Vancouver City Council

CITY OF VANCOUVER POLICY REPORT OTHER

	Date:	November 3, 2004
	Author:	Janice MacKenzie/ Wendy Au/Lindsey Richardson
	Phone No.:	604.873.7999
	RTS No.:	04642
	CC File No.:	1012
	Meeting Date:	February 3, 2005

TO:	Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets
FROM:	City Manager
SUBJECT:	External Relations Program (ERP)

RECOMMENDATION

A. That the recommendations in this report be referred for consideration with the 2005 budget.

B. THAT an External Relations Program (ERP) to direct, coordinate and facilitate the City's external relationships affiliated with visit coordination and support, event protocols and related responsibilities, international partnerships and protocol, be established.

C. THAT the External Relations Program be administered by the Office of the City Clerk.

D. THAT Council allocate ongoing support beginning April 1^st, 2005, without offset, for the External Relations Program in the form of:

i. One Regular full time Director of External Relations, subject to classification by the General Manager of Human Resources, at a prorated cost of cost of $65,087 (estimated $86,783 annually) including benefits, with a mandate to provide oversight, represent the City to external partners, create policy and guidelines on matters of protocol, and strategically plan the City's external relations.

ii. One Regular Full time External Relations Coordinator, subject to classification by the General Manager of Human Resources, at a prorated cost of $41,948 (estimated $55,930 annually) including benefits, with a mandate to provide logistical and coordination support, administer the External Relations Program and provide research and information support for related activities.

iii. A start up budget of $5000 for each position, totaling $10,000 in 2005 only, for furniture and computers.

E. THAT funding in the prorated amount of $52,500 ($70,000 annually) be allocated on an ongoing basis to the City Clerk's annual budget, without offset, for office space rental, program development and administration, protocol functions, ongoing office costs, and expenses for related activities and ongoing operations.

F. THAT Council direct the External Relations Program Steering Committee to conduct a program review one year after the start date, submitting a report to Council that includes information on implementation issues, activities, challenges, resource needs, and reporting relationships.

COUNCIL POLICY

There is no existing Council policy related to the City's external relations, with the exception of Vancouver's Sister City Agreements.

In 1986, City Council moved that no further Sister City Agreements be adopted in order to focus efforts on existing Sister Cities. Sister City Agreements were folded into the City's Strategic Cities Program in 1987. Council later moved that, "commencing in 1992, the Strategic Cities Program be discontinued and that responsibility and present budgets for the ongoing elements be reallocated." A new framework for Sister City relations was initiated at the beginning of 1992 in which the City Clerk assumed responsibility for maintaining official contact with Sister Cities.

SUMMARY

This report proposes the creation of an External Relations Program (ERP) to provide direction and oversight for the City's external relations and related initiatives, and to support and coordinate certain activities that require staff-specific expertise, such as best practices sharing or international development projects.

The City has other ongoing external relationships that are related to the City's mandate and ongoing work such as those with the GVRD, other levels of government and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The management of these relationships is embedded in the City's day-to-day responsibilities.

The relationships and activities that will fall under the mandate of the proposed ERP include:

I. Visit Coordination for official delegations, information and best practices sharing, and professional courtesies;
II. Major Event Responsibilities related to relationship management and event protocol;
III. International Relationships including Sister Cities Agreements, international development projects, and other agreements with cities abroad; and
IV. Protocol responsibilities for proclamations, ceremonies, awards and flag raisings, support for situations and issues involving political and cultural sensitivities, and gift exchanges.

The City currently manages these external relationships on an ad hoc basis; there are no dedicated staff to handle them and few resources available for them. The City lacks policy and guidelines to direct them or determine the legitimacy of particular requests. As a result, there are inconsistent approaches to these external relationships. Concerns over the City's ability to maintain sophisticated relationships as interest in the City rises and upcoming major events draw nearer suggest that the City could greatly benefit from a revision of its current practices.

The External Relations Program will develop and execute a corporate strategy that will coordinate a number of presently dispersed but closely related activities. The ERP will also address the current absence of policy pertaining to these relationships and provide broad understanding and oversight of the City's external relations. It will manage visitation, partnership, and protocol related activities and responsibilities, prepare for coming challenges, and coordinate the efforts of the City in order to use staff time and resources effectively.

In order to do this, two distinct skill sets are required. The first involves broad oversight, the ability to represent the City and liaise with external partners, the creation of policy and guidelines, and the strategic planning of the City's external relations. The other involves coordination, research, logistical support, and administration. It is because of the anticipated workload and this separation that the creation of two positions is requested. (For potential job descriptions for the two positions, please refer to Appendix F of the attached discussion paper.)

It is also recommended that the ERP be located in the City Clerk's Office, as City Clerk's is a corporate department that already handles some of the relationships and activities that are in the proposed mandate of the ERP. City Clerk's has close links with both Council and the bureaucracy, and has the ability to manage information flow and reporting structures. The ERP Steering Committee will continue to provide guidance on an as-needed basis.

It is also recommended that regular and ongoing evaluations of the program be performed.

PURPOSE

To obtain Council approval to establish an External Relations Program and create two positions, subject to 2005 budget considerations, to administer the program - A Director of External Relations and an External Relations Coordinator.

BACKGROUND

Managing and participating in external relationships and their related activities often requires significant staff time - both in their planning and organization, and in their execution. Pressure has been mounting as departments seek to fulfill responsibilities and accommodate requests from interested parties. The risk that the City will compromise its ability to respond to increasing requests and to meet obligations to its external partners is a serious reality.

The City Manager's and Mayor's offices therefore initiated a review of the way the City handles its external relations. This resulted in the formation of a steering committee comprised of officials from the Mayor's Office, City Manager's Office, City Clerk's office, Equal Employment Opportunities Office and City Planning.

The review has involved extensive consultation with City Council, senior managers, their staff, and officials in other Canadian and U.S. cities. The discussion paper, dated November 3, 2004 and entitled "Vancouver's External Relations: Roles, Responsibilities, Challenges and Opportunities," outlines the results of the review. (Appendix A)

This report is based on the assessment and recommendations put forward in the discussion paper. It calls for a coordinated and strategic approach to the City's External Relations that achieves the following objectives:

• Managing visitation, partnership, and protocol related responsibilities;

• Coordinating the efforts of the City to use staff time and resources effectively;

• Effective sharing of best practices and information;

• Capitalizing on and creating opportunities; and

• Forging successful and strategic linkages.

DISCUSSION

Currently, there is no central coordination or management of the City's external relationships. Staff in a variety of departments try to respond to requests as they come in and manage them in addition to regular duties.

Further, undertaking external relationship activities can create a number of sensitive situations. There is concern about the appropriate commitment of resources, the legitimacy of particular requests, cultural and political sensitivities, and the overall benefit of certain activities.

Interest in the City continues to increase as Vancouver's establishes itself as a leading international city. As upcoming world class events draw nearer, responsibilities and requests will continue to rise. Increases will exacerbate the issues that exist because of the current lack of institutional capacity, absence of policy and guidelines, and concerns around protocol.

Proposed Scope of ERP Activity

Managing the City of Vancouver's external relationships through the ERP will be a multi-faceted undertaking. The proposal for a revised approach for the management and coordination of the City's external relations can be summarized as follows:

I. Visit Coordination and Support

Visits and authorized travel serve a number of functions and range from best practices sharing and information sessions to tours around City Hall. Providing oversight will maintain clarity around the City's purpose and objectives for these engagements, provide understanding of the roles of delegates and officials, maximize benefit to the City, separate legitimate requests from those that are more questionable, and ensure logistical and information-based support is available where needed and appropriate.

Logistical support would include planning assistance, ensuring proper recognition of visitors and hosts, and providing advice on protocol by paying particular attention to cultural or institutional customs, procedures, and practices.

Information support for visits would involve coordinating briefings and background materials for political representatives and staff, where appropriate, and the coordination and development of corporate materials for presentations and common requests. The ERP will also act as an information resource for external relations partners by providing fact sheets, distributing annual reports, and having broad knowledge of the municipal government and its activities.

Official Delegations

Official delegations are currently planned by the Mayor's or City Manager's office, and will become more common as the number and frequency of major events increases. These visits share a number of characteristics. They have a specific function or purpose, establish or continue ongoing formal relations, involve high-level officials, such as government leaders or distinguished individuals, include the participation of the Mayor or his delegated representative, often involve an event that recognizes the visitor(s), and may be acknowledged publicly with a special mention in a council meeting, or by a press release. Close attention must be paid to cultural sensitivities and protocols.

Professional Courtesies

Professional Courtesies are less formal. Most are undertaken as information or best-practices sharing sessions with groups from other municipal governments. There are two levels of Professional Courtesies that have different needs and organizational requirements.

The first are Corporate Professional Courtesies, which require central coordination, are planned by the City Manager's, City Clerk's or the Mayor's offices, and can involve a number of different departments. The second are Departmental Professional Courtesies, which are specific to a staff member or department and are handled within departments.

The City's participation in both corporate and departmental professional courtesies is discretionary - requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis by senior managers or directors.

A central coordinator will ensure that due diligence is performed before the City commits to any given request. This may require a "pushback," such as a request for a proposal or statement of intent, a business plan, or a counteroffer in order to vet a visitor's intentions and purpose. Simple requirements that clarify a group's request for the City's time or services will filter out more questionable demands. (See Appendix D of the attached discussion paper for potential guidelines.)

II. Event Roles and Responsibilities

As events of a larger scale approach, there will be changes in the way the City handles its role in events. From the perspective of the City's external relations, this will involve managing multi-layered and complex relationships, helping the City fulfill expectations to be accommodating, paying attention to protocol, policy, and political sensitivities, and fulfilling associated requests, where appropriate.

