Questions, Questions

5 Questions the Pension Board needs to ask

I am puzzled.
I suspect that it is a life condition.
But I am puzzled by what appears to me, a mere retiree, at the few questions the NBSPP Board seems to ask..or encourages the members to ask.

There is the matter that the Lead Independent Director does not meet with the representative of the key stakeholders. The LID  does  not meet with those of us who might be activist stakeholders (not that any of us have really been identified). Nor are there mid term meetings with retirees for no reason except to brief us on the discussions of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Oops.
We don't have one. 

So, what questions ought new Board members ask of the Board?

1. What, in the view of the Board are the key aspects of good pension plan governance?
2. Does the Board use CPSA's Self Assessment Questionnaire to evaluate how effectively NBPSPP follows effective governance principles? Does the Board reference the CCGG governance principles? Does the Board reference CICA principles on good governance?
3. Is there a Committee responsible for pension investment , only?
4. Is there a Compensation Committee? And, do the retirees have say on pay?
5. What is the Board's mission? values? vision? beliefs? 

More details about the CAPSA and the governance principles it espouses may be found at

www.piacweb.org

Look for the Funding and Assessment Guidelines

If you want the "Cook's Tour " of these guidelines go to

www.slideshare.net/BethuneWhiston/capsa-governance-guidelinesquestionnaire

This presentation on slideshare and LinkedIn covers in 19 pages what it has taken me several posts to cover. 

5 more questions tomorrow. Have you found the suggested policies yet? I'll provide links tomorrow, as well.

More on the City of Saint John

These more recent posts are tracking how our elected representatives are being led around by the public service when they ask inconvenient questions. When Councillor Mackenzie asked a question during the budget presentation about innovation, the answer focused on "continuous improvement", which is actually the antithesis of innovation. A cult of "doing more with less", of austerity-so popular with those with cushy and unassailable jobs- is fostered in the halls of our City. By the way, if you want to get a better perspective about the whole austerity movement, check with Anonymous or better yet, ask any Greek about how that's working for them. 

More serious readers on the topic will consult Piketty's book "Capital". and a companion piece "Bowling Alone" by Putnam. These actually provide answers to some of this foolishness. 
It won't take long to figure out that the 1% are enriching themselves at our expense, that we now live in a rule by lawyers amd not a rule of law, and that the tools by which we can take back control of our communities, provinces and nation is through more active civic engagement.
That is...act local.
But I digress. 

The come back answer to the city manager would more appropriately have focused on asking how the City is providing  quality service. What is the resident experience in this City? 

Who knows??

It has never been asked.

Quality may be defined as meeting or exceeding a customer's expectation first time, every time at the lowest possible cost. This definition fits the Ward system of this City's governance. In this case, what are the service expectations of each Ward? How is service currently delivered in each Ward?

A really good association to consult is Excellence Canada-once known as the National Quality Institute.

www.excellence.ca

More specifically, if Councillors really wanted to seriously challenge these dopes, the course: 

Measuring Excellence in Customer Experience

offered in August 2018 would be a good start. 

For Councillors and for the rest of us, one should first have the data of how service is delivered and what services are most required. And, so that citizens can help the Councillors interpret this data, they should have access to it through open data portals. Saint John has  un-populated open data portals. And, I would argue, it is missing even titular portals. It has

• Transportation but no data about use of bus routes, demand for such routes, use of roads, parking use, ticketing;
• Public safety use but no data, nothing about crime rates, nothing about relationship with the health system (wait times in the ER, response to psych calls, where);
• Arts community is not described nor is there anything  about use, most popular venues, use of venues, growth and demand, demand for what entertainment. 
• Health status of the population; demand for service, access to primary care-none of this is listed
• Educational attainment determined only in general ways and not by school district. The School Boards are absent from this portal. 
• Demographics is not described by Ward. 
• Volunteerism is not described..nor is civic engagement. 
• Small business development and the development of social enterprise is not included. 

No wonder citizens are at a loss as to how to contribute to the governance of their City and no wonder City councillors are left hanging after asking good questions.

They don't have the data ask a follow up question to pin down plans. 

There are tags for this in other Cities. These are called Smart Cities. And Smart Cities, I would argue, start the discussion with open portals and data available to all citizens.  

Board Games: Women in Governance

In the last post , a number of conditions for victory were listed. There are life events which might interrupt the smooth path to the top. Minor loops interrupting this progression might include:

• education and its pursuits. Questions about what course to take, the challenge of being away from home, money to pay for education, having part time jobs which don't pay off, parental expectations. These can provide diversions to an ultimate goal to achieving academic success. A misstep can send a contestant onto another path which might/or might not end up putting the player back on track to success.
• that first job. Ah yes. Staying focused on advancing one's career with: sexual harassment, fighting the boys club, choosing between career and "love", being too smart for those fragile male egos, getting known in the field of your choice. And then, there is that pesky college debt. 
• the first leadership position either on the job, within your professional association, within the voluntary sector. Are you happy doing this? You publish, teach at University. Maybe this is your calling? I mean, working to serve on a corporate board isn't everything, is it? Yes, self doubt slips in.
• the mid career choice. Can you have it all? Do you want it all. What happens when the love of your life gets the opportunity of his life but needs to move to Hobokun..putting your career on hold? Or, you get pregnant. Raise the chill'uns lie the good wife or also pursue a career. You have taken 9 months off to be at home. Will a prospective Board think that you will put home over the corporate needs? And, BTW, your mother gets really sick and your father starts to dement. And, as the eldest women sib, who looks after them??
• you are mature...but are you too old? But now you are positioned to sit on a board. However, there are more challenges if you wish to lead a board. These include: sexism (especially at this level), harassment (sorry, even at this level), competition, male gendered social systems (you can't get into the men's room and talk out issues at the urinal), lack of availability of positions (its pretty restricted in Canada).

There is no straight route to the top. These 4 areas are all secondary loops...paths you may need to take as you move along on your path to 3 directorships. All paths lengthen your trip/life's journey.

Then , of course, getting to be chairman is a whole other game. 

The genre for this game is: Economy.

Two similar board games are :

• Careers,
• Networking

More info on this tomorrow. Is the rise to the top impossible? 

Only nearly. But at least this game might help. There is still a long 'way to go, however and I would appreciate a few comments