Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing the Path to Growth

Advisory Committee Report | June 2011

Prepared for City of Toronto Economic Development Committee and Toronto City Council

The contribution of all Advisory Committee members is gratefully acknowledged. The recommendations and comments presented in this report reflect the discussion and consensus of the Committee members. The members are unanimous that the 12 key recommendations should be supported, and that together with the proposals for further study, the report contains ideas that will promote Torontos prosperity. All Committee members participated in their personal capacities, their affiliations are provided for identification only.

Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing the Path to Growth
TAblE of ConTEnTs
Message from Councillor Michael Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Chair, Economic Development Committee Message from blake Goldring, M.s.M., CfA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Chair, Toronto Prosperity Initiative Toronto Prosperity Initiative Advisory Committee Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Advisory Committee Mandate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Action Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Why the business climate and economic growth in Toronto is important and urgent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Immediate Action
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14

Getting Toronto Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Management by Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Re-engineer the Business / Government Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 City-owned Property, Creating Value and Reducing Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Outreach and Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 future Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Labour Force Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Strategic Industry Sectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Non-land City Assets Positioning
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30 30

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Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 summary of Recommendations for Immediate Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 summary of suggested future Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Establishing a Path to Growth 1

MEssAGE fRoM CounCIlloR MIChAEl ThoMPson

As Chair of the City of Torontos Economic Development Committee, I invited Blake Goldring, M.S.M., CFA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AGF, to assemble and Chair an Advisory Committee tasked with helping Toronto to realize its economic potential. Blake brought together an impressive team of prominent business and labour leaders to identify impediments to economic development in Toronto, and to propose improvements to the Citys relationship with business. Each and every member of the Advisory Committee demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to this mission, and I thank them all for their exceptional insights and wise counsel. Toronto is Canadas economic capital and we have the ingredients for global success. However, we have lagged behind in our efforts to transform our potential into tangible success. The Advisory Committee, with its exceptional pool of experience and insight, is a key first step toward seizing our economic potential. It is an important step because the Committee has brought forward ideas that are economically feasible and can deliver immediate results for the City. Through purposeful discussion and frank exchanges, Committee members identified areas of responsibility that have become obstacles to the Citys economic success. While many of their ideas are not new, what is new is our determination to address and remedy them. The Committees work is both commendable and essential as a motivator of civic improvement. I am pleased to accept this report from the Toronto Prosperity Initiative Advisory Committee and submit it to the Economic Development Committee and City Council for consideration and action. It is my hope that Council will endorse these recommendations expeditiously, so that we may move forward quickly to advance the Citys economic development agenda.

Councillor Michael Thompson Chair, Economic Development Committe

Councillor Michael Thompson Ward 37, Scarborough Centre Chair, Economic Development Committee

2 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

MEssAGE fRoM blAkE GolDRInG

It is my pleasure as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Toronto Prosperity Initiative to submit this report, Toronto Prosperity Initiative: Establishing a Path to Growth to the City of Torontos Economic Development Committee and Council for their consideration. The Advisory Committee was convened at the request of Councillor Thompson, Chair of the Economic Development Committee. Its membership brings together a broad array of interests and wealth of experience and knowledge. I thank all members of the Advisory Committee for giving so willingly and generously of their time, ideas, and thoughtful comments over our many meetings and drafting sessions. Although the City delivers a vast array of services and programs, the Advisory Committee was asked to identify priority issues of immediate concern requiring the attention of City Council and staff. Specifically, we were challenged with identifying a short list of pragmatic action areas that should be addressed quickly and would stimulate economic growth and job creation in the short term. I am confident we have met that challenge. Moreover, in addition to the short-term benefits, I believe the recommendations contained in this report if implemented will lay the foundation for a cultural shift within the City that will lead to long-term economic prosperity, job growth and an even better city. I also want to thank all of the City staff who facilitated the Advisory Committee meetings and the preparation of this report. City staff, like Advisory Committee members, understand there is more work to do. The recommendations in this report identify the priority areas for action. Subject to approval by City Council, we ask that detailed implementation plans be developed and acted upon with a sense of urgency. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to chair this committee and contribute to the building of our great city. In accepting the invitation to participate on the Advisory Committee, I like other members, asked only that our recommendations be seriously considered and addressed. I look forward to the Citys comments.