This will not duplicate the role of the Festival Expediting Staff Team (FEST), which plays the primary role for the City and the provision of assistance for events such as street closures, permits, security, etc.

External Relations staff may also liaise between FEST, major event secretariats and working groups to ensure that the relationships critical to events are maintained, healthy, and promote the City of Vancouver's related objectives.

III. International Relationships

The City has international relationships that vary in character, purpose, and duration. The ERP will outline a framework that provides the ability to recognize these different partnerships with a clear, articulated understanding of their roles and limitations.

This framework will include:
· Conventions of Cooperation where links with other cities would allow significant advantages for the City on an issue-based, time-limited basis; such as the one between the City and Torino, Italy outlining a mutual commitment to cooperate on Olympic related initiatives until the completion of the 2010 Games.
· Economic Co-operation Agreements where opportunities for considerable economic benefit exist;
· Sister City Agreements, of which the City currently has five (Odessa, Yokohama, Edinburgh, Guangzhou and Los Angeles).
· Friendship Agreements where a Sister City Agreement is unsuitable, but a desire exists to recognize links between two cities; and
· Technical Partnerships to share a specific area of expertise related to governance, public participation, technology or service delivery. This would include international development projects and are usually funded by an outside source.

Each of these relationships has differing goals, criteria, activity levels, time frames, and community involvement. In particular, outlining the character of each kind of relationship, revising the City's approach to Sister Cities, streamlining its involvement in international development projects, and ensuring that resources are committed in a coordinated and strategic way will ensure that the City's International Partnerships are successful.

IV. Protocol Responsibilities

Existing protocol activities are shared between the Office of the City Clerk and the Mayor's office. However, protocol is a body of knowledge and range of activity that is largely absent within the organization. Protocol represents the City's commitment to recognizing the importance of its external partners, foreign governments, and other individuals and groups, its awareness of procedure and cultural practices both at home and abroad, and the need to represent the City of Vancouver in appropriate ways. A staff member responsible for protocol would represent the City externally, act as an access point for external relations partners, and serve as an internal reference for protocol concerns and questions.

The ERP will develop protocol practices and standards. It will also provide support for visits, organize protocol-related functions, coordinate gift exchanges, and handle flag raisings, ceremonies, certain awards and proclamations. Relationships that are integral to successful protocol activities include links to other municipal, provincial and federal government protocol officials, ties with embassies and consulates, and connections with the protocol staff of delegations.

Resources

At present there are no dedicated staff assigned to the management and coordination of the City's external relationships. In order to implement a well planned, organized, and effective program, it is proposed that there will be two dedicated staff positions, with modest requirements for operational funding.

Staff

The roles and tasks associated with the ERP's activities can be separated into two general areas. The first involves program oversight, representation of the City to external relations partners, policy and guideline creation, and strategic planning. The second involves information and logistical support, coordination, and administration.

These two tracks require distinct skill sets and both require significant effort if the ERP is to be successful. Because of this separation, it will prove difficult to find a person capable of fulfilling all the requirements associated with the City's external relations. Initial assessments also indicate that the workload involved in the management and coordination of the City's external relations will be more than a single staff member will be able to manage. This report therefore proposes the creation of two positions - a Director of External Relations and an External Relations Coordinator.

Operational Funding

Additional funding will also be required to support meeting expenses, hosting, communications materials, gift exchanges, program expenses and administrative costs. This funding will not cover any costs associated with staff or council travel, or activities outside the mandate of the ERP. Additional funding for travel, major events and larger scale functions will require council approval on an as-needed basis.

Council and existing staff in various departments will continue to participate in external relations activities. The ERP is not designed to replace the expertise they provide. Instead, the proposed Director of External Relations and External Relations Coordinator will oversee and coordinate these activities, provide guidance and support where needed and appropriate, and act as the lead for the City in matters of protocol.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

It is recommended that as part of the 2005 Budget Consideration that a prorated amount of $169,535 (estimated $212,713 in annual funding thereafter) be allocated to create one full time Director of External Relations (estimated $ 65,087 for 2005 and $86,783 thereafter including benefits), one External Relations Coordinator (estimated $41,948 for 2005 and $55,930 thereafter including benefits), and operational funding of $ 52,500 for 2005 and $70,000 thereafter be allocated on an ongoing basis without offset. It is also recommended that $10,000 be allocated as one-time funding in 2005 for office setup.

Ongoing operational funding, exclusive of office set up, will be used for office space rental, program development and administration, protocol functions, ongoing office costs, and expenses for related activities and ongoing operations. The source of funds for this expenditure would be the Operating Budget and would be ongoing.

Funding amounts prorated for a start date of April 1^st, 2005, and those for the ongoing budget are as follows:

Expenditure	2005 Budget (April 1st start date)	Ongoing Budget
Director of External Relations	$ 65,087	$ 86,783
External Relations Coordinator	$ 41,948	$ 55,930
Operating Budget	$ 45,000	$ 60,000
Office Space Rental	$ 7,500	$ 10,000
Start up Funding (office setup)	$ 10,000	-
Totals	$169,535	$212,713

CONCLUSION

The proposed ERP will develop the institutional capacity and expertise in an area of activity where these are largely absent. It will ensure that the City of Vancouver treats all the activities and relationships related to external relations consistently and that the City fulfills its responsibilities to the best of its ability. It will also enable the City to maximize the opportunities presented by its external relations.

The proposed ERP will provide the City with the capacity to obtain a better understanding of its external relations activities. It will comprehensively document requests, activities, and the administration involved in external relations related work, and will provide a more complete picture of the breadth and scope of the City's activities.

Any decision to undertake an external relations activity must be based on an assessment of its potential benefits weighed against its potential cost. In more than just financial terms, this represents a broad understanding of the important function that external relations activities serve. It also respects that resource limitations require engagement to be strategic, selective, and coordinated.

Council and staff serve a representative function on behalf of the City; their involvement demonstrates the City of Vancouver's commitment to certain principles, issues, and initiatives. It is important, then, that an understanding of the implications of accepting and extending invitations be incorporated into decisions about which ERP activities to support, as this support can have political and financial implications.

The ERP will focus on effectively managing current demand and anticipated increases in the workload associated with external relationships. It will not seek to unnecessarily expand external relations activities. It will instead provide direction, oversight and guidance, ensuring that City resources are used effectively and strategically, and that upcoming challenges are successfully managed and opportunities optimally utilized.

* * * * *

Appendix A

A Discussion Paper On:

THE CITY OF VANCOUVER'S
EXTERNAL RELATIONS

ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

City of Vancouver

November 3, 2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Executive Summary 1

II. Background 3

III. Current Situation 3

IV. Pressures Forcing Change 7
A. Lack of Institutional Capacity 7
B. Upcoming Major Event Responsibilities 7
C. Policy Vacuum 8
D. Protocol Concerns 8

V. Developing a Course of Action 9
A. Program Objectives 10
B. Scope and Activities of a new External Relations Program 10
Visit Coordination 11
Event Roles and Responsibilities 13
International Partnerships 14
Protocol Responsibilities 15

C. Principles and Guidelines of an External
Relations Program 17

D. Resources 17
E. Organizational Options 19

VI. Implementation Issues 20

VII. Recommendations 22

VIII. Appendices
Appendix A - City of Vancouver External Relations Categories 23
Appendix B - Examples of Upcoming Major Events and Meetings 24
Appendix C - External Relations in other Canadian Cities 26
Appendix D - Interim External Relations Guidelines 28
Appendix E - Annual Events in Vancouver 31 Appendix F - Potential Job Descriptions of External Relations
Staff 32

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The vitality of any city in an age of globalization depends a lot on what it does outside its limits. The City of Vancouver interacts extensively with its surrounding regional, national and global communities. These relationships and their related activities range from welcoming official delegations, participating in informal information exchanges and hosting major events to participating in national and international associations and negotiating with other governments.

The current model for managing the City of Vancouver's external relationships is no longer adequate, as the City currently attends to them on an ad hoc basis. As a result, there are inconsistent approaches to external relationships across the organization. The City generally operates reactively, potentially missing important opportunities.

The City of Vancouver's external relations can be separated into two categories. The first is related to visits, formal relationships and information sharing, and includes:

· Visit Coordination for official delegations, information and best practices sharing, and professional courtesies;
· Major Event Responsibilities related to relationship management and protocol, including those associated with the World Urban Forum and 2010 Olympics;
· International Relationships including the Sister Cities Program, international development projects, and other agreements with cities abroad; and
· Protocol Responsibilities for gift exchanges, proclamations, ceremonies, awards and flag raisings, and support for situations and issues involving political and cultural sensitivities.

The second category encompasses advocacy and relationships involving policy development, which include:

· Intergovernmental Affairs with the GVRD, Translink, Provincial and Federal governments and adjacent municipalities;
· Inter-municipal Associations such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities; and
· Local and Regional Agencies, Associations, and Organizations such as the Board of Trade, Tourism Vancouver, community groups and institutions.

A number of pressures are forcing a change in the way the City manages its external relations. The current lack of policy and institutional capacity, increasing interest in the City from outside groups, upcoming major events, and concerns over the City of Vancouver's ability to maintain sophisticated levels of formal and informal relations as interest in the City increases and major events draw nearer all suggest that the City needs to revisit its current practices. These pressures have created a number of instances that have emphasized the need for change.

As Vancouver strengthens its position as an important international city, both categories will play an increasingly critical role. The realization of the City of Vancouver's goals, the fulfillment of its responsibilities and its ability to capitalize on opportunities will depend on the success of its involvement with outside groups and organizations. This paper focuses on the first category of relationships, as they are in the greatest need of attention.

The principle advantage of instituting a formalized External Relations Program will be the development and execution of a corporate strategy that will coordinate a number of presently dispersed but closely related activities. It will address the current absence of policy, provide broad understanding and oversight of the City's external relations, support related activities, and prepare for coming challenges.

