office of the City
Manager report 2005CMC031, be approved
for the evaluation of Board Members and
Chairs.
Report Summary
This report sets out three options for
reviewing individuals, serving as chair,
eligible for re-appointment to key boards. It
is drafted in response to Recommendation
10 found in the Edmonton Police
Governance Audit. Amendments to City
Policy C472 will be brought forward shortly
and will reflect Council’s decision on this
matter.
Previous Council/Committee Action
On May 31, 2005, City Council received for
information the City Auditor’s report, which
included the Edmonton Police Governance
Audit.
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Report
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City Policy C472, Appointment Process
to Certain Key Boards, outlines the
process to be followed for re-appointing
members to certain key boards, namely
Edmonton Economic Development
Corporation (EEDC), EPCOR Utilities
Inc. (EPCOR), Edmonton Police
Commission (EPC), and Edmonton
Regional Airports Authority (ERAA). It
also deals with appointment and reappointment of Chairs for EEDC and
EPCOR.
EEDC is a wholly owned subsidiary
corporation of the City of Edmonton. It
has a board of 15 members (one of
which is the Mayor) appointed by
Council as Shareholder. The Chair is
also appointed by Council.
Routing:
Delegation:
Written By:
September 8, 2005
File: 2005CMC031
Executive Committee, City Council
D. H. Edey/J. Mason
V. Gunderson/R. Kotovych
Office of the City Manager
(Page 1 of 2)
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EPCOR is a wholly owned subsidiary
corporation of the City of Edmonton. It
has a board of 13 members with
staggered terms, appointed by Council as
Shareholder. The Chair is also
appointed by Council.
ERAA is an external agency which
manages and operates various airports
including the Edmonton City Centre and
Edmonton International. It has a board
of 15 members, six of whom are
appointed by Edmonton City Council.
EPC is a public body with a governance
role in the oversight of the Edmonton
Police Service. The Commission is
comprised of seven citizen members and
two members of Council appointed by
Council.
City Policy C472 provides that a Board
Chair will give guidance to Council on
whether an individual should be reappointed to a Board. It does not
currently outline a process by which a
Board Chair is evaluated for reappointment as a member of the Board.
Attachment 1 to this report provides
three options to remedy the situation. It
also mirrors those proposed options with
changes to the evaluation process for a
Chair being re-appointed as Chair.
Generally, the three options allow for
Board Chairs to be evaluated by:
1. The Office of the City Clerk;
2. A subcommittee of the Board; or
3. A Member of Council.
If Council approves Option 2, where a
key board has a process in place that
satisfies the intent of that option, the key
board should be allowed to continue
with their established process.
E
1
a
c
C
Edmonton Police Governance Audit: Recommendation 10 – Key Board Chair Evaluation
Process
Edmonton Police Commission Comments
 A response to this report from the
Edmonton Police Commission is
attached (Attachment 3).
 The Commission recommends that
Option 1 be used to evaluate the Chair as
a member.
Edmonton Regional Airports Authority
Comments
 A response to this report from the
Edmonton Regional Airports Authority
is attached (Attachment 4).
 The Authority states that they are
already following a process to evaluate
the Chair similar to Option 2 and
recommends that they be allowed to
continue with their current process.
EPCOR Utilities Inc. Comments
 A response to this report from EPCOR
Utilities Inc. is attached (Attachment 5).
 EPCOR states that they are already
following a process to evaluate the Chair
similar to Option 2 and recommends that
they be allowed to continue with their
current process.
Edmonton Economic Development
Corporation
 A response to this report from Edmonton
Economic Development Corporation has
not been received.
 As EEDC has a governance committee
similar to that of ERAA and EPCOR, it
is probable that Option 2 would also
most closely reflect the Corporation’s
operations.
appointment as Board members or Board
chairs in relation to key boards.
