Best Practices Forum Sessions
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Sessions for Monday, September 15
Welcome and Updates from GFOA
Join us as we kick off the Best Practices Forum with key updates from GFOA, including details on our new membership model.
Smooth Audits Ahead: Best Practices in Selecting an Auditor and Setting Up an Audit Committee
The weight of the financial statement audit cannot be downplayed when discussing challenges faced by government finance and accounting staff. Two important components are the selection of the independent auditor and related communications with elected officials.
Developing the Personnel Budget
It’s often said that people are the greatest asset of any organization, and costs associated with people are often the largest portion of a local government’s operating budget. People are also complicated—they move around in the organization; they get raises; they change their benefit elections; they earn overtime, premium pay, and bonuses; they take leave; they retire.
Sessions for Tuesday, September 16
Debt Products Essentials
Municipalities have numerous ways to raise capital to fund projects and initiatives. Various tax-exempt and taxable bond instruments, as well as bank loans can be utilized. Determining which may be best for your entity depends on multiple factors, including the specific project being funded, the municipality's creditworthiness, funding sources, and state or local laws.
Implementing a Strong Investment Program
Governments have a fiduciary responsibility to manage and monitor their public funds investments. Investment programs are essential to meeting that responsibility and are foundational for effective financial management.
Sessions for Wednesday, September 17
Best Practices in Navigating the Complexity of Economic Development Project Proposals
Investments in economic development hold much promise for communities. They may be expected to generate significant revenue, boost employment levels, and increase the overall economic and social vitality of a community.
Wrong Again: Identifying and Correcting Common Procurement Misconceptions and Errors
Procurement is an essential part of public administration and public finance. Effective procurement functions provide for compliance with laws and regulations, operational efficiency, greater access and transparency for competitive opportunities, improved risk management, and coordination between government and the supplier community.
Sessions for Thursday, September 18
Lessons Learned in Assessing and Managing Financial Risks
Local governments increasingly face unpredictable financial risks from events like floods, wildfires, earthquakes, liability claims, and more. Accurately assessing these risks is crucial for protecting a government’s fiscal health.
Optimizing Employee Benefits and Financial Wellness: Best Practices for Funding Policies, Retirement Benefits, and Health Care Communication
This engaging and informative session will explore three critical best practices in employee benefits and financial planning: Core Elements of a Funding Policy for Governmental Pension and OPEB Plans, Communicating Health-Care Benefits to Employees and Retirees, and Educating Employees about the Adequacy of Retirement Benefit.
Networking Session
Join us for an optional networking session to further discuss the Best Practices Forum. This is an opportunity to talk to your peers about challenges and successes they’ve experienced when implementing Best Practices, pose questions, comments, or have a deeper conversation about anything you’ve heard in any of the sessions.
Sessions for Friday, September 19
Developing Leadership Skills to Implement Best Practices
There is a difference between understanding a best practice and implementing that best practice in your organization. Putting new policies and processes in place requires much more than technical knowledge; it requires excellent communication and change management skills, too.