A number of possible approaches exist regarding the most appropriate way to proceed with a new approach to its external relations.

Recommendations for next steps include the following:

1. That the City of Vancouver move forward with the creation of an External Relations Program that addresses current needs and upcoming pressures. Its initial mandate would include the relationships and activities affiliated with visit coordination and support, event protocol and related responsibilities, international partnerships, and protocol;

2. That the ERP create a framework for the City's international partnerships that includes Sister City agreements, international development projects and other links and activities with cities around the world;

3. That two new positions be created: a Director of External Relations and an External Relations Coordinator;

4. That City Council authorize an appropriate level of operational funding to support the activities of the ERP,

5. That the ERP be placed in the City Clerk's Department to ensure broad oversight, functional reporting structures, protocol capacity and service to all areas of the municipal government;

6. THAT a program review of the External Relations Program be conducted after a period of one year, and a report to City Council be submitted that includes:

a. Information on relevant implementation issues
b. A summary of its activities and successes
c. Any relevant challenges and obstacles encountered
d. An assessment of its resource needs based on activity levels
e. A description of its reporting relations within the City and with external groups, organizations and institutions; and

7. That the Steering Committee assess whether to proceed with a study of the second category of external relations, which includes intergovernmental affairs, inter-municipal affiliations, and regional and community agencies, associations, and organizations.

II. BACKGROUND

Some of the City's external relationships are the result of the official responsibilities of the Mayor and City Council and of the City of Vancouver's role as a municipal government. Others, however, arise because of external interest in the City's specific expertise, such as its innovative approach to public consultation and involvement, and its planning, engineering, and administrative solutions. Others still arise because of Vancouver's ever-increasing profile on the national and international stage and its recognition as a liveable city.

Managing and participating in these activities requires significant staff time - both in their planning and organization, and in the execution of the activities themselves. Depending on the situation, the Mayor and some or all of Council may be involved.

Pressure is mounting within numerous departments as they seek to fulfill responsibilities and accommodate requests from interested parties. The City has visibly outgrown its current methods, as staff are already quite taxed by the demand and interest in the City is rapidly increasing.

It has become apparent that more efficient, effective and strategic means exist for managing external relationships.

The City Manager's and Mayor's offices therefore initiated a review of the way the City handles its external relations. This resulted in the formation of a steering committee comprised of officials from the Mayor's Office, the City Manager's Office, the City Clerk's Office, the Equal Employment Opportunities Office and City Planning.

The review has involved extensive consultation with City Council, senior managers, their staff, officials in other Canadian and U.S. cities. This discussion paper is the result of that consultation.

III. CURRENT SITUATION

Many of the City of Vancouver's external relationships are managed in addition to regular duties. There are few resources - dedicated staff or funding - to support them. There are also no policy directives to guide their management.

Undertaking external relationship activities can create a number of difficult or sensitive situations. It is sometimes unclear whether or not requests warrant the commitment of staff time and resources. In other cases, it may be inappropriate to refuse a request regardless of its value to the City. The intentions and interests of visitors can be difficult to assess. People have been passed from one staff person to the next because no one has official responsibility to accommodate them.

Relationships Types

The external relations activities of the City of Vancouver can be categorized into two distinct types of relationships. (A summary of these can be found in Appendix A.)

The first category focuses on visits, formal relationships, information sharing and protocol. These relationships are logistically demanding and have a less direct relationship with the policy environment, in that their function and outcomes do not involve policy development with outside entities. They are often one-off events, projects or relationships that may lapse after a given period of time.

The relationships and activities in the first category include:

· Visit Coordination for official delegations, informal information sharing, exchanges, and professional courtesies;
· Major Event Responsibilities related to relationship management and protocol;
· International Relationships including the Sister Cities Program, international development projects, and other agreements with cities abroad; and
· Protocol Responsibilities for gift exchanges, proclamations, ceremonies, awards and flag raisings, and support for visits and travel.

The second category consists of policy or content-based initiatives, certain kinds of advocacy, and expertise oriented activities. This second category has a direct relationship with the external policy environment, is undertaken by numerous departments across the municipal government and is ongoing.

The relationships and activities in the second category include:

· Intergovernmental Affairs with the GVRD, Translink, Provincial and Federal governments, including `New Deal' negotiations and Legacy 2010 developments. These also include relationships with adjacent municipalities;
· Inter-municipal Associations such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) , the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) and other international associations like the United Cities and Local Government Council and the Peace Cities network; and
· Local and Regional Agencies, Associations, and Organizations such as the Board of Trade, Tourism Vancouver, community groups and institutions.

While both categories are important, the primary focus of this discussion paper is on the first category of visit and protocol focussed activities. This is because the second category's policy-oriented relationships are already undertaken by various departments and officials and are a part of their responsibilities. Although diffuse across the organization and lacking a coordinated corporate strategy, they are adequately managed and embedded in the City's day-to-day work.

Developing a corporate strategy and institutional capacity for the second category of relationships may be undertaken at a later date.

The current status of the first category of relationships can be summarized as follows:

Visit Coordination

Visits and authorized travel serve a number of functions and range from hosting diplomats to providing tours to student groups around City Hall. They vary in formality depending on the visitor and the purpose of the visit.

· Official Delegations require precise planning and the participation of the Mayor and/or City Council. Close attention must be paid to cultural sensitivities and protocols.
· Information Sharing and Exchanges are learning opportunities that Vancouver benefits from and has a civic responsibility to participate in. Interest arises because of a particular area of expertise. Some are legitimate best practices sharing exercises, while the value and legitimacy of others is less clear. These others often should be, and are, refused.
· Tours of City Hall or sites in the city in exceptional cases.

Official delegation visits are planned between the City Manager's office and the Mayor's office. Information sharing and exchanges are planned either by the affected departments or centrally by the City Manager's office. Tours of City Hall are provided by Corporate Communications or the City Clerk's office.

Event Responsibilities

This area covers a broad range of activities, including:

· Announcements and ceremonies, which are handled by corporate communications office. Time and resource limitations often surpass the office's capacity to give the desired amount of attention to them.
· Annual Events and Festivals such as the Indy, the Festival of Light Fireworks Competition, and the Sun Run. These events require assistance for street closures, permits, security services, etc. The City's role is managed by the Festival Expediting Staff Team (FEST).
· Major Events which include conferences, expositions, and athletic events. These will often have an event secretariat, but may require input from the City. FEST also plays a primary role for the City's involvement.

International Relationships

Sister Cities

Sister City relationships engender the idea that formal links between communities increase global cooperation, promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development. Sister City partnerships are common practice for municipal governments around the world. Vancouver's Sister City relationships are managed in the City Clerk's office.

The City of Vancouver has signed five formal Sister City Agreements:

· Odessa (1944) because of strong ties from WWII and the post-war period;
· Yokohama (1965) because both are important port cities;
· Edinburgh (1978) because of the cultural festivals in both cities;
· Guangzhou (1984) because many of Vancouver's original Chinese immigrants come from Guangzhou and Guangdong province, and the region shares strong cultural and business ties with Vancouver; and
· Los Angeles (1986) because of the film industry and other geographical and economic links in both cities

In 1986 City Council passed a resolution that no further Sister City Agreements be pursued. Efforts would instead be focussed on its existing relationships.

In mid 1987, City of Vancouver Sister City Advisory Committees were encouraged to form non-profit societies in the community. Their projects included trade missions, student exchanges, and business development seminars. A budgetary allocation for Sister City societies exists, along with a separate allocation for visits and delegations. In 1992, responsibility for Sister Cities was transferred to the City Clerk along with the associated funding.

This funding has been largely unused since 1996, with the exception of a 2002 gift exchange with Guangzhou. Guangzhou gave Vancouver a replica of a Han Dynasty bell, and in return the City gave Guangzhou a historically valuable Cantonese opera Trunk through the generosity of a local citizen.

In the past several years support for Sister City relationships has waned and most are now considered dormant. Concerns have been raised about their value and effectiveness. The City has received several requests to twin with other cities.

International Development Projects

The City has been asked to share an area of expertise with other international cities on a number of occasions. These projects are usually funded by an outside source, excluding funding for staff time or incidental expenses.

Other International Relationships and Agreements

The City has other relationships with cities abroad. For example, the City of Vancouver signed a Convention of Cooperation with Torino outlining their mutual commitment to cooperate on Olympic related issues to create linkages that promote sustainable social, cultural and economic development until the completion of the 2010 Games.

Protocol Activities

Protocol activities are shared between the Office of the City Clerk and the Mayor's office. These include:

· Gift exchanges. Standard gifts include a coffee table book of Vancouver, mugs, pins, and pens. There are currently no guidelines outlining standard gift and exchange procedures.
· Proclamations and Ceremonies to commemorate special dates and events. Proclamations are read by the Mayor during Regular Council meetings.
· Awards that distinguish visitors or those that have made contributions to the City, such as the Freedom of the City Award, or the Civic Merit Award.
· Flag raisings that recognize different festivals, not-for-profit organizations, visitors, and ceremonial half-mastings. Policy on flag raisings is established, and is managed by the City Clerk's office.

These activities, however, represent only a small portion of the protocol issues that potentially affect the City. The area of protocol represents a body of knowledge and range of activity that is largely absent within the organization.

IV. PRESSURES FORCING CHANGE

The City's ad hoc approach makes is difficult to assess its involvement. There is little information about the number of initiatives underway at any given time, making an inventory of activities and the resources committed to them unattainable. While there is a general consensus that the City needs to improve the management of its external relations, it is not feasible to do a precise cost-benefit analysis.

Yet, as the level of Vancouver's involvement rises, so do demands for establishing relationships, undertaking activities, and fulfilling official responsibilities. The City will need to accommodate the increase in resources required to manage them.

