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Congratulations on your appointment as a subject matter expert to an administrative tribunal in Manitoba. This session will help answer four questions that should be top-of-mind for all tribunal members:

1. How do you work with your enabling legislation?
2. How do you conduct a fair hearing?
3. How do you deal with bias (real or apprehended) regarding either the subject matter or the people affected by your decisions?
4. How do you write good reasons for decision?

 Facilitated by Karen Busby, a Professor of Law and the Director of the Centre for Human Rights Research. As is a long time teacher of administrative law, a former member of the Vulnerable Persons Review Panel and author of the Manitoba Law Reform Commission Report, Improving Administrative Justice In Manitoba: Starting With The Appointments Process (2009), Professor Busby brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom. In 2015 she received the University of Manitoba’s Saunderson Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Public Boards, Agencies and Commissions have a significant role to play with respect to the success of their organizations. Directors' understanding of the Board’s roles and responsibilities are critical to the effectiveness of a Board’s performance. This orientation session covers general governance principles, the public sector environment and the duties expected of directors, both individually and collectively.  We also look at the principles of accountability, transparency, predictability and engagement as they apply to the role of the Director.

If you have recently been appointed to a board, this is the course the government recommends you take.

The goal of this course is to provide Board Chairs and Members a better understanding of financial information in the public sector that will help them to better fulfil their roles and responsibilities. We will look at the roles of Board members, management, the Audit Committee and the external auditors together with some fundamental concepts that are the basis for financial reporting. Using some simple examples we will look at each of the main financial statements including the notes to allow participants to become more comfortable with each of the statements. We will also look at some procedures and tools that can be applied to the statements to build on this information.

Suggested prerequisite: Roles & Responsibilities of Effective Boards (Orientation)

The board has a collective role when it comes to risk, which includes identification and oversight of relevant risks affecting the organization. What role does the board play when developing a risk culture, strategy, or appetite? How does the organization come up with metrics to monitor the identified risks, and who is responsible when things go wrong? This course will examine the risk oversight process, including the role of management, staff and the board.

The focus of the course is on the role of the Audit Committee and how it relates to the roles and responsibilities of the Board as a whole. We will discuss the audit function, both external and internal, fundamentals of Audit Committee membership and best practices. In addition to emerging issues, we will also examine the relationship between the Board, Management, and the Audit Committee. This course is intended for all Board members, not just those who serve on the Audit Committee.

Suggested prerequisite: Financial Essentials for Directors

Do you think you are “bullet-proof” because you were told government has a blanket liability insurance policy for directors? Wrong! Think again! This workshop tells you the realities of liability for board members:

• What are the sources of board member liability?
• What protections are available for board members?
• What should board members do when things go wrong?

This workshop is facilitated by Roberta Pettit – Crown Counsel with Legal Services Branch of Manitoba Justice.

How effective is your Board? How do you know? One of the first steps is performing an effective evaluation of your current processes and performance. Examining your Board practices and performance, as well as director self-evaluations, are all components of this important process. This course will review the rationale and purpose for performing Board evaluations, coupled with an examination of some of the tools available for conducting analyses. The Office of the Auditor General of Manitoba provides insights into this challenging aspect of Board governance, and shares key evaluation practices used in their governance assessments.

Suggested prerequisite: Roles & Responsibilities of Effective Boards (Orientation)