Blake Goldring Chair, Toronto Prosperity Initiative

blake C. Goldring M.S.M., CFA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer AGF Management Limited Chair, Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing a Path to Growth 3

ToRonTo PRosPERITy InITIATIvE

Advisory Committee

Blake C. Goldring Chairman and Chief Executive Officer AGF Management Limited Chair, Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Joe Halstead Chair, Ontario Place Development Corp Board Member, Metrolinx

D. Allen Loney President and Chief Executive Officer Great-West Lifeco Inc. The Great-West Life Assurance Company London Life Insurance Company The Canada Life Assurance Company

Paul Boucher Senior Investment Director Meridiam Infrastructure

Michael Thompson Chair, Economic Development Committee Councillor, Scarborough Centre, Ward 37

William Morneau Executive Chairman Morneau Shepell

Darrell Bricker Chief Executive Officer Ipsos Reid 4 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Pamela Jeffery President, The Jeffery Group Limited Founder, Womens Executive Network (WXN)

Hari Panday President and Chief Executive Officer PanVest Capital Corporation Senior Advisor, ICICI Bank Canada

William B.P. Robson President and Chief Executive Officer C.D. Howe Institute

Larry Tanenbaum, O.C. Chairman and Co-Owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Dr. Joseph Wong Founder and Chair Emeritus Yee Hong Centre and Foundation

Wayne Squibb President and Chief Executive Officer Realstar Group

Jennifer Tory Regional President, Greater Toronto Region RBC Royal Bank

Michael Yorke President Carpenters Local 27

Catherine Swift President and Chief Executive Officer Canadian Federation of Independent Business

Carol Wilding President and Chief Executive Officer Toronto Board of Trade

Establishing a Path to Growth 5

6 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

ExECuTIvE suMMARy
Cities around the world are facing an array of economic, fiscal and operational challenges. Toronto, like many other cities, has in the past sought to address these issues with a series of temporary solutions and property tax increases. While the recession of 2008/2009 exacerbated the prevailing situation, Toronto emerged from the economic downturn better positioned for success than most other major cities around the world. Capitalizing on this success, however, will require thoughtful, focused and deliberate actions. As Chair of the Citys Economic Development Committee, Councillor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre, Ward 37), convened an Advisory Committee of prominent business and labour leaders to recommend ways to stimulate and accelerate economic growth and job creation and achieve a sustainable solution to the challenges Toronto is facing. In undertaking this task, the Advisory Committee members reviewed past reports and proposals, consulted with colleagues and associates, and exchanged ideas with its Chair and each other through telephone calls and e-mails, and through full committee meetings. The Committee members noted that effecting the fundamental change necessary for sustained success would require a cultural shift in how the City does business. The Committee also recognized that there is no quick fix; however, it is essential that the City take quick action to initiate the change process. Consequently, it focused its attention on identifying actions that could be implemented and show results in the short-term, while also contributing to the cultural shift necessary for long-term sustainability. The Committee deliberated on actions that would increase transparency and accountability, improve efficiencies, make better use of existing assets, and establish mechanisms for ongoing collaboration. In addition to the 12 recommendations, the Advisory Committee also identified 10 future initiatives for consideration. These additional actions which will support labour force development, strategic industry sectors, non-property City assets, and positioning are also very important initiatives for the City to pursue as soon as practical but will take longer to implement and produce results. The Advisory Committee recommendations align with the strategic framework presented to the Economic Development Committee by its Chair at its meeting in January 2011. That is, to improve Torontos business climate and accelerate sustainable jobs and investment growth by expanding external and internal collaboration, focusing on quality jobs, re-engineering the business/government interface, and emphasizing measurement. If fully endorsed and implemented, these recommendations will engage the ideas and energy of business, labour, residents and City staff, help them provide informed and meaningful input, reduce the friction too often encountered in day-to-day interactions with the City, reduce costs and generate additional revenue for the City, contribute to building a more entrepreneurial and innovation-driven city and increase accountability for results. This report is presented as part of a larger integrated cultural change process. To establish a process of continual improvement the City should prepare an annual report documenting progress on each of the following recommendations.

Establishing a Path to Growth 7

8 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

1.0 IntroduCtIon
1.1. Context
The work of the Toronto Prosperity Initiative Advisory Committee is in keeping with a new approach to economic development presented by Councillor Thompson to the Economic Development Committee on January 28, 2011. Councillor Thompsons proposed strategic framework establishes a clear goal and action areas for the Economic Development Committee that are in keeping with the Mayors stated priorities as well as the principles of good governance. Goal

To improve Torontos business and cultural climate, and accelerate sustainable jobs and investment growth

strategic Action Areas

Expand external & internal collaboration Focus on quality jobs Re-engineer the business/government interface Emphasize measurement

1.2. Advisory Committee Mandate

The Toronto Prosperity Initiative Advisory Committee was convened at the outset of his Chairmanship by Councillor Michael Thompson to provide a set of objective, informed and constructively critical advice to the Chair to assist the Economic Development Committee in addressing its goal and strategic action areas. The Advisory Committee members were asked to develop a short list of actionable recommendations to stimulate job creation and economic growth by improving the efficiency of City policies, programs and operations and establishing a positive, customer-focused service delivery culture.