A number of existing and forthcoming challenges necessitate a more strategic approach to the Vancouver's external relations. These can be summarized as follows:

A. Lack of Institutional Capacity

External relations activities depend on the availability of staff time and resources that are not dedicated to them. There is no staff member with primary responsibility for external relations, the coordination of visits and the flow of information between departments, or protocol. Nor is there a central access point for outside groups. Staff may therefore be confused about proper procedures and burdened by tasks that are not part of their regular duties.

Because of the lack of institutional and coordination capacity, there are a number of consequences. These include:

· Inefficiency in the use of staff time and resources, as a number of staff with other responsibilities and specializations are used to organize activities.
· Ineffectiveness of relations over the long term because of a lack of corporate strategy. Certain strategic relationships are individualized and depend on a few individuals. In some cases the importance of these relationships could be a part of the depth of the organization as a whole, and they may warrant an institutional mechanism to support them.
· Risk of compromised credibility because of a lack of coordination and procedures and any resulting confusion. The experiences of visitors may be substandard, and the City may not represent itself to the best of its abilities.

External Relationships serve an important function in promoting the City, its objectives, civic engagement and particular kinds of expertise. Once the City decides how to manage these activities, it can then develop an institutional capacity for them and adjust resources accordingly.

B. Upcoming Major Event Protocols and Responsibilities

Vancouver will host a number of major events in the coming years. Vancouver's profile on the international stage and interest in the City have risen dramatically, and will continue to do so as a result. Some of these upcoming events include:

· The UN-HABITAT World Urban Forum and World Peace forum in 2006
· The World Police and Firefighter Games in 2009
· The 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

While some events will require minimal participation from the municipal government, others are major undertakings in which the City of Vancouver will play a major role and for which it has many responsibilities to meet. Still others will present unique opportunities for cultural, social, and economic development. The needs and relationships for these events can be complex and far reaching. (For examples of one-time events, athletic competitions and major conferences coming to Vancouver in the next several years please refer to Appendix B.) Events bring huge economic benefit to Vancouver, and the ability of the City to contribute attracting events is linked with the city's profile, which the municipal government plays a role in nurturing and promoting through is external activities.

C. Policy Vacuum

The City has no policy to guide its external relationships and the management of the resources required to sustain them. This is one of the primary contributing factors to uncertainty surrounding many of the City's external relationships. The City of Vancouver lacks articulated policy in the following areas:

· An Exploration of Value that these relationships bring to the municipal government and to Vancouver more broadly.
· A Rationale for the participation of the City of Vancouver's representatives and officials in these relationships.
· Objectives for External Relationships to create an understanding of what the City's aims to achieve through its participation.
· Parameters for the Scope of Involvement that clarify how much responsibility the City of Vancouver is willing to undertake. Defined roles, responsibilities and priorities could give the staff and Council a better understanding of appropriate circumstances for refusing or accommodating requests.
· Engagement and Operational Standards for hosting, gifting, awards and other protocol activities to ensure consistency across the organization.

D. Protocol Concerns

Understanding appropriate practices for these relationships is important to the realization of many City objectives. Protocol issues can be complex, and failure to manage them appropriately can result in embarrassment for the City. It also risks offending external relationship partners. Officials, Council members and managers are unclear about many issues surrounding protocols for external relationships. These concerns involve the following issues:

· A lack of outlined procedures for formal and informal engagements;
· A need for guidelines for gifting practices, including the suitability of gifts for different officials, the quality and variety of gifts, their relevance and appropriateness, and how well they accommodate gender and ethnicity;
· A need for extensive knowledge of cultural practices and sensitivities;
· Lack of information about available resources for protocol questions; and
· The ability to recognize the status of distinguished individuals and important relationships in meaningful ways.

Protocol activities demonstrate an understanding and recognition of the procedures, activities and sensitivities of those people with whom we have external relations. The health of these relationships is a key component of promoting the City's interests.

Recommendation #1:

That the City of Vancouver move forward with the creation of an External Relations Program that addresses current needs and upcoming pressures. Its initial mandate would include the relationships and activities affiliated with visit coordination and support, event protocol and related responsibilities, international partnerships, and protocol.

V. DEVELOPING A COURSE OF ACTION

If the City of Vancouver wishes to take advantage of upcoming opportunities, use its resources efficiently, and fulfill its obligations as a public institution and major event host city, it will need to address the pressures forcing changes to accommodate its external relationships and related activities. It will need to outline a program based on an understanding of the benefits of a coordinated approach to external relations.

The role of new external relations program will be twofold. First, it will support and facilitate content based activities that involve specialized staff. Second, it will be the City's lead for protocol issues, activities and protocol related policy. Staff will not replace the participation of department officials that contribute their expertise, but will instead, where appropriate, support and organize their involvement.

In moving forward, the City will need give consideration to:

· The program's objectives;
· The scope of what the program is willing and able to undertake;
· Guidelines for activities and initiatives;
· What resources, in terms of staff, budget, and services, it wishes to commit to its external relationship activities; and
· Where it will house the External Relations Program (ERP) within the administrative structure of the organization.

A. Program Objectives

The creation of an External Relations Program will serve a number of objectives. These include:

· Fulfilling responsibilities of event hosting, official visits and protocol;
· Representing the City of Vancouver during the organization and execution of visits and exchanges;
· Capitalizing on and Creating Opportunities by using the City's strengths and upcoming events to create long-lasting legacies, build capacities, and promote economic, social, and cultural development;
· Creating successful linkages with other cities, institutions, and organizations and between people for best practices sharing, information dissemination and project collaboration;
· Raising the profile of the City of Vancouver as a global citizen and as a place to visit, live, invest in, and interact with, working in collaboration with other civic agencies such as the Vancouver Economic Development Commission;
· Coordinating the efforts of the City by managing the flow of information internally in order to present a common face and to ensure cogent relationship strategies; and
· Using staff time and resources effectively.

The ERP's objectives are sufficiently general to reflect Vancouver's changing role and the variations in responsibility and involvement it will observe in the coming years. As such, any given activity must fulfill some or all of the ERP's objectives.

While the criteria outlined in these objectives are necessary conditions for undertaking an activity or relationship, they do not comprise a sufficient rationale for involvement in every case. Resource limitations dictate that the City must engage selectively and strategically to manage demand and enable opportunities for further growth.

The ERP will, wherever possible and appropriate, formalize the City's understanding of the appropriateness of certain kinds of travel, hosting, visiting and relationships. It will ensure that there are clear guidelines surrounding the City's external activities, and restrict inappropriate use of the banner of the City of Vancouver. It will enshrine the City's commitment to be a global citizen, solidify its reputation as a leading international city, and uphold high standards for its external activities.

B. Scope and Activities of a new External Relations Program (ERP)

Managing the City of Vancouver's external relationships will be a complex and multi-faceted undertaking. A variety of responsibilities, roles, and activities will ensure that the City fulfills its obligations, puts its best face forward and maximizes the benefit that it enjoys as a result of its external relationships.

The first task of ERP staff will be to address the current policy vacuum surrounding external relations activities. This will involve articulating a formal rationale, conducting an exploration of value of external relations activities, and outlining more prescriptive guidelines, procedures and protocols for a number of activities.

Toronto, for example, has produced documents to clarify the municipal government's role, including a protocol reference guide for all staff and Mayor and Council, and an international policy framework, approved by City Council, that includes reporting requirements and accountability mechanisms. Other cities manage their external relationships in a variety of ways. (For examples, please refer to Appendix C.)

The issues surrounding a revised approach to the five types of relationships and in the first category of Vancouver's external relationships can be summarized as follows:

a. Visit Coordination

Both incoming visits and authorized travel could benefit from a more coordinated approach. Providing oversight would maintain clarity around the City's purpose for hosting and travelling, provide understanding of the roles of delegates and officials that participate, coordinate visits and travel through a single person where appropriate, and ensure logistical and information-based support is available when needed.

Logistical and protocol support would include:

· Planning itineraries for both incoming and outgoing delegations;
· Ensuring that proper gifts are presented to visitors and hosts; and
· Providing advice on protocol by paying particular attention to cultural or institutional customs, procedures, and practices.

Information support for visits would involve:

· Coordinating briefings and background materials for political representatives and staff where appropriate;
· Developing corporate materials for presentations and common requests;
· Maintaining a calendar of events going on in the City and the region for reference;
· Providing materials for tours of City Hall or site tours of the City; and
· Acting as an information resource for outside requests by providing fact sheets, accessing/distributing annual reports, and having broad knowledge of the municipal government and its activities.

These coordination and support functions would serve both official delegations and less formal professional courtesies, which can be described as follows:

Official Delegations

Visits from official delegations will become increasingly more common as major events like the World Urban Forum and the 2010 Winter Olympics draw nearer.

These visits share the following characteristics, they:

· Have a specific function or related purpose;
· Establish or continue ongoing relations that result from a formal outcome, such as a Memorandum of Understanding or other kind of agreement;
· Involve high-level officials, such as government leaders, heads of state, ministers, distinguished individuals or the heads of other organizations;
· Include the participation of the Mayor or his delegated representative;
· Often involve an event, such as a reception or dinner, to recognize the visiting individual or group; and
· May be acknowledged publicly with a special mention in a council meeting, or by a press release or press conference.

Professional Courtesies - Visits, Meetings, and Exchanges

Professional Courtesies are less formal. There are two levels of Professional Courtesies that have different needs and organizational requirements.

The first are corporate professional courtesies, which require central coordination, are planned by the City Manager's, City Clerk's or Mayor's offices, and can involve a number of different departments. These might be for groups that express interest in a number of areas of the City's expertise, or in strengths that are specific to a central agency.

The second are departmental professional courtesies, which are specific to a staff member or department and are handled within departments. These are often the result of linkages created through professional associations, issue-specific conferences, or because of a department's or staff member's particular expertise.

