HISTORY
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING SITES

CERTIFICATION

A Rural "Class C" Certificate represents the basic level of qualification for employment as a rural municipal administrator in Saskatchewan. Application must be made to the Board of Examiners. Successful applicants will possess a certificate in Junior Local government Administration or a Public Administration Diploma, and will have completed one year of satisfactory service (1800 hours)as an assistant or acting administrator in a municipality.

The Board of Examiners requires that the one year term of service as an assistant administrator must have been in a rural municipal office under the direction of a qualified administrator possessing a Rural "Class A" Certificate in Local Government Administration.

A "Class C" certificate remains valid while continuously employed as an administrator, but expires after a period of five years if active municipal employment is not maintained.

RURAL BOARD OF EXAMINERS REGULATIONS

Adopted 09-06-2001

Whereas a Rural Board of Examiners has been established pursuant to Section 51.1 of the Rural Municipality Act, 1989;
Therefore, pursuant to Section 11 of the Rural Municipal Administrators Act, the Rural Board of Examiners hereby establishes the following regulations with respect to prescribing examinations or tests of competence as requirements for acquiring a certificate of qualification for Administrators of Rural Municipalities.

1. In these regulations:

1. “administrator” means an administrator for a rural municipality in Saskatchewan;
2. “board” means the Rural Board of Examiners established pursuant to Section 51.1 of the Rural Municipality Act, 1989;
3. “certificate” means a rural Class C certificate, a rural Class A certificate or a rural Superior A certificate;
4. “Class A certificate” means a rural Class A certificate of qualification issued pursuant to section 6;
5. “Class C certificate” means a rural Class C certificate of qualification issued pursuant to section 5;
6. “continuous service” means employment with one or more municipalities where not more than one year elapses between the termination of employment with one municipality and the commencement of employment with another municipality;
7. “R.M.A.A.” means the Rural Municipal Administrators Association of Saskatchewan;
8. “Superior A certificate” means a rural Superior A certificate of qualification issued pursuant to section 7;

2.

a. The board may meet at any time and place and in any manner that it considers necessary or desirable for the proper conduct of its business;
however the board shall meet at least twice a year, once no later than May 1st and once no earlier than September 1st and no later than December 1st.
2. Meetings of the Board may also be held by conference call if deemed necessary.

3. All questions at meetings of the board are to be decided by a majority vote of the members present, two members constituting a quorum.

4. The board has the authority to:

1. issue certificates to persons who qualify in accordance with these regulations;
2. cancel a certificate which was issued in error;
3. where a certificate has been suspended, canceled or revoked, require the holder of the certificate to return the certificate to the board;
4. exercise any other duties that it considers necessary in order to carry out the intent of these regulations in an efficient manner.
5. a. The board may issue a Class C certificate to any person that:

1. has received or is qualified to receive:

(1) a certificate in the Junior Local Government Administration Program from the University of Regina, or
(2) a degree in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration or equivalent from a university acceptable to the board, or
(3) a certificate or diploma in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration or Public Administration from a university, college or technical institute acceptable to the board, or
(4) a professional accounting designation which is recognized under provincial legislation, or
(5) a professional designation from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Canada, or
(6) other similar degrees, certificates, diplomas or designations approved by the board; and

2. has served satisfactorily, in the opinion of the board, for:

(1) the equivalent of one year or 1,800 hours of office experience as the chief administrative officer of a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, providing the application is accompanied by a statement from the applicant municipality or local government’s auditor attesting that the applicant has satisfactorily performed the duties required of the chief administrative officer, or
(2) the equivalent of 400 hours of office experience as the chief administrative officer of a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, providing the application is accompanied by a statement from the applicant municipality or local government’s auditor attesting that the applicant has satisfactorily performed the duties required of the chief administrative officer, and,
has successfully completed the challenge exam provided by the Rural Board of Examiners, or,
(3) the equivalent of one year or 1,800 hours on-the-job training in a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, where the training officer holds an advanced certificate in local government administration, or equivalent as deemed acceptable to the board , providing the application is accompanied by a completed Class C certificate verification form, which is attached as schedule “A” to these regulations, from the applicant’s training officer attesting that the applicant possesses a competent level of skill and knowledge, or
(4) the equivalent of 400 hours on-the-job training in a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, where the training officer holds an advanced certificate in local government administration, or equivalent as deemed acceptable to the board , providing the application is accompanied by a completed Class C certificate verification form, which is attached as schedule “A” to these regulations, from the applicant’s training officer attesting that the applicant possesses a competent level of skill and knowledge, and,
has successfully completed the challenge exam provided by the Rural Board of Examiners, or,
(5) the equivalent of 400 hours on-the-job training in a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, where the training officer holds an advanced certificate in local government administration, or equivalent as deemed acceptable to the board , providing the application is accompanied by a completed Class C certificate verification form, which is attached as schedule “A” to these regulations, from the applicant’s training officer attesting that the applicant possesses a competent level of skill and knowledge, and,
holds a degree in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration or equivalent from a university acceptable to the board as outlined in Section 5 a. i. (2), or,
(6) less than 400 hours on-the-job training in a municipality or local government in Canada with annual operating expenditures in excess of $200,000 over a three year average, where the training officer holds an advanced certificate in local government administration, or equivalent as deemed acceptable to the board , providing the application is accompanied by a completed Class C certificate verification form, which is attached as schedule “A” to these regulations, from the applicant’s training officer attesting that the applicant possesses a competent level of skill and knowledge, and,
holds a degree in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration or equivalent from a university acceptable to the board as outlined in Section 5 a. i. (2), and,
has successfully completed the challenge exam provided by the Rural Board of Examiners.
(7) The Challenge Exam as noted in subsections (2), (4), and (6) above shall be subject to the following conditions and terms:

3. An applicant may only write the challenge exam one time.
4. The applicant shall be allowed 3 hours to write the exam.
5. The applicant shall be provided with a copy of The Rural Municipality Act for their use during the exam.
6. The fee for the exam shall be $350.00 plus the cost of the certificate application should the applicant be successful in the exam.
7. The passing mark shall be 80%.
a. The applicant shall have the option of writing the exam at the office of any of the current RMAA Executive Board Members.
8. Exams shall be evaluated by the Past President of the RMAA.
9. Evaluated exams will not be returned to the applicant.