1.3. Process
At Councillor Thompsons invitation, Blake Goldring, Chairman & CEO, AGF Management Ltd., agreed to serve as Chair of an Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for consideration by the Economic Development Committee, Mayor Rob Ford and City Council. The Advisory Committee, including Mr. Goldring and Councillor Thompson, was comprised of 17 senior business and labour leaders. The members brought a broad base of knowledge, expertise and both strategic and practical experience to the table as they discussed city governance and how it affects the economy. Staff from Mayor Fords office and Councillor Thompsons office as well as Michael Williams, General Manager, Economic Development & Culture (EDC) Division and Randy McLean, Director (Acting), Strategic Growth & Sector Development, EDC, also participated in the discussions. The Advisory Committee was challenged to review previous reports and proposals and prepare concrete, actionable recommendations that would produce tangible results in the short term and establish a clear pathway for long-term success.
An Action Plan for Toronto 9

In undertaking this task, the Advisory Committee reviewed the Agenda for Prosperity, the Citys current economic competitiveness strategy adopted by City Council in 2008, and the Blueprint for Fiscal Stability and Economic Prosperity A Call to Action, also adopted by Council in 2008. The Agenda for Prosperity is a long-term aspirational vision for the city. The Blueprint for Fiscal Stability and Economic Prosperity focused primarily on financial matters. Both were prepared prior to the economic downturn and recession that began in the Fall of 2008. The Toronto Prosperity Initiative: Establishing a Path to Growth report borrows from and builds on these previous plans where appropriate taking into consideration the new economic reality. The Advisory Committee also benefited from presentations and comments by Councillor Michael Thompson, Councillor Doug Ford and City staff who participated in the deliberations, as well as their own wide and diverse network of colleagues, associates, friends and others who all share a common interest in the success of the City. Five meetings of the Advisory Committee were convened by the Chair to discuss issues and opportunities, generate a long list of potential action areas, develop assessment criteria, identify priorities and make recommendations. Advisory Committee members also provided input to the Chair via e-mail, telephone and individual meetings. Councillor Thompson requested that the Advisory Committee present its recommendations to the Citys Economic Development Committee at its meeting scheduled for June 2, 2011.

1.4. Action Areas

The Advisory Committee was asked to identify potential action areas to improve the business and cultural climate in Toronto and accelerate sustainable economic activity. The Committee was also specifically requested to provide its recommendations in regard to the highest priority action areas. The Committee was not asked to develop detailed costing or implementation plans. Subject to City Council endorsement of the Advisory Committees recommendations costing and implementation plans should be prepared by appropriate City staff. A total of 22 potential action areas were identified by the Advisory Committee. All of these action areas can be categorized as efficiency improvements related to City operations and/or job creation initiatives. All 22 potential action areas were assessed and rated by the Advisory Committee based on four criteria:

The Advisory Committee recognizes that the required changes, including re-engineering the business/government interface are not easy tasks and cannot happen in a day, or even a year. However, it is important to begin the change process as soon as possible and to demonstrate and communicate progress quickly. The recommendations of this report therefore do not attempt to overreach or address all of the citys issues at once. There is no
10 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Impact (high, medium, low) Cost (high, medium, low) Ease of implementation (easy, moderate, difficult) Timing (immediate, 1 2 years, 2 5 years, 5+ years)

silver bullet, magic wand or pot of gold. The recommendations focus on achievable, short-term initiatives intended in large part to bring about visible improvement in critical services and reduce the friction in businesses and labours day-to-day dealings with the City, thereby sending a strong signal to residents, businesses and potential investors that change is under way. The Advisory Committee recommends 12 action areas for priority implementation by City Council and staff. These 12 priority action areas have a strong emphasis on achieving results quickly but affecting change that will have long lasting impacts. Ten additional action areas that would take longer to implement and generate results are also included in this report as future initiatives. All 22 action areas are considered by the Advisory Committee as important for the City to address. Implementing as many of the recommended priority action areas as quickly as possible will create some much needed positive momentum and make it easier to gain the public and stakeholder support necessary to advance longer term objectives. The recommendations are not about marketing, they are about reality. The best marketing will be the business owner who passes on to a contact that Toronto is a better administration to work and invest with than it was a year ago. This change will be effected one transaction at a time. It is a retail campaign driven by deeds, not a wholesale campaign driven by slogans and ads. The recommendations are practical in nature and have been deliberately developed to ensure that the benefits will accrue to the entire city when properly implemented.

