Municipal Interface National Professional Journal of MISA/ASIM Canada M A Y 2 0 0 7 , V O L . 1 4 , N O 3 What is the Municipal Reference Model and Why Does It Matter? With the MRM, MISA/ASIM Canada hopes to create a common language to support alignment and transformation of municipal services. See page 37 Also in this Issue: Human Resources and IT Page Wood Buffalo relies on IT to support change management 17 ITIL version 3 aims to improve qualifications of IT project managers 22 Hiring for the help desk: A novel approach builds bridges on the team 27 Innovative application helps Saint John police manage performance 31 MUNICIPAL Interface MAY 2007 In This Issue News Advertisers Index MISA news across Canada 7 Page Municipal news 39 AESI (Acumen Engineered Solutions) 13 AGL Inc. 44 Columns Agresso 19 President’s column – Keeping In Touch 4 Autodesk Canada 5 CDW Canada 10 Roy Wiseman – Governance Issues 41 Citrix Canada 33 Com-Tech Learning Solutions 29 Report From RIMQ Digital Boundary Group 42 The role of municipal wireless networks 34 ESRI Canada 26 Imex Systems 16 Features LCM Security 25 Mid-Range Computer Group 6 Wood Buffalo relies on IT amid massive change 17 Packet Works Division of Packet-Tel 32 What ITIL Version 3 means to IT project managers 22 Panasonic Canada 40 Hiring for the help desk, a novel approach 27 RIVA Online 20 Innovative application aids Saint John police HR 31 SaskTel 21 TELUS Insert Municipal Reference Model’s potential impact 37 Teranet 2 Journal of MISA/ASIM Canada Advertising Rates Suite 309, 14845 – 6 Yonge Street Associate Members Non-Members Aurora, ON L4G 6H8 $1,375 pre-printed insert $1,700 Phone: 416-458-4410 www.misa.on.ca; www.misa.bc.ca; www.misa-asim.ca $1,225 back page $1,500 http://misaprairies.ca; www.rimq.com $925 inside front $1,150 Journal Production $625 1 page $780 $425 1/2 page $530 Co-Chairs, Communications Committee: Ron Blakey (Durham) 905-571-4111 $275 quarter page $345 Kathryn Bulko (Toronto) 416-397-9921 Articles are subject to approval by the Communications Committee. The views Co-Editors: expressed in this journal are those of the individual writers and do not Lawrence Moule 416-458-4410, [email protected] Jane Morgan 416-488-2878, [email protected] necessarily reflect those of MISA/ASIM Canada. French-language editor: Gaston Huot (Brossard) 450-923-6362 No part of the publication may be reproduced by anyone without prior written permission from MISA/ASIM Canada. Design: Natalie Coombs of NatCo Design © 2007 MISA/ASIM Canada Printer: Select Printing, Toronto 3 MUNICIPAL Interface MAY 2007 Keeping in Touch By Daniel Malo RIMQ Expands Director of IT, City of Montréal Chairman, RIMQ Its Leadership Role THIS YEAR, THE RÉSEAU de l’informatique municipale 3. Make executive management (directeurs généraux, du Québec (RIMQ) celebrates its 25th anniversary. heads of departments, elected officials) aware Our history goes back to 1982, when IT managers of the important role played by IT in municipal from a number of Québec municipalities, looking operations – RIMQ plans to publish articles to for a way to meet and discuss their respective convey its vision of IT issues facing municipali- challenges, decided to establish an association of ties, participate in meetings with the Association municipal computer specialists. So began a tradition des directeurs généraux des municipalités du of annual meetings and exchanges on best practices Québec, and circulate last year’s brief regarding in our field. future issues for municipalities. Since then, in spite of the remoteness of several 4. Promote electronic government (online govern- municipalities and important differences in the size ment) – RIMQ will promote the initiatives now and type of computer infrastructures they deal with, under way to develop the delivery of online ser- our colleagues have been meeting to discuss IT vices. These new ways of providing services to issues and challenges. our clienteles and citizens offer solutions to the As with any association, RIMQ has evolved structural problems that will be faced by munici- through the years and adapted to the lightning pace palities. In association with UMQ, a survey of of IT developments. The world is at our fingertips, our municipalities is planned, and an authentica- and our province is ever more accessible. RIMQ tion pilot project is now under way with the has set itself a goal of increasing its daily presence Québec government. within its membership and, for several years, has RIMQ also conducts a number of activities been pursuing an action plan to increase its initia- throughout the year: tives and activities. The work of RIMQ is entirely based on the • Hosting an annual symposium in September at volunteer efforts of its members and directors. The Hôtel Sacacomie in St-Alexis-des-Monts (Mauricie). association also relies upon partnerships with the This symposium will highlight RIMQ’s 25th Corporation of Chartered Municipal Officers of anniversary and focus mainly on the themes of Québec and the UMQ (L’Union des municipalités wireless communications, outsourcing, IT gover- du Québec). It