January 2017

CEO's Message

Over the past two weeks Service Provider Councils have been meeting and having discussions about the new Contract. Feedback has been that the material we provided was thorough and provided a good foundation of understanding to support preparation for the regional contract information sessions.

Please continue to submit your questions requesting further clarity or direction to the Ministry Contract Q & A website (submit questions to Marika Giesen, with a copy to ACDS) so that we will all have consistent answers to issues that are raised. I have heard from several ED's and their Boards, and have found these discussions articulate a high level of engagement that reflects the seriousness with which service providers are preparing to address any shifts that may be required.
The next imperative is to proactively engage our funders in respectful yet candid negotiations regarding the expectation that your costs will be paid. Prepare and submit your budget projections and business case for the funding you will require to support the programs and service delivery outcomes that are being contracted over the full term of the contract (up to three years).

You may not be successful in receiving full costing. If this is the case, you can request formally that the reasons for denial be itemized. Then you and your leadership team will need to make thoughtful decisions about utilizing other sources of income to subsidize your costs, or even reduce services to match available funding. All good faith negotiations are premised on the recognition that the agreement is a joint endeavour in which all parties have shared goals to achieve benefits for specific people, groups, or communities and all parties agree on the service outcomes to be delivered.

Take action to own, demonstrate and present your real costs. Learn your rights and responsibilities under the new contract. The wrong answer is to be silent and hope that everything will be fine.

ACDS has set up a Community of Practice thread that will post articles and discussions from members on the contract. We are also asking members and councils to share budget and business case best practices, including metrics that can be referenced to determine minimum wage and compression projections, cost of living metrics, and other elements of a strong business case presentation for funding. As always, please contact jamie@acds.ca for further information on any of our Community of practice discussion forums.
Finally, I was pleased to meet and welcome Greta Levy to her new role as Chief of Staff for Minister Sabir at the Legislature this past Friday. I have also extended a welcome to the new interim ADM John Cabral. Over the next week I hope to get clarification from the Ministry on the status of the approval for funding of the minimum wage.

___
If you want to schedule time to talk with Ann or comment on something that is important to you, just send a message to acds@acds.ca. 


News, Links, and Events

Volunteer Screening Program
Funding support for the cost of vulnerable sector police checks for eligible non-profit organizations will continue to be available through the program. A total of $44,000 has also been allocated to fund a limited number of Screening Development Grants. Eligible organizations can apply for a maximum of $2,000 to support efforts to build effective screening programs and practices.
Alberta.ca Announcement

Budget Consultations
Ann Nicol, Finance Minister Joe Ceci, and COSMOS Executive Director Stephanie Ball, at the budget consultation session in Red Deer. We wished Minister Ceci a speedy recovery from the jogging injury.

The final telephone town hall for the 2017/18 budget is January 31st, 6:30pm. The online submission form closes on February 3rd.

ACDS strongly encourages members to take part.

Alberta Budget Consultations

Edmonton - Accessibility Advisory Committee
The City of Edmonton's Accessibility Advisory Committee is seeking citizens-at-large to volunteer with the committee in 2017/18. Deadline for submissions is February 5th.
Edmonton - Civic Agencies Recruitment
The ACDS Umbrella is a publication of the
Alberta Council of Disability Services
160-3015 12 ST NE
Calgary, Alberta, T2E 7J2
Phone: 403-250-9495 * Fax: 403-291-9864
© 2016 Alberta Council of Disability Services

Do you have something to say about 
The ACDS Umbrella or any of its content?
Send your comments or ideas to us at jamie@acds.ca

Permission to Reprint: Is there an article or news item in this or any other ACDS Umbrella newsletter that you would like to reprint in your own newsletter or other information circular? Please contact us at acds@acds.ca, attention Communications and Marketing, and include the title of the article, the issue date (e.g., February 2013), and a brief summary of how the material will be used.

Disclaimer:
The information provided in The ACDS Umbrella is for your information only and links are provided for your convenience. ACDS is not responsible for the content, change in content, accuracy, relevancy, copyright compliance, or legality of the material on external websites.