1.5. Why the business climate and economic growth in Toronto is important and urgent
By virtually any measure, Toronto is Ontario and Canadas economic, education, corporate and cultural capital. With a population of 2.7 million people, Toronto is the core city of a large urban area of about 6.1 million people known as the Greater Toronto Area & Hamilton, and the Greater Golden Horseshoe which extends to Niagara Region and includes 8.5 million residents. City of Toronto residents are well educated, highly skilled, and creative. They have come from around the world to make Toronto their home. Toronto is also Canadas corporate headquarters, leading business address, and largest employment centre. About 1.4 million jobs, or about 10 per cent of total national employment, are located in Toronto in a diverse array of 83,000 businesses. An estimated $144 billion of goods and services are generated annually (GDP 2010) within the city. On a percentage of national GDP basis Toronto is equivalent to the economic activity generated in the United States by New York City, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco combined. The economy of the Toronto region is diverse as well as large. This is a key strength that gives it resiliency and therefore makes it better able than many other city regions to weather economic downturns. Toronto is a leading North American and global centre for financial services, information technology, culture, education, biotechnology, health care, design, food and beverage, green/renewable energy, professional services and tourism.
Establishing a Path to Growth 11

12 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Canada is currently recognized as having one of, if not the best, financial services system in the world, and Toronto is at the heart of that system with 14 major financial headquarters located here - one of the highest concentrations anywhere. The Financial Services sector alone employs 221,000 people in Toronto. Canadas five largest banks, three of the worlds top 50 pension funds with combined assets of $300 billion, three of the worlds top insurance companies headquartered or with many significant operations, 61 mutual funds companies responsible for managing 90% of assets in Canada as well as 50 foreign bank subsidiaries, nine Global Fortune 500 companies, and North Americas third-largest stock exchange are clustered in Toronto. Toronto is also Canadas technology hub and one of North Americas largest information and communications technology (ICT) clusters by employment with almost 12,000 ICT firms and over 160,000 employees. This number of employees does not include the many thousands of ICT staff working in other technology-intensive industries, such as financial services, business services, and health care.

GDP by Province and CMA

500 450 400 350 300 $Billions 250

Toronto CMA
200 150 100 50

City of Toronto

Culturally, Toronto is recognized as the third-largest theatre centre in the English-speaking world, after New York and London. It is also the third largest centre in North America for film and television production. The cultural sector employs about 130,000 highly entrepreneurial people in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations of all sizes. Torontos geographic location also provides it with a competitive advantage. Toronto is a gateway to a $15 trillion NAFTA market with more than 180 million consumers living within a 90-minute flight or one-day drive. In short, despite changing global conditions, Toronto continues to be a key driver of the Ontario and Canadian economies. Getting Torontos economy right is a matter of importance and urgency.

Establishing a Path to Growth 13

The City maintains over $62 billion in municipal infrastructure and facilities including:

5,400 properties, 1,000 buildings, 26.5 million square

of road (10,033 5,600 kmstreets, expressways, different ramps and laneways)

The Scorecard on Prosperity 2011, produced by the Toronto Board of Trade, benchmarked 24 global metropolitan areas using 33 indicators to assess competitiveness in two domains Labour Attractiveness and Economic Performance. Overall, the Scorecard ranked the Toronto region 8th behind Paris, San Francisco, Calgary, Boston, London, Dallas and Seattle and ahead of New York (10), Vancouver (14), Chicago (15), Hong Kong (16), Los Angeles (18) and Montreal (20). Torontos 8th place overall ranking is the result of a strong 4th place rank in terms of Labour Attractiveness and a middle of the pack 11th place rank in terms of economic performance. Given its many competitive advantages, the Toronto region, led by the City of Toronto, should and can improve these results.

