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Enjoy this exploration of critical and strategic thinking skills and how to apply them to public works management and leadership. You'll be given the framework for how to conduct a thinking self-assessment that will help you see where you stand in developing the required skills. Checklists and resources will be presented, and you will have the opportunity to engage in interactive and engaging dialogue about how to perceive and think strategically.Learning Objectives:Explore critical and strategic thinking concepts and principles and see how they relate to public works leadership and decision making.Assess your thinking capabilities and see where you can focus your efforts to grow.Discover why the boss, your board or council, and your constituents ask so many questions.
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Enjoy these three presentations on how new mobile, digital, and cloud technologies are changing how public works does business. The first presentation will describe how local governments will soon find themselves responsible for managing the community's digital layer with customizable service delivery. The second presentation will reveal how cloud and mobile e-construction technologies are providing greater project efficiency and improved decision making. The third presentation will explore how GIS supports the many workflows of public works.Learning Objectives:Prepare their agencies to step into the digital future.Examine how cloud and mobile technology affects e-construction practices.Use technology for smarter infrastructure management.
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This Click Listen and Learn will address the challenges and opportunities of accreditation, including: – Compare what you are currently doing in your agency against national management practices to see what you are doing well and what you can do better. – Learn how to collect and prepare documentation of your policies, practices, and procedures. – Build improved relationships within the department and inter-department. – Develop a comprehensive succession tool. – Prepare the agency to become accredited.
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Improving productivity and efficiency, while reducing costs is just part of a snow maintenance professional's job. GIS is a proven tool for data management, advanced planning, improving communication, state-of-the-art logistics,…
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Don't make the mistake of thinking that asset management is just another buzz phrase. It is a real-world approach that public works organizations are implementing to plan and set priorities for operations and maintenance, future projects, and resource allocation. It is essential that you have the knowledge and data to make the best decisions possible about critical infrastructure needs. Asset management provides the processes and tools for you to make these informed decisions. APWA is committed to providing the information you need to determine the best asset management approaches and systems for your organization's specific needs. Bring your questions and ideas and join in on this important discussion.Learning Objectives:Define what asset management is and what it isn't.Take advantage of the resources and information that APWA is providing about asset management.Select the best asset management approaches and tools for your organization's specific needs.
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Tigard, Oregon recently enhanced their technology and business process improvement in order to prepare for a newly constructed $164 million water system source. Due to changing water chemistry, the city needed to clean approximately 227 miles of water distribution piping. Using technologies like a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) with geographical information system (GIS) connectivity, and a computerized water hydraulic model, the city developed and completed an efficient and effective ""Uni-Directional Flushing"" (UDF) program. The use of different technologies helped plan and manage the program, including work planning, performance benchmarking, and project tracking. The city was under deadline to complete the flushing program prior to delivery of water from the new system in order to ensure high water quality.Learning Objectives:Define SSOs and the impact they can have on the environment.Identify the factors that create SSOs and the best approach to managing the issue.Improve efficiency and effectiveness using enhanced technology and business process strategies.
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What happens to a plow truck when the snow season is over? Do you unhook the plows and sanders in the spring and hope all is well for next winter?…
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The City of Davenport, Iowa, is a fully accredited city with a population of approximately 100,000. There are 1,600 lane miles of roads to be plowed with over 400 cul-de-sac's…
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Do you aspire to be a leader in your organization or professional association? Then this interactive learning opportunity is for you! You will meet dedicated professionals who have held leadership positions in their agencies or companies and who have also served as leaders at both the chapter and national levels of APWA. They'll involve you in discussions about setting your own personal leadership goals and offer insight into the challenges and rewards the lie ahead for you.Learning Objectives: *You must attend the full two-hour session to obtain 0.2 CEU credit.Discover the successes and challenges that lie ahead on your path to leadership.Gain insight into what you really want by asking, ""Why do I want to be a leader?""Discover how to avoid the pitfalls of leadership and benefit from ""pearls of wisdom"" offered by those who have been there.
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Breathing New Life into a Capital City – The Role of Public Works in Successful Downtown Development
From the 1970s through the 1990s, downtown Topeka, Kansas, went through a period where urban sprawl sent all commercial and retail development to a corridor on the west side of town. Downtown residential living became non-existent. Find out the lessons learned during Topeka's journey from a napkin sketch to a public/private partnership that invested $9 million dollars into a downtown enhancement project. Topics to be discussed include the role of public works in downtown redevelopment; how to organize interaction to gain public support; the use of charrettes with experts to determine a vision; design issues encountered in replacing 120-year old gas and water mains around trolley rails, vaults, and cisterns; and the coordination of sidewalks, power, and lighting between public infrastructure and private enhancements.Learning Objectives: Conceptualize how to guide their communities through a successful downtown redevelopment.Convince public officials to invest money in downtown infrastructure.Create public/private partnerships for downtown redevelopment.
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