3. holds educational qualifications and has fulfilled service requirements acceptable to the board.

10. A Class C certificate shall be signed by all members of the board.

b. Subject to subsection 5.d, a Class C certificate is valid for a period of five years from the later of:
1. the date of its issue, or
ii. the last day of a period of at least two years continuous service wherein the holder of the certificate was actually employed;

(1) as an administrator, or
(2) as an assistant administrator, or
(3) as an acting administrator, or
(4) in a municipal position that the board considers equivalent to one mentioned in subclause (1), (2) or (3).

11. A Class C certificate may be renewed by the board on any terms or conditions that the board may prescribe.

12. Notwithstanding any other provision of these regulations:

1. where the board is satisfied that it would be unreasonable to expect a person to meet the requirements of these regulations, the board may issue a Class C certificate to that person on any terms and conditions that the board may determine;
ii. the board, on receipt of an application from a person who is the holder of a valid and subsisting Advanced Certificate issued by the Urban Municipal Administrators’ Association of Saskatchewan, shall issue a Class C certificate to the applicant.

6.

a. The board may issue a Class A certificate to a person who is the holder of a valid and subsisting Class C certificate and, since the date of issuing this Class C certificate, has completed at least two years of satisfactory continuous service as an administrator, or in a position that the board considers equivalent.
2. A Class A certificate is to be signed by all members of the board.

7. a. The board may issue a Superior A certificate to a person who:

2. is the holder of a valid and subsisting Class A certificate, and
ii has fulfilled one of the following educational requirements;

(5) a degree in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration or equivalent from a university acceptable to the board, or
(6) a certificate or diploma in Commerce, Administration, Business Administration or Public Administration from a university, college or technical institute acceptable to the board, or
(7) other similar degrees, certificates, or diplomas approved by the board, or
(8) completion of a board approved designated program which consists of at least the equivalent of 15 credit hours of university level course work that meet the requirements of the Core and Elective categories outlined as follows:

(1) the Core level must consist of the equivalent of at least six credit hours of courses chosen from the topic areas of Management and Administration as described in the Core level topic area which is attached as schedule “B” to these regulations, (normally this would mean the completion of two university courses of three credit hours each or some other combination of courses totaling at least six credit hours);
(2) the Elective level must consist of the equivalent of at least nine credit hours of courses chosen from at least two of the topic areas of Management and Administration or Other courses as described in the Elective level topic area which is attached as schedule “C” to these regulations, (normally this would mean the completion of three university courses of three credit hours each or some other combination of courses totaling at least nine credit hours); or

4. has achieved one of the following professional designations;

(1) a professional accounting designation which is recognized under provincial legislation, or
(2) a professional designation from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Canada, or
(3) other similar designations approved by the board, and

5. since the date of issuing their Class A certificate, has completed at least five years of satisfactory service as an administrator, or in a position that the board considers equivalent.
6. a Superior A certificate is to be signed by all members of the board.

8. An application for a certificate must be:

1. In the form prescribed by the board; and
2. Accompanied by a non-refundable fee:
1. in the case of a Class C certificate, of $200;
ii in the case of a Class A certificate, of $400;
iii in the case of a Superior A certificate, of $400.

9. In considering an application for a certificate, the board may make any investigations or order any reports that it considers necessary, including at a minimum:

a. In the case of a Class C certificate;

1. evidence of satisfactorily fulfilling the educational and service requirements.
2. In the case of a Class A certificate:

i. evidence of satisfactorily fulfilling the service requirements, and
ii. a report from an R.M.A.A. appointed inspector, and
iii. a report from the applicant’s auditor, and
iv. reports from the applicant’s Reeve and Councillors.
c. In the case of a Superior A certificate:

1. evidence of satisfactorily fulfilling the educational and service requirements, and
ii. a report from an R.M.A.A. appointed inspector, and
iii. a report from the applicant’s auditor, and
iv. reports from the applicant’s Reeve and Councillors.

10. a. Where the board is satisfied that the holder of a certificate issued pursuant to these regulations:

1. has been dishonest or grossly negligent in the discharge of their duties as an administrator or other municipal official; or
ii. obtained their certificate in a fraudulent manner;
the board may, subject to subsection (b), cancel or revoke the certificate or suspend it for a stated period.
2. Before arriving at a decision under subsection (a), the board shall:
1. set a date, time and place for a hearing;
ii. provide the holder of the certificate with written notice of the date, time place and purpose of the hearing by registered mail postmarked 30 days in advance of the hearing;
iii. afford the holder of the certificate an opportunity to be heard at the hearing.

11. a. Where the board cancels, revokes or suspends a certificate and requests the return of the certificate, the holder of the certificate shall return the certificate to the board.
2. Upon the expiration of a period of suspension imposed pursuant to subsection 10 a., the board shall return the certificate to its holder.