Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) consultation

Learn more about JOA

The Park Board is writing a new chapter in its relationship with Community Centre Associations.

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A new way forward for the Vancouver Park Board and Community Centre Associations

In April 2016, the Vancouver Park Board began a fresh consultation process to consult with Community Centre Associations (CCAs) on a new JOA by the end of the year. 

The process was designed to include all CCAs and to be collaborative, fair, reasonable, and fully transparent. This page includes all of the materials related to the JOA consultation process.

Joint Operating Agreement

April 10, 2017 - The Vancouver Park Board approved a new Joint Operating Agreement to offer the Community Centre Associations.

Read the motion to approve the new JOA  (120 KB)

April 28, 2017 - Final copies of the Amended Final Draft JOA were offered to CCAs for signature.

Read the amended final draft JOA 

Key communications

In early 2016, the Vancouver Park Board committed to a three-phase process to modernize a new JOA called “A new way forward”.

Read the April 5, 2016 letter from Park Board chair on "A new way forward."  (140 KB)

We are approaching a critical moment in the relationship between the Vancouver Park Board and CCA partners. The deadline for the CCAs to sign the JOA is September 30, 2017.

Read letters from the Director of Recreation:

Summary of consultation process

Phase 1: Dialogue session (April 30, 2016)

In April, 2016, an overview of the JOA consultation process and schedule were developed by the JOA Facilitator, Raymond Penner.

Phase 1 of the consultation process began with kick-off meetings and a dialogue session between the facilitator and the CCAs to discuss shared principles and essential components of a new JOA.

Read the related documents:

Following the dialogue session, the Park Board planned six consultation sessions.

Read the letters:

In response to feedback from a group of CCAs presidents, the Park Board committed to circulating revised content after each consultation session.

Phase 2: Validation and verification 

In September, 2016, the Park Board and the CCAs began Phase 2: Validation and verification following the consultation schedule for September, 2016 previously communicated by the Park Board Chair.

The purpose of Phase 2 was to present and review the Draft 2 JOA with the CCAs for validation.

Read the documents:

Phase 3: Final JOA consideration and ratification

The purpose of Phase 3 was to present the Final JOA for consideration to the Vancouver Park Board.

In a December 12, 2016 presentation to the Park Board (205 KB), the General Manager and Deputy General Manager of the Park Board led a review of the proposed new JOA and responded to questions from the Park Board Commissioners.

Amended final draft Joint Operating Agreement (January 12, 2017)

Following the final Review Session and presentation to the Park Board Commissioners, the General Manager distributed an Amended Final Draft JOA including changes made to reflect the final Review Session and December 12, 2016 Park Board meeting.

To facilitate review of the Amended Final Draft JOA, the General Manager distributed an FAQ document, a summary of changes document and a Key Changes document to the CCAs attached to a January 12 letter from Park Board general manager about amended final draft. 

Read the related documents:

Special Park Board meeting (February 9 & 16, 2017)

On February 9, 2017 and February 16, 2017, the Vancouver Park Board held a special meeting to hear the public’s feedback on the Final Draft JOA and vote on staff recommendations.

The Vancouver Park Board heard from 63 speakers on their outstanding areas of concern with the JOA.

Review the Community Centre Association – Proposed Joint Operating Agreement Special Park Board meeting report  (1.5 MB).

On March 3, 2017, Park Board staff provided a summary of responses to the JOA made at the public meetings with clarification where evidence was available. As well, Park Board staff prepared further clarification amendments to the Amended Final Draft JOA for consideration by the Park Board.

Read the March 3, 2017 documents:

Staff report on JOA (March 6, 2017)

The Park Board discussed the Final Amended JOA and unanimously voted to grant a 30-day legal review period (85 KB) to enable a session and/or sessions for reviewing and considering any outstanding legal issues in the development of the JOA.

Legal review of the Joint Operating Agreement (March 6, 2017)

Park Board staff were provided direction by the Park Board to review and consider any outstanding legal issues in the proposed Amended Final Draft JOA.

The  March 15, 2017, letter from Park Board general manager about legal consideration of the JOA describes the direction given by the Park Board to provide two legal sessions: An Exploratory Session and a Review Session.  Read the related documents:

Legal exploratory session (March 25, 2017)

Park Board staff held an exploratory session for CCAs and their counsel to attend. The purpose of this session was to understand all barriers that may prevent the CCAs from legally being able to sign the JOA.

The goal for the exploratory session was to capture a summary of all legal issues. Read the related documents:

Legal review session (April 1, 2017)

A full discussion of legal issues document and a summary table of legal issues were prepared to facilitate review of the legal issues identified in the exploratory session.

The process for the Legal Review Session was described in a March 29, 2017, letter from Park Board general manager about legal review session of the JOA.

The purpose of the legal review session was to discuss the outcome of the legal review before proposing amendments to the Park Board Commissioners. 

Read the documents:

JOA Board decision (April 10, 2017)

On April 10, 2017, the Vancouver Park Board approved a new JOA with six further amendments.

Read the April 13, 2017, letter from Park Board Director of Recreation about JOA board decision and next steps (148 KB).

Final copies of the JOA were offered to the CCAs for signature on April 28, 2017.

Read the Amended final draft Joint Operating Agreement (720 KB) approved by the Vancouver Park Board.

The lined copy below shows all changes made from the March 6, 2017 Amended Final Draft to the JOA approved by the Vancouver Park Board on April 10, 2017.

Read the lined copy of amended final draft Joint Operating Agreement (250 KB)

Facilitator Raymond PennerFacilitator Raymond Penner

Raymond Penner is a veteran facilitator, mediator, and negotiator who has provided advice and support to governments, private companies, educational institutions, and individuals over a 30-year career as principal of the Strategic Action Group.

Mr. Penner’s services include governance, strategic planning and management, public consultation and communication support, conflict resolution, team development, organizational-effectiveness audits, and research.

Mr. Penner has a master’s in English from Simon Fraser University and a master’s in psychology from UBC, and has done post-graduate work in organizational psychology at the Fielding Institute in California. He is a member of the International Association for Public Participation.