CSAC Institute - Welcome to the CSAC Institute


	Welcome Welcome to the CSAC Institute for Excellence in County Government. The Institute was established in 2008 to provide professional learning opportunities specifically created for county supervisors, other county elected officials and senior executives in county service. The Institute is a professional, practical continuing education experience designed to expand the capacity and capability of county officials to provide extraordinary services to their communities. You will find an array of courses that address county governance, current hot topics, leadership practices and organizational management. Whether your interests are in better understanding county funding and financial management, county government structure and responsibilities, leadership and interpersonal relationship strategies, transportation and land use planning, organization effectiveness or a myriad of other critical topics and practices … there is likely a course of interest to you. Welcome to the Institute! John Gioia, Chair CSAC Institute Governing Council Supervisor, Contra Costa County

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	Announcements New 2012 Winter/Spring Course Schedule Now Available The CSAC Institute schedule of 2012 courses is now available. Over 16 courses are featured, including a number of new classes. Popular courses such as Negotiations & Collaboration, Leading by Values, and Conflict Management highlight the schedule. New classes include Information Technology Policies & Governance, AB 646 & Other New Aspects of Labor Relations, and Building the Board-CAO/CEO Relationships. Download the Winter/Spring Course Cataloguenow! Updated on January 23, 2012 Institute Awards 13 Credentials at CSAC Annual Conference The CSAC Institute awarded 13 new credentials at the 2011 CSAC Annual Meeting. This brings the total number to 55 credentialed supervisors and senior executives. Congratulations to all who earned their credential! Click here for the details: Credential Recipients Credential Program Information Institute Accredited for MCLE Credits The California State Bar has approved the CSAC Institute as a provider of MCLE credit hours for attorneys for select courses. Upcoming courses with MCLE credit include: 153 - New Aspects of Labor Relations (4 hrs) Bring CSAC Institute to Your County Most Institute courses are offered in Sacramento or on location with CSAC coneferences. CSAC Counties can host courses too, and we'll bring the Institute to you! Host counties are responsible for the site, logistics and recruiting participants. CSAC Institute will arrange instructors, prepare all materials and manage registration. To learn more and request a course please click: On-Site Course Request.

Highlights of Upcoming Courses

Negotiations and Collaboration in Complex Environments

Friday, June 1st, 2012

9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sacramento
$75.00 - County officials and staff

Following the CSAC Legislative Conference

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Negotiation is “a back and forth interaction among two or more people who wish to arrive at a mutually agreeable outcome where the parties have some interests in common and some that are opposed.” This definition from Fisher and Ury’s book Getting to Yes describes most “Public Good” negotiations. Solution-Based Negotiation teaches participants how to achieve the most beneficial outcomes for all negotiating parties while ensuring the outcomes are in the best interest of the public and that the negotiating parties’ relationships end positively. This course covers the most current tried and tested behaviors in the field of negotiation AND it gives you tools that will be immediately useful in your work. Best of all, it can help you serve your constituents in the best possible ways without needless “compromise.”

Instructor: Dr. Laree Kiely is president of the Kiely Group; organizational effectiveness consultants, and a professor at the USC Marshall School of Business. She regularly appears on PBS in her management communications series, and is a regular and popular CSAC Institute instructor. [more]

Building and Sustaining the Board/Executive Relationship

Friday, June 15th, 2012

10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sacramento
$75.00 - County officials and staff

From the Institute for Local Government

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The county administrator/executive serves the Board of Supervisors as a whole. Establishing an effective relationship between the Board and its key executive is crucial to the success of the county. Every time a new member is seated on the Board is an opportunity to revisit the relationship. This course will examine in-depth the role of the Board members – individually and collectively – as they relate to their executive and strategies for the CAO/CEO to build and sustain effective relationships with the Board. Discussion will highlight strategies to repair relationships during stressful events. The course is designed for both Supervisors and CAO/CEO participation. The course will also be available to other board/executive relationships such as First 5 and other Commissions.

Instructor :Course Moderator is JoAnne Spears, executive director of the Institute for Local Government. ILG is the research and education affiliate of CSAC and the League of California Cities. [more]

Detecting Fraud in Governmental and Nonprofit Environments: What a Steal!

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sacramento
$75.00 - County officials and staff

From CalCPA - eligible for CPE credits

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Boards of Supervisors, county executives, department heads, and auditors have a fiduciary responsibility to oversee the financial operations of the county. This course identifies the seven most common instances of fraud in local governmental entities through an interactive discussion and review of several recent headlined fraud cases. It examines conditions within entities that leave them susceptible to fraud. Highlighted topics include: personal fraud, fraudulent charging of expenses, overriding purchasing controls, personal use of public assets, kickbacks, and control weaknesses. This course is also of value to welfare fraud investigation managers, internal auditors and others engaged in fraud prevention.

Instructors: Dr. Peter Mark Hughes, CPA from the California Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) Education Foundation. Dr. Hughes is director of internal audit for Orange County. [more]

When Things Go Bad: Managing Crises from Realignment

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Burbank - Near Burbank Airport
$75.00 - County officials and staff

In Burbank!

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With the 2011 public safety realignment comes broad collaboration among county agencies, community organizations and the courts. There also comes the likelihood that some things will go wrong. Is your County and the community partnership prepared? How will all the partners come together quickly when bad things happen? This course will help you be prepared! A specific set of steps are examined to prepare your communications response, including gathering the right set of officials, designing strategies and tactics which target affected audiences, preparing key messages which tell the county’s story, and delivering your response via the news media and other important communications vehicles. Techniques are shared for roles and response options, sample messages, understanding media perspective and how to avoid common pitfalls and missteps. Case studies help participants see the strategies in action.

Instructors: Sheri Benninghoven, APR is President of SAE Communications and former Communications Director for the League of California Cities. Scott Summerfield is an expert in public agency strategic communications and former Public Information Officer for the City of Newark. Terry Amsler is Director of the Public Engagement Program for the Institute for Local Government. [more]