Rebuilding consensus: new governance model for CIP

NRU
Nov. 25, 2015
By Geordie Gordon

The Canadian Institute of Planners board of directors has selected a new governance model for members to consider in a March 2016 vote. The model is intended to reflect CIP’s renewed emphasis on being a member-focused organization.

If adopted members would vote for all positions on the board based on regional representation although there would be no Provincial and Territorial Institutes and Associations representatives on the board.

The regional representation model is a modified version of a governance model put forward by the FutureFORWARD Task Force, which was established to identify governance options to sustain CIP after the organization of organizations model was not supported at the June CIP AGM.

In its regional representation model CIP proposes that all members be eligible to vote for all 13 board members using the following template: One director is to be elected from each of seven geographical regions - Region 1 (BC and YT), Region 2 (AB, NT, NU), Region 3 (SK), Region 4 (MB), Region 5 (ON), Region 6 (QC) and from each of the Association of Canadian Urban Planning Programs, College of Fellows and student members. Three directors are to be elected at large. Following the election the president and vice-president are to be appointed by the newly elected board of directors from among its members.

FutureFORWARD task force co-chair and Prairie Wild Consulting co-founder Kelley Moore told NRU that while the membership wants more elected representatives on council, there are still some questions that remain about the details of the regional model.

“This [composite] model [recommended by the task force] helped us to bridge between the pure organization of organization model and a more representative model and that more democratic approach...And that [is] really [what] members were asking for, they want more elected representatives on council.” she said. “We also need to do some further work to find out what this is going to look like in terms of how [CIP] defines representation. It’s outlined, but we don’t have a sense of what the details of it looks like...There’s questions that come any time there’s a big change like this.”

Task for co-chair and Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat told NRU that the at-large representation is important for making the board members more visible and accountable to members.

“I feel pretty passionately about the importance of having council members who are elected at large as a form of accountability...I think if you have at-large council members, in order to be rewarded with one of those positions, you would need to do some heavy lifting on some committees, you would need to have a presence at conferences, you would need to be writing, people would know who you are and as result, know what you’re adding to the organization,” she said.

CIP president Hazel Christy told NRU that while the task force report contains almost 40 recommendations, CIP council was most concerned with the governance recommendations.

“The most important [recommendation] is about governance model that is what we were really wanting to see from the task force...that’s what we were really keen to see and to discuss with the task force, on how they came to that and why,” she said “When the board looked at [the regional representation model], we thought, well, let’s go there now. We don’t want to do something that is an interim, we realise the effort and the uncertainty we’ve already gone through, [so we thought] the regional model, let’s go there now.”

OPPI president Andrea Bourrie told NRU that the regional representation model represents a good way forward for CIP, and one that is likely to resonate with the CIP membership.

“I think there needed to be change, status quo is not an option, so this is a good path forward. They will show relevance to the membership, and the membership will respond,” she said.

Huron County planning and development director and OPPI representative on the CIP board Scott Tousaw told NRU that the proposed governance model, by focusing on members, will help to ensure the long-term sustainability of CIP.

“[The task force co-chairs] really heard strongly from the members that they wanted a member-based organization...That speaks to the long-term sustainability [of CIP]. CIP can provide member services that are valued and appreciated by members, and thereby maintain membership over the long term,” he said.

While establishing a governance model is an important first step for the longer term sustainability of CIP, Keesmaat warns that there are many factors to consider as the organization moves forward.

“The reality is long-term sustainability is not something that is certain...I think we’ve taken a step towards sustainability, but there are many, many pieces that need to come together, including the new fee model, to actually deliver on it.”

CIP plans to circulate to PTIAs and members a draft corporate by-law, as well as policies and procedures, in advance of an electronic vote of the membership in March 2016.