The Institute's training program for local governments includes a variety of workshops for personnel at all levels. The program is designed to provide participants with training programs to enhance the management skills and decision-making abilities of public officials and non-profit personnel.

The IOG also works with other entities in providing specialized training to our constituents. Such programs include a two-day Records Management Certification course offered in conjunction with the Florida Institute of Government; training classes for Code Enforcement personnel in our 10-county service area in cooperation with the Florida Association of Code Enforcement and the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government at the University of Central Florida.

The IOG offers its training workshops on a contract basis with individual state and local governments or through open-enrollment programs. The IOG's catalogue of training programs for state and local governments is available upon request. The institute's staff is always pleased to tailor programs to meet the individual needs of our constituents. The following are examples of the training programs our Institute will offer on site. We are always pleased to coordinate these or other classes tailed to your specific needs.

Please click here to see the latest version of the On-Site Training Programs Catalogue for Local Governments.

The Institute coordinates these programs so that local government officials can examine issues and options in a particular area of public policy. The format of the programs depends upon the topic, the audience, and the desired end result. The Institute also offers seminars geared toward the specific needs of associations such as the League of Cities and the Florida Planning and Zoning Association.

This program uses a modified version of Columbia University's American Assembly process to bring together a cross-section of the key players in a community to discuss major issues of concern to public officials. This format has been remarkably successful in exposing participants to a variety of viewpoints while fostering face-to-face communication and compromise. Working in conjunction with FAU's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, Institute of Government staff coordinate all aspects of the assembly: working with a steering committee to select topics for discussion, researching and preparing the background paper, handling all logistical arrangements, and being on site to draft the policy statement. Since 1982, the Institute has coordinated or assisted with the coordination of over 40 assemblies. Topics have ranged from establishing visions for south Florida's cities and counties to juvenile justice issues to health and human services.

Please go here for additional information about assemblies.

Technical Assistance

Local governments often need help solving problems or redesigning programs and processes.  To that end, our Institute is pleased to provide technical assistance in a variety of areas.  In providing technical assistance to our clients, the Institute calls upon consultants with the expertise and background to serve as an appropriate match to the local government’s specific requirements. The following are examples of the areas in which our Institute can provide technical assistance: 

The topics described above are only a sample of the technical assistance services available through the Institute. All of our consultants are highly qualified and provide top notch services at a reasonable cost.

If you are looking for cost-effective technical assistance provided by experienced professionals, please contact us today at 561/297-3749 or sshannon@fau.edu

Landscape Management, Public Grounds Maintenance, And Arboricultural Training

The Institute is pleased to offer programs relating to landscape and urban forestry for local governments. All classes are designed and taught by Earth Advisors, Inc., which has provided leadership in caring for our shared environment for over 12 years. John Harris, president and founder, is a Certified Forester, Certified Arborist, ISA-FL Registered Tree Grader, Certified Landscape Inspector, Certified Xeriscape Inspector, and Registered Tree and Landscape Appraiser. Mr. Harris and his associates will provide expert, timely, and practical training designed especially for local government personnel.

 The training will be customized to meet YOUR needs. The consultant will come to your site, work with your regulations and situations, use your equipment (for the proper practices and equipment use classes), and include your information in a class or series of classes.  That is the best way to assure that your employees are getting the most specific training for their jobs.  This individualized training is very effective and is retained by employees longer than an off-site class. This training should be used for insurance, safety, and employee job qualification requirements. The following are just some of the on-site classes we can provide: 

***NEW OFFERINGS***

 uBest Management Practices and Standards for the Green Industry. Using the PowerPoint from the University of Florida BMPs for Green Industry, we will discuss the best (and worst) practices for maintaining landscapes and urban forests. Examples of practices will be demonstrated, and a Landscape Audit will be performed with the class.  

 uBMPs are Best Management Practices AND Best Maintenance Practices for Urban Landscapes. Learn the difference between Management and Maintenance practices for landscape care, arboriculture, irrigation operations, and landscape design. A slide show of practices and different types of landscapes for evaluation by the class will be interesting. In-field demonstrations are also included. 

 uMinimum Landscape Requirements Can Be Difficult to Determine and Defend. Enforcing Minimum Landscape Requirements or Conditions or Maintenance Standards takes knowledge and skill. Educating property owners about the benefits of these codes takes experience and some humor. We will review examples of requirements and/or standards from different municipalities, review some actual inspection experiences, and do role playing for in-field inspections during this class.

uWater Quality Requirements WILL Affect Your Parks and Properties. Learn about new research and water quality goals for south Florida, with a review of different water bodies that show bad to excellent conditions. The future will require more efforts and physical changes to your lakes, ponds, canals, and streams to meet federal, state, and regional regulations and BMPs. See what you need to be planning and budgeting for with your water bodies.  

Two publications are available for distribution to officials within our service area:

• On-Site Training Programs for Local Governments (updated May 2007) describes the Institute's most frequently requested training classes. The catalogue is available at no cost and is updated periodically to include new course offerings.
  
  
• Linkage, the IOG's newsletter, is designed to apprise public officials of the Institute's activities and to solicit suggestions for future programs.