Both corporate and departmental professional courtesies may or may not have a formal outcome for the City of Vancouver. They are undertaken recognizing the importance of creating and maintaining strong links to other individuals and organizations. Professional courtesies serve the interests of civic duty, best practices sharing, and information dissemination.

These kinds of visits may involve Mayor and/or Council, but are not necessarily driven by political interest and don't necessarily require the presence of elected officials. Whether or not the City of Vancouver participates in a professional courtesy is discretionary - requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis by senior managers or directors.

Professional courtesies are also short in duration. They may involve just a single meeting, and are usually not recognized by an event or public declaration.

A central coordinator could ensure that due diligence is performed before the City commits to any given request. This may require a "pushback," such as a request for a proposal or statement of intent, a business plan, or a counteroffer in order to vet a visitor's intentions and purpose. Often a simple requirement for any request for the City's services will filter out more questionable demands. For an outline of guidelines and a series of questions that could be used to assess requests, refer to Appendix D.

A point person could also serve an accountability function. The role of the ERP in planning travel will vary, but it could ensure that the City is aware of staff and Council members that travel as representatives of the City. They may submit a proposal requesting funding or be invited at no expense, but if they are travelling in their official capacity, they must be accountable for their purpose and costs.

All Canadian cities participate in both official visits and professional courtesies. For example, the City of Calgary divides responsibility for organizing visits by the type of visiting group. Official delegation visits are coordinated by the Mayor's office, while both corporate and departmental professional courtesies are handled by the relevant departments. The City Clerk's office offers a "tour program" with tours of City Hall, the Municipal Building & Council Chambers provided by trained volunteers.

b. Event Roles and Responsibilities

The City of Vancouver is affected by events in one of two ways. It can be directly involved in the planning and hosting of the event with the support and sanction of City Council for its participation. Or, an outside organization could require assistance from the City for the successful staging of an event. The existing policy is not to provide funding or in-kind services for events that the City is not involved in. However, a variety of different grants help existing and new events. In 2004, Council approved a policy statement in support of celebrations, sporting events and special events:

"Council welcomes celebrations and special events for their contribution in making Vancouver a vibrant City, in reflecting our cultural diversity and neighbourhood character, and for the economic, cultural and recreational benefits they bring to the City. Council supports the facilitation of these events by staff, encourages mitigation of short-term disruptions in neighbourhoods and encourages citizens to welcome these activities and to participate in them."

FEST

The City plays host to approximately 400 events every year, and a quarter of them usually require municipal government services, such as permits, insurance, health board regulation, fire safety, or road closure. (Appendix E contains a sample of annual events.) FEST has a process that facilitates the provision of these services.

FEST is uniquely positioned to successfully manage the City's involvement in events. It brings experience, knowledge and a capacity for successful interdepartmental collaboration. There is also a need to ensure that local and community events are displaced as little as possible, and FEST is the structure best equipped to serve this function.

Major Events

With the coming of events of a larger scale, such as the World Urban Forum and the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will be a change in the way the City handles its role in events. The City must decide how it will build on existing structures to accommodate this new reality, and how it will utilize the event secretariats to fulfill certain roles and requirements once their operations get underway.

From the perspective of the City's external relationships, the responsibilities of external relations staff for upcoming major events will involve:

· Managing multi-layered and complex formal and informal relationships;
· Fulfilling expectations to be accommodating by providing in kind services like security or planning for street closures, and acknowledging senior officials involved with or attending an event;
· Paying attention to protocol, policy, and political sensitivities which will entail managing relationships with partners and event secretariats, ensuring strategic promotion of the City of Vancouver's goals and activities, and being trained and knowledgeable on event protocol;
· Capitalizing on the international focus on the City; and
· Fulfilling associated and peripheral requests, where appropriate.

External Relations staff may also liaise between FEST, major event secretariats and working groups to ensure that the relationships critical to events are maintained, healthy, and promote the City of Vancouver's related objectives.

c. International Partnerships

At the City there is a consensus that it is important that the City of Vancouver take an active role in the world, but that the City's current approach overlooks opportunities for more meaningful exchanges and interaction.

The City has international relationships that vary in character, purpose, and duration. Having the ability to recognize these different partnerships with a clear, articulated understanding of their roles and limitations would serve the City of Vancouver's international relationships and interests well.

A framework for the City's international partnerships could include:

· Signing a Convention of Cooperation where links with other Cities would allow significant advantages for the City on an issue-based, time-limited basis;
· Entering into Economic Co-operation Agreements where opportunities for considerable economic benefit exist;
· Entering into a Sister City Agreement;
· Signing a Friendship Agreement where a Sister City Agreement is unsuitable, but a desire exists to recognize links between two cities; and
· Entering into a Technical Partnership with another City to share a specific area of expertise. This would include international development projects.

Each partnership will have differing goals, criteria, activity levels, time frames, and community involvement. Revising the City's approach to Sister Cities, streamlining its involvement in international development projects, and ensuring that resources are committed in a coordinated and strategic way will also ensure that the City's international partnerships are successful. The issues surrounding two of these relationship types could be described as follows:

Sister City Relationships

The City of Vancouver has five formal Sister City Agreements. These relationships may contain elements of any or all of the first four types of ERP activities. Connections between communities in culture, the arts, and education create important linkages. These often produce economic benefits as a result.

The experience of Seattle's Sister City program offers advice about different ways to approach Sister City Agreements. Seattle maintains twenty Sister City relationships that are community driven by Sister City Associations. They have established strict criteria for participation including governance and membership requirements, fiscal planning and minimum activity requirements.

Sister City Associations use creative arrangements, including membership, corporate sponsorship, grants, individual donations, a joint annual gala, fund-raising activities; and a small yearly contribution from the City of Seattle for administration costs. Further, Seattle has a number of low-cost activities that sustain relationships and connections when funding sources are less available, such as exchanging "State of the City" letters between the two mayors, sending annual reports and city plans, and exchanging children's artwork.

The results of their Sister Cities program have included some of their Sister Cities deciding to open up trade offices in Seattle and medium term staff exchanges for development projects that were funded by outside organizations.

Revising Vancouver's Sister Cities program will require many changes, including appropriate barriers to entry and mechanisms that ensure that relationships are worthwhile. While political involvement may stimulate interest in the community, it would not be required, or even advisable, in all cases and for all activities.

A new approach to Sister Cities could involve the City acting as a broker for community based associations. These associations could lead Sister City activities, which would be facilitated by the municipal government, who would maintain a formal agreement with the sistering city. Access to Council or funding would be handled by the ERP, who would report to Council as necessary on their behalf.

Vancouver's existing Sister Cities could remain dormant unless they initiate contact with us - at which time the relationship can be re-evaluated and either folded into the new program's parameters, or redefined as a "Sister City Emeritus."

It will also be important in the selection of Sister Cities that the City observe considerations like balanced geographical distribution around the world and respecting geopolitical sensitivities such as conflict and Canadian foreign policy.

International Development Projects

The City also participates in projects with municipal governments abroad. These projects share information about an innovative program or a specific area of expertise. The City collaborates with another partnering organization, such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Institute of Public Administration, the World Bank or the Canadian International Development Agency. Funding does not cover staff time, incidental expenses, and some operational costs.

An ERP staff person could streamline the City's involvement in these projects, and provide logistical and informational support, as many of them also involve receiving visitors or sending small delegations abroad.

d. Protocol Responsibilities

Ranging from procedures for specific ceremonies, to advice regarding the sensitivities of particular situations, protocol responsibilities represent the City's commitment to recognizing the importance of individuals and groups, its awareness of procedure and cultural practices both at home and abroad, and the need to represent the City of Vancouver in appropriate ways. A staff member responsible for protocol would serve to represent the City externally, and act as a single access point for protocol concerns and questions.

Protocol activities would involve:

· Developing Protocol Practices and Standards including an Order of Precedence, procedures for hosting, accepting and refusing invitations, maintaining levels of sophistication around activities and relationships and monitoring cultural sensitivities.
· Supporting Visits and Travel in various capacities, which could require handling the pure protocol of greetings and ceremonies, doing advance work with protocol contacts in partnering delegations, managing logistics such as itinerary planning, travel, accommodation, menus, entertainment, and providing operational support to the Mayor, Council and staff on their visits.
· Organizing Functions to recognize significant dates, visitors, and other distinguished individuals, with a keen awareness of the sensitivities surrounding these kinds of events.
· Gifts and Gift Exchanges, which will require guidelines around what level of official receives which kind of gift alongside an understanding of the customs and practices of gift giving in other cultures and for particular individuals, such as the Lieutenant Governor or a Head of State.
· Flag Raising for charity organizations, deaths, events, visitors, etc., which will involve executing existing policy and ensuring representation at various sites across Vancouver.
· Proclamations, Ceremonies and Awards to commemorate important dates and individuals, and to provide meaningful recognition where regular gifts seem inadequate. This may involve reviving the ability to give the Key to the City.

Relationships that are integral to successful protocol activities include:

· Links to Municipal, Provincial and Federal Protocol officials who have the capacity to act as resources for protocol related issues;
· Internal Coordination across the City of Vancouver, which will require a knowledge of Council, City departments, staff, and initiatives, and will involve ensuring that information on protocol issues is available to Council and staff;
· Ties with Embassies and Consulates, both because of City business that creates contact and other ongoing relationships; and
· Connections with Protocol Staff of incoming or outgoing delegations.

Other Canadian cities approach protocol in a variety of ways. The City of Toronto, for example, has an Office of Protocol with 12 staff members. Their responsibilities include organizing and managing ceremonial events, visits, courtesy calls, study tours for dignitaries and delegations, corporate awards and recognition, donations of official gifts, protocol advice, flag raisings, and conference and seminar coordination. They also issue proclamations, celebratory scrolls and letters of greeting on behalf of the Mayor and City Council. They are mandated to assist in profiling the City of Toronto in a politically sensitive and positive manner.

