Click on the presenter's names within each individual session description to access the PowerPoint presentations. Note: where sessions have no links, PowerPoints are unavailable. Presentations are saved in PDF format.
Tuesday, November 22, 1.5 Hour Sessions
T19 – T24
4 pm – 5:30 pm
T19: Energy-Management Planning – Apartment Buildings and Commercial Properties
Interested in trimming operating costs? This session is focused on operating and energy-efficiency opportunities for non-profits that involve some capital outlay but have a good return on investment. The panel will present and discuss some of the opportunities available to improve the efficiency and reduce the operating costs of mechanical systems in apartment buildings and commercial buildings. The session will focus first on building an understanding of how to identify energy- and cost-saving opportunities, and how to determine the costs and savings associated with these measures. Secondly, the session will focus on how to maximize utility incentives and finance projects.
Panelists: Steve Grindle, Energy and Commissioning Services Manager, Enersolv Design + Build; Power Smart Team – BC Hydro; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Team – FortisBC; and Mary McWilliam, Director, Strategic Energy Management, BCNPHA.
This session is sponsored by BC Hydro.
T20: Accessibility in Social Housing and an Optimal Model for Aging-in-Place
This workshop will outline the accessible features that allow seniors in subsidized housing units to age-in-place. Accessible design applies principles that improve a space’s safety, convenience, and value for all users. This is becoming important in BC as our citizens age. Those working in the social housing sector, as well as individuals interested in aging-in-place or accessible design may be interested in attending. The workshop will begin with a presentation of findings from a recent study examining models that allow tenants in subsidized housing to age-in-place and the features that are desirable to tenants. The second portion of the workshop will be a facilitated discussion with housing providers that will explore successes and challenges related to current accessibility features in subsidized units based on the housing providers’ experiences with accessible units.
Presenters: Lindsay J. McCunn, PhD Student, University of Victoria; and Rebecca Siggner, Manager, Research, BC Housing. Session discussion notes.
This session is sponsored by BC Housing.
T21: Keeping Your Workforce Costs Sustainable!
Why do you offer a benefits program? Most employers would answer this question with something like: “I want to hire and keep good people”; “I care about my staff and want to keep them healthy”; or “It is an expected part of an employee pay package.” These are all valid reasons. Your society’s philosophy and benefit-plan design will affect how much of your workforce dollars go toward benefits now and in the future. Regardless of how rich or lean your plan is, you will always be faced with a choice between accepting additional costs (and budgeting for them), or cutting back on benefits. Left unchecked, employer health-plan premiums increase by 10% to 15% every year, and dental plan premiums increase by 5% to 10%. Lori Moffat of Morneau Shepell and Jennifer Curzon of Green Shield Canada will provide an overview of how these premium rates are calculated and introduce you to cost containment ideas that will keep your benefit plan sustainable.
Presenters: Lori Moffat, Senior Consultant Morneau Shepell Ltd.; and Jennifer Curzon, Senior Account Executive, Green Shield Canada.
This session is sponsored by Morneau Shepell.
T22: Measuring Success – Creating and Using Performance Measures
Measuring performance for the non-profit sector can be challenging. As well, there is increasing pressure to account for and improve results. Establishing performance measures will allow an organization to set reasonable standards for achievement, and establish a systematic practice for monitoring achievement and adjusting operations. Measurements, targets, and data can help manage resources to maximize the services provided and build the case for continued or additional funding. This presentation is designed to give non-profits a framework for developing performance measures and indicators to better communicate the value of its services. As well, this presentation will illustrate that it is worth the effort for non-profits to develop performance measures, and that it can even be fun!
This session is sponsored by BC Housing.
T23: Building Better Negotiations
Every day, non-profits negotiate. We negotiate with funders, tenants, community partners, and with/between staff. Successful negotiations don’t just happen; they require preparation. This workshop will introduce participants to a framework for preparing to negotiate ethically, effectively, and strategically. Topics and demonstrations include:
- identifying common obstacles to reaching agreements;
- identifying the interests that motivate people to negotiate in good faith; and
- a simple, powerful model for balancing the factual, procedural, and interpersonal dimensions of negotiation.
- This is a multi-level workshop; it will be suitable for people with little formal training in negotiation, as well as for experienced negotiators. Participants will gain valuable insight into how to negotiate with individuals or groups with various levels of negotiation training and experience, and who might seek to use such training and experience to their advantage.
Presenter: Terry Neiman, Principal, Neiman and Associates.
This session is sponsored by Community Living Society.
T24: Strengthening the Social Housing Sector – New Approaches and Tools for the Future
The recommendations stemming from the “Strengthening the Social Housing Sector – New Approaches and Tools for the Future” report included a range of new approaches and tools to help position non-profit housing societies and their development teams for ongoing success in the evolving social-housing landscape. While social housing in the province has historically featured heavy government involvement and support, we anticipate that in the future there will be an increased number of ‘social entrepreneurism’ opportunities for the development of social housing, in some cases completely outside of defined housing programs. This ongoing transformation is nothing less than a paradigm shift – one that impacts the entire social housing sector.
This session will update participants on the implementation of the report’s recommendations. The recommendations, from four task groups, addressed issues associated with the sector’s response to increased complexity as we moved from an environment characterized by defined housing programs delivered by a single funder, to one characterized by broad program objectives and multiple funding partners. This workshop will include a candid discussion about the implementation phase of the process, including the successes and the challenges.
Presenters: Craig Crawford, (Acting) Vice President of Operations, BC Housing; and Karen Stone, Executive Director, BCNPHA.