receives revenues from some of its nance, e-learning and continuity of services. activities, including its annual symposium which is The symposium provides the ideal opportunity financed through the participation of its many part- for our members and partners to meet and ners in the private sector. develop solid partnerships for our projects. In 2007, RIMQ chose the following action • The RIMQ-G9 Committee – the committee that priorities: brings together those responsible for IT services 1. Facilitate joint action between towns and cities – in the nine largest Québec municipalities (Montréal, RIMQ wishes to set up regional issue tables and Québec City, Longueuil, Laval, Trois-Rivières, interest groups, encourage common training ses- Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Gatineau and Lévis). sions, and prepare a knowledge engineering Meetings are held every six weeks. One of its toolkit. 2007 priorities is to assess the possibility of 2. Establish IT management indicators – In spite of sharing a common human resources and payroll a long-demonstrated need by all concerned, system (as an exception, this objective involves establishing performance and comparison indi- the G9’s HR heads.) The committee will also cators continues to be a difficult task. RIMQ will work on projects promoting the use of common start consulting its members in order to lay the telecommunications infrastructures and videocon- foundations for a municipal balanced scorecard. ferencing tools. 4 MUNICIPAL Interface MAY 2007 Keeping In Touch • Participation in MISA/ASIM activities. RIMQ is proud to be involved in the creation and activities RIMQ Annual Event Coming of our new national association, aiming to To ‘Le Coeur du Québec’ ensure that it will generate concrete benefits for its Québec membership. THE RÉSEAU de l’informatique municipale du • Hosting seminars in the Montréal region on topics Québec (RIMQ) will hold its annual conference on including wireless technology, geomatics and September 16-18 to celebrate 25 years of the evo- computer security. lution of the province’s municipal IT association. • RIMQ is also working on setting up a repository of all IT projects and technology environments As RIMQ seeks to raise the profile of IT leaders supporting the province’s municipalities. in dealing with modern municipal issues, the confer- 2007 will be an action-packed year. While ence will feature a workshop with the Chartered RIMQ’s action plan is ambitious, it reflects the Municipal Officers of Québec and another on the desire of the members of our Board of Directors to role of IT directors in government. make the network an essential support for the work The conference will take place at Hôtel Sacacomie of our municipal membership. in St-Alexis-des-Monts in the scenic Mauricie region between Montréal and Québec City, known as [email protected] “le Coeur du Québec.” 5 Check please. 9 Since 1988 Disaster Recovery Plan 9 Completed Disaster Recovery Test 9 Completed Disaster Recovery Hot Site 9 Completed Security Audit 9 Completed Back Up & Recovery Audit 9 Completed Encryption Implementation 9 Completed ,QIUDVWUXFWXUH6LPSOL¿FDWLRQ 9 Completed Hosting / Co-location / Outsourcing 9 Completed 34 Riviera Drive, Markham, ON L3R 5M1 • 800-668-6470 • 905-940-1814 • www.midrange.ca MUNICIPAL Interface MAY 2007 MISA News Across Canada MISA Ontario Conference To Celebrate Internationally Recognized Municipalities MISA ONTARIO’S annual confer- Intelligent Community of the Year Among the five streams of edu- ence will raise networking to a new at its annual conference called cational sessions will be one enti- level, as representatives from inter- Building the Broadband Economy, tled “Small Can Be Big,” designed nationally celebrated Canadian which is scheduled for May 18 in to present ideas for meeting the “intelligent communities” join New York. unique challenges of smaller munic- together for the first time to share ipalities. One of those sessions will The combined community of their success stories. be presented by a very small Ottawa-Gatineau is also on this municipality indeed -- the Township The City of Waterloo will not year’s list of the Top Seven of Tiny. only be host for the 29th annual Intelligent Communities. MISA Ontario Annual Conference Other streams are: Representatives from these two and Trade Show on June 10-13, it municipalities have been invited • Asset and Project Management will present the first ever Canadian to participate in the forum, as well • Best Practices and Intelligent Communities Forum on as representatives from other Private/Public Partnerships the final day of the conference. Canadian intelligent communities • The Mobile Workspace “This year’s closing session listed at various times by ICF: • Enterprise Solutions. will recognize the contributions of Burlington, Toronto and Sudbury Canadian communities in an open in Ontario, as well as Calgary, “MISA Ontario 2007 in Water- forum that will provide the delegates Fredericton, Nunavut and the loo is shaping up to be a most an opportunity to hear about com- Western Valley of Nova Scotia.