There are other models as well. The City of Montreal has a Protocol Secretary in the Mayor's office. Calgary shares protocol duties between two people, as international issues are dealt with by the Executive Assistant to the Mayor for Economic Development and International Relations, and the Coordinator of Citizen Recognitions & Protocol in the City Clerk's office deals with domestic functions and responsibilities.

Recommendation #2

That the ERP create a framework for the City's international partnerships, including Sister City agreements, international development projects, and other links and activities with cities around the world.

C. Principles and Guidelines of an External Relations Program

Broad guidelines will ensure that the City of Vancouver treats all the activities and relationships related to external relations consistently and that the City fulfills its responsibilities to the best of its ability.

The new ERP will be a formal recognition of the importance of being active in the world. Council and staff function as representatives on behalf of the City; their involvement demonstrates the City of Vancouver's commitment to certain principles, issues, and initiatives. It is important, then, that an understanding of the implications of accepting and extending invitations be incorporated into decisions about which ERP activities to support, as this support can have political and financial implications.

Whenever possible, activities should be consistent with the mission, goals, and operating principles of the City of Vancouver. They should also reflect the jurisdiction of the municipal government.

Further, the values associated with civil service should underscore the City of Vancouver's involvement. Certain activities, such as best practices sharing and information exchanges may not accrue direct economic benefit, but they are the City's involvement in the development and sharing of ideas and information. The municipal government has a responsibility to serve the electorate and contribute to the public good. Civic duties at home need to be balanced with responsibility to represent the City to others and in other places.

Any decision to undertake an external relations activity must be based on an assessment of its potential benefits weighed against its potential cost. In more than just financial terms, this represents a broad understanding of the important function that external relations activities serve. It also respects that resource limitations require engagement to be strategic, selective, and coordinated.

D. Resources

A concerted effort to change the City's approach to external relations will require adequate support, and this support will likely have implication for the City's operating budget. A new External Relations Program's predominant resource requirements will be new staff, with modest requirements for direct funding and in-kind services.

Staff

Determining the staffing needs and appropriate levels of new positions will depend on a number of considerations, such as:

· Having a staff member who is senior enough to act on behalf of the City with other governments, agencies and officials;
· Ensuring a broad knowledge of the City of Vancouver's activities and of the government sector generally;
· Maintaining sophisticated levels of tact and political savvy;
· Being able to cultivate important strategic relationships;
· The capacity to assess whether or not an activity should be undertaken;
· The ability to uphold operational standards for both Council and the bureaucracy; and
· Sustaining high levels of precision and organization to ensure smooth operations and activities.

The roles and tasks associated with the ERP's activities can therefore be separated into two general areas:

· Oversight, external representation, policy and guideline creation for matters of protocol, strategic planning; and
· Logistics, coordination, administration, organization and information.

These two tracks require distinct skill sets and both require significant effort if the ERP is to be successful. Because of this separation, it may prove difficult to find a single person capable of fulfilling all the requirements associated with the City's external relations. It is therefore advisable to create two positions. (Potential job descriptions of the two positions are attached as Appendix F.)

Recommendation #3

That two new positions be created: a Director of External Relations, and an External Relations Coordinator.

Budget Implications

Additional funding will also be required to support the following activities:

· Hosting and Events
· Gifts and gift exchanges
· Communications materials
· Administrative costs
· Travel, where required

This support may come from the operating budget or from special event funds from the Mayor's office. It may also come from other innovative funding arrangements, such as cost sharing/pooling between departments, or community fundraising for the Sister City program.

In Kind Services

ERP activities are likely to involve the time and services of other parts of the organization. In kind provisions are particularly relevant for activities that consume staff time, such as visits, events and project collaboration.

Recommendation #4

That City Council authorize an appropriate level of operational funding to support the activities of the External Relations Program;

V. Organizational Options

The decision to formalize an ERP will involve a need to determine the most appropriate location within the City organization to house any new staff members. A number of different options exist, depending on how City Council envisions the new program.

Organizational Options for an External Relations Program
Option	Benefits	Drawbacks
Status Quo	· No new resources required	· does not address pressures for change, including preparation for future events · damage to profile and reputation · forgone economic benefit · increased burden on staff · increased risk of embarrassment · missed opportunity
Mayor's Office (MO)	· close connection to interests of City Council · access to elected representatives of external relations partners	· inability to serve both bureaucracy and Council · limited stability and continuity
City Clerk's Office (CCO)	· corporate department with links and access to all areas of COV · capacity for protocol · already handles some existing external relations activities, i.e. visits, professional courtesies, protocol activities, Sister City relationships · close links with both Council and bureaucracy · ability to manage information flow and reporting structures across organization · close link to CMO allows for oversight and link to strategic directions
City Manager's Office (CMO)	· corporate department with links and access to all areas of COV · already handles some external relations activities, i.e. visits, travel, projects, major events · link between Council and Bureaucracy · strong oversight capacity · ability to manage information flow and reporting structures	· office is modelled as a small city CMO that may not wish to house additional staff

Recommendation #5:

That new staff positions be placed in the City Clerk's Department to ensure broad oversight, functional reporting structures, and service to all areas of the municipal government.

VI. IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

Changing resource needs over time

Substantial experience among staff members indicates that the City needs to revise the management of its external relations, despite the absence of quantitative data outlining staff time or funds spent on external relations activities. However, this makes it difficult to assess what is needed to manage the extent of the City's involvement. As upcoming major events draw nearer, the City and ERP staff may require additional support. If the City proceeds with the second category of relationships, the program's needs will change yet again. The ERP should maintain a degree of flexibility to accommodate these possible changes.

Reporting Structure and Information flow

The present ad hoc management of the City's external relations means that there are only informal relationships between departments and that information is often not shared. It will therefore take time for the organization to adjust to a more streamlined approach.

Having ERP staff report directly to the City Clerk's Department will ensure that the flow of information to ERP staff will be as comprehensive and smooth as possible. The External Relations Steering Committee should continue to provide oversight and guidance on an as-needed basis.

Performance Standards

The activities of the External Relations Program, while integral to a number of the City of Vancouver's objectives, are difficult to assess in quantifiable terms. That is to say that the benefits the City will accrue are not necessarily measurable in economic terms, and any assessment of the program's success is likely to be subjective and qualitative. Therefore, it will be important that the ERP steering committee and City Council review the program's status and accomplishments at regular intervals.

Recommendation # 6:

That a program review of the External Relations Program be conducted after a period of one year, and a report to City Council be submitted that includes:

a. Information on relevant implementation issues
b. A summary of its activities and successes
c. Any relevant challenges and obstacles encountered
d. An assessment of its resource needs based on activity levels
e. A description of its reporting relations within the City and with external groups, organizations and institutions;
The Second Category of External Relationships

The City may wish to review the second category of external relationships, which includes intergovernmental affairs, inter-municipal affiliations, and regional/community agencies, associations, and organizations.

Potential benefits of centrally coordinating the management of these relationships include:

· Developing a corporate strategy to ensure collective pursuit of common policy objectives and more effective promotion of the City's interests with relationship partners;
· Coordinating activities for projects involving other levels of government, including logistics associated with meetings, visits, and correspondence
· Acting as a Single Access Point for inquiries from other levels of government and outside institutions
· Providing protocol advice on the sensitivities surrounding jurisdictional considerations, due process, political sensitivities, etc.
· Information and logistical support, such as briefing notes and preparatory research for meetings and negotiations
· Tracking current events and developments of other levels of government on issues relevant to the City of Vancouver's interests, objectives, and concerns.
· Broad oversight to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the scope and nature of the City's relationships with outside Governments, Associations, Institutions and Organizations;
· Improved information flow between departments and officials;

Recommendation #7:

That the Steering Committee assess whether to proceed with a study of the second category of external relations, which includes intergovernmental affairs, inter-municipal affiliations, and regional/community agencies, associations, and organizations.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations for the ongoing management of external relations include the following:

1. That the City of Vancouver move forward with the creation of an External Relations Program that addresses current needs and upcoming pressures. Its initial mandate would include the relationships and activities affiliated with visit coordination and support, event responsibilities and protocols, international partnerships, and protocol responsibilities;

2. That the ERP create a framework for the City's international partnerships, including Sister City agreements, international development projects and other links and activities with cities around the world;

3. That two new positions be created: a Director of External Relations and an External Relations Coordinator;

4. That City Council to authorize an appropriate level of operational funding to support the activities of the ERP;

5. That the ERP be placed in the City Clerk's department to ensure broad oversight, functional reporting structures, protocol capacity and service to all areas of the municipal government;

6. That a program review of the External Relations Program be conducted after a period of one year, and a report to City Council be submitted that includes:

a. Information on relevant implementation issues
b. A summary of its activities and successes
c. Any relevant challenges and obstacles encountered
d. An assessment of its resource needs based on activity levels
e. A description of its reporting relations within the City and with external groups, organizations and institutions; and

7. That the Steering Committee assess whether to proceed with a study of the second category of external relations, which includes intergovernmental affairs, inter-municipal affiliations, and regional/community agencies, associations, and organizations.

