Regional Partnerships & Collaboration

This course will equip you with the tools to build strong, effective regional partnerships that support service delivery and long-term community resilience. Exploring the value of collaboration, gain practical skills to navigate complex relationships, foster trust, and lead collaborative initiatives with confidence.

Course Outline

To get the most out of the experience, participants are should be fully engaged, prepared to share insights, participate in group excercises, and contribute to discussions. Participation is key to building the collaborative and consensus building skills that are central to the course

 

Introduction to Regional Collaboration

  • The value and purpose of regional collaboration
  • The increasing importance of intermunicipal partnerships
  • Benefits and risks of working across boundaries
  • Trust & communication

Collaboration in Context

  • Understanding Alberta’s municipal collaboration landscape
  • Legislative context: Albertas Municipal Government Act (MGA)
  • Case Studies & Discussion
  • Recognizing when and why collaboration makes sense

Collaboration Framework

  • The four stages of collaboration: Diagnose, Design, Act Evaluate
  • Identifying shared goals and mutual outcomes
  • Environmental scans and readiness assessments
  • Building your collaboration team: Roles & Responsibilities
  • Planning the process, resources and timelines
  • Creating and implementing an action plan

Designing for Success

  • Collaboration as a strategic process
  • Developing trust and a collaborative culture
  • Formalizing collaboration agreements
  • Conflict resolution frameworks and dispute processes
  • Public engagement considerations in collaborative planning
  • Sustaining momentum and adapting over time.

Consensus & Communication Skills

  • The role of communication in collaborative success
  • Building consensus through active listening & reflection
  • The value of open-ended questions
  • Conflict resolution strategies and techniques
  • Collaborating effectively across councils and administrations

Collaboration in Action

  • Group case study exercise
  • Apply the collaboration model to real municipal scenarios
  • Map out roles, responsibilities, and success indicators
  • Reflect on potential areas of conflict
  • Practice conflict resolution
  • Debrief & evaluate learnings.

Note: This course focuses on the general principles of regional collaboration and partnership-building within municipal governance. It is not designed to directly address legislative requirements for Intermunicipal Cooperation Frameworks (ICFs), Intermunicipal Development Plans (IDPs), or recent changes. Participants will gain a broad understanding of effective collaboration strategies, applicable across various intermunicipal initiatives.

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