Providing practising Local Government Engineers with ongoing training and development opportunities is one of the key aims of the Municipal Engineering Foundation. Once again it has provided four Victorian engineers with study tour awards enabling them to attend the 1996 American Public Works Congress in Washington DC and visit a number of USA municipalities.
The 1996 Awardees are Maurice Stabb, Brimbank City Council; Bernard Smith, Greater Bendigo City Council; Peter Robertson, La Trobe Shire Council; and Ian Butterworth, Port Phillip City Council. As well as exchanging ideas with Local Government personnel, they will meet with private sector consultants, industry representatives and community groups as part of their research. Representing both metropolitan and regional Councils, the Awardees have each chosen a research topic which will benefit engineers in Local Government across Victoria.
Ian Butterworth, Coordinator, Construction and Maintenance Business Unit at Port Phillip City Council, selected ‘Work Practices/Customer Service Systems’ as his study theme. He will look at key success factors of Local Government service providers in the USA.
Peter Robertson, Project Engineer at La Trobe Shire Council, focuses his research on ‘Change Management – Effects on Service Delivery’. He will study various forms of Local Government to ascertain the optimum structure to achieve World Best Practice in service delivery.
Bernard Smith, Director Environmental Services at Greater Bendigo City Council, will study ‘Competition and the Local Government Organisation in a Regional Environment’. This involves research into the role of larger regional municipalities in promoting competition to ensure efficiency in the provision of services and to foster economic development and growth.
Maurice Stabb, Director Physical Services Division at Brimbank City Council, will look at ‘Succession Planning in a contract Employment Environment – The USA Way’ in a study which will encompass Local Government’s role in the recruitment and professional development of younger engineers in preparation for future managerial positions. The Awardees will produce a report on their studies upon return to Australia. This will be made available to Councils throughout Victoria.
The Foundation provides very valuable training opportunities. Councils are urged to encourage their officers to apply. Applications for 1997 will be available shortly.
For further information telephone IMEA on (03) 9699 1700.