Appendix A - City of Vancouver External Relations Categories

Category	A	B
Characteristics	Logistical, information-based, protocol oriented Less direct relationships with the policy environment Centrally coordinated/housed initiatives May be one-off or limited time-frame relationships	Content or policy-based, advocacy, expertise oriented More direct relationship with the policy environment May require coordination across the City of Vancouver Ongoing
Relationships and Activities	Visit Coordination (both incoming and outgoing) official delegations, including Council travel Professional Courtesies Information sharing and exchanges City hall and site Tours Event protocol and related Responsibilities, including: World Urban Forum 2010 Winter Olympics International Relationships International Agreements, including Sister Cities International Development Projects Protocol Responsibilities support for visits, travel, and protocol functions proclamations, awards, flag raising, gift exchanges	Intergovernmental Affairs Federal/Provincial Relations `New Deal' negotiations, Legacy 2010, etc. Vancouver Agreement GVRD and Translink Neighbouring Municipalities e.g. Electoral Area `A', Richmond, Burnaby Inter-municipal Associations FCM, UBCM International Organizations Regional and Community Agencies, Organizations, Associations, and Institutions e.g. Vancouver Board of Trade, Universities, etc.
Financial Implications	Within current staffing load (once ERP is established) Direct funding or in-kind services May involve special event funds from Mayor's office May have implications for the Operating Budget	Staff assigned directly to these particular functions May require modest operating/travel budget

Appendix B
Examples of Upcoming Major Events and Meetings
Vancouver 2005 - 2010

Date	Event/Meeting	Attendance	Venue(s)
2005
2005/03/10 - 2005/03/12	Association of Dental Surgeons of BC Annual Meeting	3000
2005/08/15 - 2005/08/17	Canadian Bar Association Annual Meeting	1200
2005/09/08 - 2005/09/11	Bell Canadian Open Golf Tournament		Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club
2005/09/28 - 2005/10/01	Union of BC Municipalities Annual Meeting	1600
2005/10/07 - 2005/10/09	PEO Sisterhood Biennial Conference	3500
2005/11/26 - 2005/11/27	CFL Grey Cup Game	60,000	BC Place
2005/12/26 - 2006/01/05	World Junior Hockey Championship	150,000	GM Place, PNE Coliseum
2006
2006 - TBD	UN HABITAT World Urban Forum
2006/08/15 - 2006/08/17	Canadian Auto Workers CAW Constitution	1500
2006/08/17 - 2005/08/20	Pan Pacific Swimming Championships		University of British Columbia
2007
2007/04/15 - 2007/04/20	World Conference for Physical Therapy World Congress	3000
2007/09/19 - 2007/09/22	American Association of Bovine Practitioners Annual Meeting	2500
2008
2008/01/01 - 2009/01/06	Various Test Events for the Winter Olympics		Olympic Venues
2008/03/23 - 2008/03/30	Society for American Archaeology Annual Conference	3200
2008/04/09 - 2008/04/12	American Association of Endodontics Annual Meeting	3800
2009/05/17 - 2009/05/22	American Society of Neuroradiology Annual Meeting	2100
2009
2009/07/31 - 2009/08/09	World Police and Fire Games	12 000	TBD
2010
2010/02/11 - 2010/02/28	XXI Winter Olympic Games	20 000 participants +	Whistler/Blackcomb
		2.3 million attendees	Whistler Nordic Centre
			Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park
			Cypress Ski Hill
			GM Place
			UBC Ice Facility
			Pacific Coliseum
			Simon Fraser University
2010/03/05 - 2010/03/14	X Paralympic Winter Games		Whistler/Blackcomb
			Whistler Nordic Centre
			Meadow Park Sports Centre, Whistler
			The Entertainment Complex, Whistler

Appendix C
External Relations in other Canadian Cities

City Relationship Type	Calgary	Toronto
Visit Coordination	Official Delegations handled by the Mayor's Office Professional Courtesies handled both at a departmental and corporate level City Clerk's offers a "tour program" with tours of City Hall, Municipal Building & Council Chambers - provided by trained volunteers	See above Policy and Finance Committee (11 members of City Council) provide guidance for corporate international activities
Events	For the 1988 Olympics, created an Olympic Liaison Director who oversaw Olympic preparation across numerous departments Staff were seconded for Olympic preparation from Security, Engineering, Transportation, Emergency Medical Services, Infrastructure, Public Works, community involvement.	large events, such as World Youth Day, the Rolling Stones, create need for coordination with a number of organizations and agencies Secretariats usually housed in Economic Development Office Key people from the community that have roles for large events meet on a regular basis to streamline coordination ex. Health authority, transit commission, security and emergency services, etc.
Protocol	Executive Assistant to the Mayor - Economic Development and International Relations handles official delegations, int'l visits and gift exchanges Coordinator of Citizen Recognitions & Protocol in City Clerk's office deals with domestic protocol functions and responsibilities	Protocol Office for Toronto has twelve staff members - responsibility includes organizing and managing ceremonial events, visits, courtesy calls, study tours for dignitaries, corporate awards and recognition, donations of official gifts, protocol advice, flag raisings, and conference and seminar coordination The office also issues proclamations, celebratory scrolls and letters of greeting on behalf of the Mayor and City Council Mandate is to assist in profiling the City of Toronto in a politically sensitive and positive manner

Sister Cities and International Activities

Handled jointly by the Mayor's Executive Assistant - Economic Development and International Relations and the Calgary Economic Development Office's Calgary Sister Cities Commission Commission is mandated through council resolution (C2002-36) from April 29,2002 terms of reference are to coordinate the activities of the individual Sister city Committees, provide a forum for information exchange and further develop the general policies for sister city relationships Commission composition includes an Alderman and the International Affairs Liaison (Mayor's Office) Active Program whose mission is to facilitate economic development, foster educational linkages, increase global cooperation and promote cultural understanding Includes a Youth Ambassador Exchange Program (current) that sends two high school students to a sister city for a 2 week stay Sister Cities are: Daqing, China Naucalpan, Mexico Jaipur, India Daejeon, South Korea Quebec City, Canada Phoenix, USA

Housed in the Economic Development Office Sister Cities are: Chicago, USA Indianapolis, USA Chongqing, China Has a variety of other kids of agreements, including: Friendship Agreements with Haifa, Israel Chnkaya-Ankara, Turkey Sagamihara, Japan Warsaw, Poland Frankfurt, Germany Shenyang, China Wuxi, China Xiamen, China Thessaloniki, Greece Cassino, Italy Terracina, Italy Lisbon, Portugal Volgograd, Russia Kiev, Ukraine Economic Co-operation Agreements with: Tianjin, China Merignac, France Twinning Agreements with Amsterdam, Netherlands Tripolis, Greece Skopje, Macedonia Wroclaw, Poland International Alliance with Milan, Italy Fraternization Agreement with Florina, Greece Informal Partnership with Aquila, Italy Cultural Exchange with Tatsunokuchi, Japan

Appendix D
Interim External Relations Guidelines

One of the initial tasks of External Relations Staff will be to develop corporate guidelines and practices around how the City treats requests to host visits from incoming groups. However, it may be a number of months before the ERP is operational, and in the interim, the City continues to receive a multitude of requests for a variety of reasons.

The questions, information and diagram below suggest a line of inquiry useful to determining a course of action for professional courtesies and other visit requests. They also suggests possible vetting practices to ensure that the City maximizes the benefit of these activities, upholds a commitment to best practices sharing, uses staff time and resources effectively, and seeks to understand, insofar as possible, the intention and specific objectives of incoming visitors. A useful line of inquiry could include the following:

What is the nature of the request?

· Is it initiating a visit from an official delegation?

o Refer to criteria for official delegations (pp. 12-13)
o Official delegation visits would be planned through the Mayor's and City Manager's offices.

· Is it a professional courtesy?

o Departmental Professional courtesies are often handled in departments and are undertaken at the discretion of senior managers.
o Corporate Professional courtesies require central coordination and the participation of multiple departments.

Is the request legitimate?

· Is the visit part of the official business of the sponsor government or organization?
· Do they require a letter of invitation from the City?

o The City does not issue invitations, often used to obtain travel visas, except in exceptional circumstances, such as a project of exceptional interest to the City.
o Instead, the City requires an official request from the sponsoring government or organization.

· Is there commercial or financial gain involved in the visit?

o Tour companies who approach the City to solicit educational or related components into vacations are generally not accommodated by the City.
o Some countries offer tax breaks for education or business related travel. Information sessions fulfill this requirement and requests for information sessions therefore must be vetted to ensure a legitimate professional purpose.
o Foreign delegations sometimes hire consulting firms to act on their behalf. While these intermediaries assist in mitigating any communication and cultural/protocol issues, official documentation from the sponsoring government or organization requesting the visit is still required.

What is the group asking for? Can the City accommodate?

· Is the request on specific subject matter?

o Is the group able to outline specific objectives for the meeting? Usually requesting a clear purpose differentiates those visiting for legitimate professional reasons from those travelling under the auspices of official business.

· What Staff time and resources would be required? Can the City accommodate them?

o Is there staff available to accommodate the request?
o Planning and executing professional courtesies can become burdensome. Should the City realistically commit the requested staff time to this group?
o Incoming visitors consistently request meetings with high-level staff. Is it possible to have other staff accommodate the request without being disrespectful to the visitor(s)?

· Is the request directly related to the work of the City of Vancouver?

o Can the City's input be useful in meeting the group's objectives? Is the request concerning an area of City of Vancouver expertise?

Is there a benefit to the City?

· Is there potential for useful, future collaboration with the visitor(s)?
· Is developing contact with the group potentially or strategically beneficial?
· Is the group willing to offer an exchange of information? Learning about the initiatives and practices of other municipalities can be beneficial for City officials.

Would the City benefit from asking for additional information from the visitor(s)?

· If the above line of questioning still does not clarify the legitimacy, requirements, and a group's intent for a requested visit, a simple request for a meeting proposal or additional information may be helpful.
· This request would be directly related to the aforementioned questions; it would seek information about the sponsor government or organization, the nature of their business, the objectives and needs of visitors, and their willingness to share information with the City.
· Framed tactfully, this proposal would both clarify what the visitors seek from the City, and filter any visit requested for more questionable reasons.
· In most cases, a "pushback" will be the most effective mechanism to ensure that requests are accommodated or refused appropriately.