Background Information Attached
1. Options for Key Board Chair
Evaluations
2. Recommendation of City Auditor
3. Edmonton Police Commission
Comments
4. Edmonton Regional Airports Authority
Comments
5. EPCOR Utilities Inc. Comments
Justification of Recommendation
Council is being asked to provide direction
on the process for providing Council with an
evaluation of individuals considered for re-
(Page 2 of 2)
Attachment 1
Options for Key Board Chair Evaluations
Evaluations
Coordinated
By
Overview of
Process
OPTION 1
Office of the City
Clerk
OPTION 2
Subcommittee of each
Key Board
 OCC surveys Board
Members
 Tabulates results
 Discusses results
with Chair
 Provides results to
Council prior to
Council’s meeting
with the Chair
 Council decides
whether or not to reappoint the
individual
 Subcommittee
surveys Board
Members
 Tabulates results
 Discusses results
with Chair
 Provides results and
a recommendation to
Council prior to
Council’s meeting
with the Chair
 Council decides
whether or not to reappoint the
individual
Benefits
 As a neutral party,
the evaluation will be
based solely on the
opinions of Board
Members
 Chairs evaluated by
peers
 Observations of
Chair in action taken
into account
 Council receives a
recommendation
Challenges
 No recommendation
provided to Council
 No observation of
performance
 Process is
facilitative only
 Boards will need to
ensure
subcommittees
provide a balanced
viewpoint to Council
Attachment 1 - Page 1 of 1
OPTION 3
Council Member
 Council appoints one
Council Member to
evaluate Chair
 Council Member
surveys Board
Members
 Tabulates results
 Discusses results with
Chair
 Provides results and a
recommendation to
Council prior to
Council’s meeting
with the Chair
 Council decides
whether or not to reappoint the individual
 Chairs evaluated by
an appointer
 Council can select an
evaluator that does not
have a strong opinion
of the individual
 Observations of Chair
in action taken into
account
 Council receives a
recommendation
 Time commitment for
one Council Member
Attachment 2
Recommendation of City Auditor
Recommendation 10
The OCA recommends that the Office of the City Clerk prepare revisions to Policy
C472B, Appointment Process to Certain Key Boards, so that Council is provided
adequate information about the individual serving as the current Commission’s Chair to
assist them in determining whether or not the individual should be considered for
reappointment as a Commissioner for a future term.
Office of the City Clerk (OCC) Response and Action Plan
Accepted
The OCC will submit to City Council through Executive Committee by June 30, 2005,
revisions to Policy C472B so that OCC will solicit input from individual Board Members
of Key Boards as to whether Board Chairs should be re-appointed as a member and in
the case of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and EPCOR Utilities Inc. as
Chair.
The OCC will prepare and provide a draft of the amended policy to the Commission for
their comments prior to submission to Executive Committee.
Observations - Completeness of City policy
While completing the work above, the OCA considered whether the steps outlined in
Policy C472B are sufficient to ensure that Council has the best information available
when fulfilling their responsibility to appoint/reappoint Police Commissioners. The
OCA’s assessment resulted in the following observations:
Information regarding the individual serving as Chair
The Act requires the members of the Commission, at the first meeting each year, elect a
Commission Chair. The City Policy requires that information be provided to Council
about each Commissioner when considering them for reappointment for another term.
The only exception is the individual elected as the Commission Chair for the year. There
is no mechanism in the Policy to provide Council with information about that individual
(Commissioner elected as Chair) when considering whether they should be reappointed as a Commissioner for another term.
Attachment 2 - Page 1 of 1
Attachment 3
Edmonton Police Commission Comments
Attachment 3 - Page 1 of 3
Attachment 3
Edmonton Police Commission Comments
EDMONTON POLICE COMMISSION
THE CITY OF EDMONTON
BYLAW 14040
EDMONTON POLICE COMMISSION BYLAW
POLICE COMMISSION REACTIONS
III.
KEY BOARD CHAIR EVALUATION PROCESS
The evaluation for reappointment purposes of the Chair as a member of the
commission presents unique challenges. The first of these is to ensure that what
is being evaluated is the individual’s performance as a Commissioner and not
his/her performance as the Chair. Secondly, is to identify a strategy and/or
model that will result in an objectively valid and reliable assessment – this given
the need to carry out a qualitative assessment as opposed to, primarily, a
quantitative assessment.
Given the foregoing, it is the position of the Commission that Option 1 [with some
variations] forms the basis of the evaluation strategy to be utilized. It is to be
noted that in Option 1 “all” data is collected from the other Commissioners. It is
the Commission who will have direct and first hand “impressions” of the work of
the Commissioner who also is the Chair of the Commission. Further, it will be
important that a model be developed that would help ensure that a “common
approach” would be employed by all other Commissioners as they carry out the
assessment exercise.
As noted in Option 1, the Office of the City Clerk, would tabulate, but also
summarize, the data collected from the Commission and have a “summarized
report” presented to Council.
The instrument to be utilized should allow for data collection on, for example,
such constructs as:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Attendance at Edmonton Police Commission meetings and standing
committee meetings.
Contribution to the mission of the Edmonton Police Commission.
Contribution to strategic planning and to the operationalization of strategic
objectives.
Provision of creative and scholarly thinking vis a vis police governance
and the policing program.
Diligence in analyzing budget needs and priorities.
Attachment 3 - Page 2 of 3
Attachment 3
Edmonton Police Commission Comments
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
Skill in effectively communicating with members of the Commission and
with various publics.
Willingness to function as a member of the Commission “team.”
Courage in dealing with difficult issues as they arise and this for the
common good.
Etc.
A summary and definitive statement could be asked: Should the individual be
reappointed as a Commissioner?
Yes _______
No _______
Attachment 3 - Page 3 of 3