URISA Leadership Academy Program Details Announced
Friday May 02nd 2008
Filed Under URISA
May 2, 2008 (Park Ridge, IL) - The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is pleased to announce the course details for its second URISA Leadership Academy (ULA). The program will be held June 16-20, 2008 at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. The only leadership training program of its type, the Academy is tailored to industry leaders and practitioners faced with unique challenges of GIS leadership and management and who want to make an impact leveraging the power of GIS.
The Leadership Academy is a five-day program organized into two 2-1/2 day courses, the first of which was presented in New Orleans last December. The full five-day program will be presented in Chicago. Registration is limited to the first 75 participants (more than 50 participants have already registered). Attendees may register for the full five-day Academy or for Part One or Part Two.
“This was the best training/conference opportunity I have been privileged to attend. That it was an initial effort is impressive. It certainly reflects well on URISA and makes me want to be more involved in the organization locally and nationally. Keep up the good work.” Lane A. DeLarme, IS Manager, City of Lakewood, WA
Following is an outline of the entire program with details posted online at www.urisa.org/ula:
Session 1: Introduction to Leadership and Management
This session will establish a baseline of knowledge for the rest of the academy. Discover what types of positions are in the work place for leaders in geospatial information management organizations. Recognize roles and responsibilities that come with leadership and management positions. Uncover your leadership tendencies and how they can be best utilized in management roles. Are you an Authoritarian Leader? Participative? Delegative? The session includes a discussion on ethics that provides a framework for ethical decision-making.
Leadership and Management
Geospatial Leadership Roles
Leadership Styles
Challenges for Leaders
Ethics in Leadership
Management Skills and Techniques
Session 2: Building a Successful Team
Quality leadership involves excellent communication skills and to build a successful team, effective collaboration strategies must be in place. It is often difficult to know when or from where conflicts may arise. This session will teach how strong leaders can become equipped with the necessary skills to treat each and every one of those conflicts in an effective way. The session will highlight how the success of a team depends on the competence of its members. Participants will learn how to identify and assess potential team members.
Steps of Successful Communication and Delegation
Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
Settling Disputes with other Decision Makers
Assessing Resource Needs | Building a Team
Developing a Recruitment and Hiring Strategy
What to look for in a Good Candidate
Interviewing Skills and Pitfalls
Motivation and Retention
Session 3a: GIS and Organizational Capacity Building: How May I Help You?
Building and enhancing the GIS capacity of an organization requires leaders to effectively promote the potential of spatial technologies to the business. Learn how to encourage the increased use of GIS technology in your organization and how to educate decision-makers on the contributions GIS can make to improve processes and decisions within an organization.
Capacity Building
Considerations Before Outreach
Self Assessment
Organizational Assessment
The Outreach Process
Session 3b: Show Me the Money - An Introduction to Budgeting & Finance for GIS
Maintaining and growing a viable GIS program year after year is a challenge within any agency with budget constraints. GIS Managers must be able to identify and promote the benefits of the technology and predict the financial impact. They must manage for achievement of demonstrable benefits while meeting budgetary and timeframe expectations. Successful programs depend on adequate financial and staff resources - for both current operations and emerging needs.
Project Estimating & Budgeting
Cost/benefit and Calculating ROI
Developing a Credible Operational Budget (including activity based costing concepts) from your operations plan
Managing your Budget - Accounting and Financial Reporting
Funding Strategies
Crafting and Presenting an Effective Budget Proposal
Session 4: GIS Politics and Change Management
Enhance your leadership skills by learning strategies for managing change. This session will examine internal and external forces of change (political, technological, and financial) and how change impacts GIS operations, resources, and organizational support. You will leave this session with a better appreciation for the sources and effects of change and how best to respond. A discussion of risk management concepts will explain approaches for anticipating change and putting in place approaches for mitigating adverse impacts and taking positive advantage of change scenarios.
Understand Different Types of Public and Private Organizations
Working in a Political Environment
Adapting to Different Sources of Change
Managing and Evaluating Change in an Organization
Risk Management
Session 5: Putting It All Together – Evaluating Where You Are and Planning Where You’re Going
This session is integrative. It provides the perspective that GIS leaders often find themselves in the middle of GIS management situations where they must determine how to move forward effectively. You may have been brought in specifically to solve a problem or fix a situation, or you may just be in the midst of the normal GIS life cycle. Crisis or not, knowing how to evaluate a situation, solve problems, plan effective action, and make and communicate progress are vital skills.
Geospatial Strategic Planning in Context
Situation Assessment
Solving Problems and Taking Corrective Action
Trend Spotting, GIS as an Integrative Tool
Being Effective: Getting the Job Done and Communicating Success
For details, including speaker biographies and registration information, please visit www.urisa.org/ula.
Wendy Nelson
Executive Director
URISA
www.urisa.org … Are you a URISA member?
847-824-6300
URISA Leadership Academy: June 16-20, 2008 - Chicago, IL
URISA’s Caribbean GIS Conference: August 25-29, 2008 - Grand Cayman
URISA’s 46th Annual Conference: October 7-10, 2008 - New Orleans