Interim Guidelines for Requests to Host Visitors

Appendix E
Annual Major Events in Vancouver

Date	Event	Attendance	Venue/Site
January 1	English Bay Polar Bear Swim	~ 1500 swimmers	English Bay
Late January - early February	Chinese New Year		Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden, Chinatown
Early February	Pacific Road Runners First Half - Half Marathon	~2000 Runners	English Bay and Stanley Park Seawall
March	Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival	20,000	Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre
Mid March	One Week CelticFest and St. Patrick's Day Parade	Parade - 15,000-20,000	Downtown/ Granville Street
Mid April	Vancouver Sun Run	50,000	Downtown/6th Ave to BC Place
Mid April	Khalsa Diwan Society Vaisakhi Parade	50,000	Southeast Marine Drive, Main Street, 49th Street, Fraser Street
Late April	Kerrisdale Carnival Days	n/a	Kerrisdale
Early May	Vancouver International Marathon	12,000	Vancouver
Late May	Children's Festival	53,000	Vanier Park
Late May	International Candlelight Memorial	1500	Alexandra Park
Late May	Aga Khan Foundation Partnership Walk and BBQ	n/a	Stanley Park/ Lumberman's Arch
May	Vancouver Jewish Film Festival	n/a	Pacific Cinematheque and the Norman Rothstein Theatre
May	New Play Festival	n/a	Granville Island
Mother's Day	Pacific Spirit Run	2,500	Pacific Spirit Park
June- September	Bard on the Beach	80,000	Vanier Park
June	City Fest Multicultural Festival	n/a	Hastings Park
Mid June	VanDusen Garden Show	n/a	VanDusen Garden
Mid June	Alcan Dragon Boat Festival	100,000	Concord Pacific Place, Science World, Creekside Park
Mid June	PACIFIC Rim Kite Flying Festival	n/a	Vanier Park
Mid-Late June	Festival d'ete Fancophone	n/a	Various Sites
June 21	National Aboriginal Day Community Celebration	n/a	Trout Lake Community Centre
Late June	Scotia Bank ½ Marathon	3,600	Stanley Park/ Downtown
Late June - Early July	TD Canada Trust Internaional Jazz Festival	460,000	Various Sites
July 1	Canada Day Celebration	n/a	Canada Place Granville Island Grouse Mountain Coal Harbour C.C. Hastings C.C.
July	Stanley park Open Tennis Tournament	n/a	Stanley Park Tennis Courts
July-August	Theatre Under the Stars	n/a	Malkin Bowl at Stanley Park
Early July	Greek Summer Festival	n/a	Kitsilano
Early July	Dancing on the Edge Dance Festival	n/a	Firehall Arts Centre
Mid-July	Vancouver Folk Music Festival	30,000	Jericho Beach Park
Mid July	SUCCESS Walk with the Dragon	10,000-12,000	Lumbermen's Arch, Stanley Park
Late July	Molson Indy	160,000	Creekside Park
Late July	Illuminares Lantern Festival	20,000	Trout Lake
Late July	Powell Street Festival	n/a	Oppenheimer Park
Late July - Early August	Celebration of Light	1.4 million	English Bay
Late July - Early August	Vancouver Chamber Music Festival	n/a	Crofton House School, UBC
Late July - Early August	Vancouver International Comedy Festival	n/a	Granville Island
Late July - Early August	Vancouver Gay Pride Parade and Festival	n/a	Various Sites, Beach Avenue, Sunset Beach Park
Late July - Early August	Vancouver Early Music Festival	n/a	UBC
August	Festival Vancouver	16,000	Various Venues
August	Vancouver Queer Film and Video Festival	8,000	Various Venues
August	Pacific National Exhibition	+ 1 million	Hastings Park
August	Iskcon Parade & Festival of India	10,000	Ceperly Park and Beach Avenue
August	Wooden Boat Festival	n/a	Granville Island
September	Vancouver Triathlon	600	Stanley Park
September	Terry Fox Run	1,500	Stanley Park
September	The Fringe - Vancouver's Theatre Festival	n/a	Various Locations
Late September	Vancouver International Film Festival	150,000	Various Locations
Late September - Early October	Mid-Autumn Moon Festival	n/a	Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden
October	Vancouver International Writer's Festival	n/a	Granville Island
Early October	CIBC Run for the Cure	n/a	n/a
Late October	Parade of Lost Souls	15,000	Grandview Park
November 11	Remembrance Day Services	n/a	Various Sites
November	New Music West Festival	Features 250+ bands	Over 25 venues
December	Christmas Carol Ship Parade	n/a	English Bay
December	Festival of Lights	n/a	VanDusen Botanical Garden
December 22	Winter Solstice Lantern Procession	n/a	David Lam Park
December 31	First Night Vancouver	n/a	Granville Island

Appendix F
Potential Job Descriptions for External Relations Staff

I. Director of External Relations

Major Responsibilities:

Have responsibility for, and provide leadership in the operation of the City's External Relations Program, including functions, visits and travel, event-related formalities, certain areas of project collaboration and international partnerships. Works to effectively promote a positive profile for the City in the local, regional, national and international community.

Specifically:

(i.) Directing all aspects of the City of Vancouver's external relations program, including the City's protocol needs, the production and management of civic and hospitality events, official visits, corporate professional courtesies, event related responsibilities, project coordination and support for international partnerships.

(ii.) Formulating and implementing corporate policies, standards, and procedures on all matters of related to the mandate of the City's External Relations Program.

(iii.) Providing professional, sophisticated, and effective protocol advice to the Mayor, Members of Council, and City departments, agencies, boards and commissions, particularly on issues of political and cultural sensitivity

(iv.) Liaising and Coordinating with Mayor and Council, City officials and external stakeholders and organizations on matters related to the City's external relations

(v.) Overseeing the communications component of external relations events and working in consultation with the corporate communications department on communications related issues

(vi.) Designing and implementing complex protocol external relations activities such as ceremonies, international visits, and major event protocol oversight, including the preparation and monitoring of the budget assigned to the event/activity and liaising with all relevant stakeholders.

(vii.) Establishing and maintaining key contacts with other governments, agencies, boards and commissions on the local, national and international level.

(viii.) Demonstrating commitment to the organizational values and principles and have the ability to forge effective partnerships with various stakeholders.

(ix.) Developing the program budget and being accountable for the annual budget for the External relations program.

(x.) Developing and implementing program performance measurements.

Qualifications:

1. An action-oriented, dynamic and strong leader with well developed human relations skills and an exceptional ability to communicate, negotiate persuasively and effectively, and forge solid internal and external relations
2. An effective decision-maker with a track record demonstrating innovation and results-oriented leadership, the ability to promote and foster teamwork, and establish and operate in an environment which strives for excellence
3. A thorough understanding of matters of protocol and public relations, international relations, and related issues, and have demonstrated the ability to represent the City professionally.
4. Broad management skills gained through several years of progressively responsible positions in protocol or public relations.
5. Experience in developing and executing matters of protocol or public relations
6. Excellent knowledge of protocol or public relations issues on a municipal, provincial, national and international level.
7. Demonstrated success in situations requiring a high degree of tact, sound judgement and sensitivity in dealing with political and protocol-oriented relations.
8. A creative problem solver with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
9. Proven team player with an ability to work independently.

II. External Relations Coordinator

Major Responsibilities:

Coordinate and support the operation of the City's External Relations Program, including protocol functions, visits and travel, event-related formalities, certain areas of project collaboration and international partnerships.

Specifically:

(i.) Coordinating the delivery and administration of the City of Vancouver's External Relations program, including the City's protocol functions, the production of civic and hospitality events, ceremonial events, official visits and corporate professional courtesies, and support for international partnerships.

(ii.) Providing input to the director of External Relations on strategic planning related to the City's external relations

(iii.) Liaising and Coordinating with Mayor and Council, City officials and external stakeholders and organizations on matters related to the City's external relations.

(iv.) Designing and implementation various protocol events and external relations activities and provide input to the Director of External Relations on complex protocol events.

(v.) Researching, preparing and distributing background materials on individuals, cities and countries and other resource materials for visits, ceremonies, and protocol events.

(vi.) Performing varied administrative duties involving the operation of the External Relations Program including:

· Prepares reports and correspondence relevant to the work of the External Relations Program
· Establishes and maintains contacts pertinent to the External Relations Office
· Handles enquiries and requests from all levels of staff, other government agencies, elected officials and members of the public
· Maintains statistical information on all activities of the Protocol Office
· Maintains the inventory of protocol presentation items and official gifts
· Sources new suppliers of presentation items and official gifts
· Processes gift/stock requests from Members of Council, senior staff and the public

(vi.) Monitoring current civic issues, organizes and maintains information files on civic services, issues and activities.

(vii.) Attending and assisting at External Relations functions, which includes liaising with delegations and visitors.

Qualifications

1. Experience in developing and executing matters of protocol or public relations.
1. Working Knowledge of protocol matters in a government environment.
2. A thorough understanding of municipal government and Council proceedings.
3. A working knowledge of current political issues.
4. Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to meet and interact with staff, Councillors, the public and representatives from external agencies and organizations in an efficient, diplomatic matter.
5. Demonstrated success in situations requiring a high degree of tact, sound judgement and sensitivity in dealing with political and protocol-oriented relations.
6. A creative problem solver with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
7. Proven team player with an ability to work independently.
8. Ability to work under pressure and within tight deadlines.
9. Experience in research, writing, editing and proof reading.
10. Considerable administrative experience.
11. Working knowledge in various software applications, i.e. Microsoft Office Suite, data base, Excel, etc. Functions required: proficient in merging letters, creating charts/tables, formatting documents, spreadsheets and labels.

Comments or questions? Send us e-mail at info@city.vancouver.bc.ca
© 2002 City of Vancouver