GFOABC ONLINE FORUMS

AS A GFOABC MEMBER, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL IS OUR ONLINE FORUM.

Through the Online Forum, local government finance professionals can access an archive of information going back to 2016, ask or answer questions to and from fellow finance professionals, and share pertinent documents. We will be reaching out to GFOABC members who have made visiting and engaging with the forum a part of their day-to-day and will be sharing their takes over the course of the next four newsletters.

This quarter, we have Kim Kenward Municipal Collector for the Township of Langley.

Here are her answers to a few of our questions:

WHY DO YOU COME TO THE FORUM?

That’s a simple answer: To get answers. My thought process is why reinvent the wheel when someone may have already come up with a solution? But on a more serious note, it is a great way to gather knowledge. As a new Municipal Collector, the forum is a wealth of knowledge from all over the province. It helps build my confidence to be able to ask my peers questions on unique circumstances that only municipal government employees deal with. A lot of our processes are annual occurrences so being able to rely on each other for help is fantastic. Being able to reach various contacts through the province at your fingertips is so beneficial, as you can see different perspectives on how things are done from small villages to large Metro Vancouver cities.

IS LOGGING ON PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?

To be honest no, I don’t log in every day. When I first became a member, I set up my permissions to notify me in certain areas, which is a fantastic feature. If I get an email alert then on a topic, I can always log in to view the discussion and corresponding comments, and if I have knowledge on the topic I will post. When I am looking for something, I do log in and search for past discussions that may have the answer I am looking for. Or if I can’t find what I need, I will post a new discussion.

HOW DO YOU THINK EXPANDED ENGAGEMENT ON THE FORUM AMONG GFOABC MEMBERS CAN HELP THEM IN THEIR DAY TO DAY?

The more people post the more knowledge is available to view. But I understand being shy to post. Sometimes, we think the question may seem “dumb” but from those “I’m not sure I should ask this question on a peer forum fear” comes out a whole discussion on how everyone is also searching for the same solutions. But without having that one person take the plunge everyone suffers in silence. The forum has always been a great resource and will continue to be. What I think helps with some of the fear is being able to create some private groups for certain questions. As we all know, municipal government has its unique challenges and not everything can be public. Even though the forum is now for members only it would also help to be able to break down even further into specific group types. A few years back, I collaborated with GFOABC and another member on how Municipal Collectors have challenges with asking certain questions in the forum for all to see. We want to be able to isolate our questions to just our peers relating to taxes. By doing this collaboration and having the tools to create a specific group for collectors, it has eased some fears for many to be able to openly ask questions that are specific to our needs.

WHAT FEATURES OF THE FORUM DO YOU USE THE MOST, (POSTING DISCUSSIONS, COMMENTING ON EXISTING DISCUSSIONS, SEARCHING THE DATABASE FOR INFORMATION, ETC.)?

I really like our private collector forums group; it allows me to source posted materials and ask more specific taxrelated questions, which can be sensitive in nature. These back-and-forth conversations can be a little more candid, and less formal. There are a few other private groups for other areas that members should be aware of. GFOABC could promote this more, to help new members and existing members get access.

I like the fact of there are various categories to choose from. The forum has accumulated so much information over the years and can be daunting to new members. By having the categories members can just start by choosing one to view.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR PERSONAL BEST PRACTICES WHEN IT COMES TO ENGAGING ON THE FORUM?

• Being clear in the Discussion Title on what the topic is.

• Selecting the best category for the discussion.

• Be specific in what you are looking for. For example, if you want a bylaw, ask for a bylaw.

• If you find out information that you think may not only affect you but could be a problem for others soon, give everyone a heads up. This way we can all work together to minimize the impact or to inform someone that may have no idea what they don’t know. Knowledge is power.

I cannot say enough great things about the forum. My colleagues from around the province have always been supportive and willing to help find the answers or provide solutions for workarounds. We are all in a very challenging unique line of work. It is not always black and white and there isn’t always an answer. By having this open dialogue forum, we can become better equipped to deal with the next challenge that may arise.

THANK YOU TO KIM FOR SHARING HER EXPERIENCE WITH THE ONLINE FORUM!