feet of building space, and approximately 15 million square feet of public space

2.0 ImmedIAte ACtIon

2.1 Getting Toronto Right
The City of Toronto is a large, complex organization. Toronto is the 6th largest government in Canada, governed by a Council of 45 elected officials, Mayor Rob Ford and 44 councillors, responsible for a gross annual operating, capital and rate support budget of $13.3 billion (2011). As illustrated in Figure 1, Councils decision-making structure is composed of seven Standing Committees which consider city-wide issues; four Community Councils, one for each geographic area of the city; and an Executive Committee responsible for policies, priorities and financial matters including, budget, employee and labour relations, and affordable housing as well as international and intergovernmental relations. Separate Audit, Board of Health, Civic Appointment and Striking Committees also report to City Council. As shown in Figure 2, the Citys governance structure also includes five city-owned corporations, two partially City-owned corporations, numerous local, service, program and community boards as well as quasi-judicial/ administrative functions and a variety of special purpose bodies. Figure 3, shows the Citys management structure which consists of 48 divisions. Eight divisions report directly to the City Manager and 40 divisions are divided among three clusters each managed by a Deputy City Manager. Through all of these entities, collectively referred to as ABCCDs - agencies, boards, commissions, corporations and divisions - the City employs approximately 45,000 people, including 7,800 police and 12,400 TTC staff. The City also owns and is responsible for maintaining over $62 billion (replacement value, 2009) of municipal infrastructure, facilities and other assets including municipal buildings, roads, sewers, watermains, transit facilities, community facilities and emergency response services. Getting it right requires attention to detail.

sewers 10,002 km of storm) (sanitary, combined and 8,000 km of sidewalks Over 180 km of bike lanes 970 bridges and culverts 2,159 traffic control signals 158,890 streetlights 140 bus routes (7,206 km) 11 streetcar routes (305 km) lines 3 subwaykm) (62 km); 1 SRT line (6.4 and 8,000 hectares 1,500 parks (ravines, valleys, of parklands

62 community centres 99 libraries 9 museums 43 ambulance stations 10 long term care homes

woodlots, waterfront natural areas, parks and farmland)

2.2 Management by Performance

Meaningful attention to detail starts with reliable, high-quality metrics. In any organization, particularly an organization as large and complex as the City of Toronto, establishing, monitoring and regularly reporting on key performance indicators is essential.
14 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

figure 1 City Council structure

CITY COUNCIL Audit Civic Appointments

Board of Health

Striking

Executive

Standing Policy Committees Community Development & Recreation Economic Development Public Works & Infrastructure Government Management Parks & Environment Planning & Growth Management

Community Councils

Executive Committee Budget Committee Employee & Labour Relations Affordable Housing

Etobicoke York

North York

Licensing & Standards

Scarborough

Toronto & East York

Establishing a Path to Growth 15

figure 2 Agencies, boards, Commissions and Corporations AGENCIES, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND CORPORATIONS (ABCCS)
OBCA* Corporations
Build Toronto Corp. Invest Toronto Corp. Toronto Community Housing Corp. Toronto Hydro Corp. Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) c.o.b. Toronto Port Lands Company (TPLC)

(restricted City Authority)

Local Boards

Service & Program Operating Boards

Exhibition Place Heritage Toronto Sony Centre for the Performing Arts St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Toronto Centre for the Arts Toronto Parking Authority Toronto Transit Commission Toronto Zoo Yonge-Dundas Square Community-based Arena Boards Association of Community Centres (AOCCs) Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)

Quasi-Judicial & Positions

Committee of Adjustment Committe of Revision Property Standards Committee/ Fence Viewers Rooming House Licensing Commission Sign Variance Committee Toronto Licensing Tribunal

Financial/ Administrative
Sinking Fund Committee Toronto Atmospheric Fund

Board of Health Toronto Police Services Board Public Library Board

OBCA* Partnered Corporations

Enwave Energy Corp. Waterfront Toronto

*Ontario Business Corporation Act

SPECIAL PURPOSE BODIES

Program Advisory Bodies

Metro Toronto Pension Plan, Board of Trustees Metro Toronto Police Benefit Fund, Board of Trustees Toronto Civic Employees Pension and Benefit Fund Committee Toronto Fire Department Superannuation and Benefit Fund Committee York Employees Pension and Benefit Fund Committee
Note: The City also makes nominations for board appointments to a number of external bodies Updated: June 1, 2010

Political Advisory Bodies

Museum Boards Toronto Preservation Board Other advisory bodies established from time-to-time

16 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

figure 3 City Management structure

Note: The Auditor General, Integrity Commissioner, Lobbyist Registrar and Ombudsman report directly to City Council. Auditor General Integrity Commissioner Lobbyist Registrar Ombudsman

CITY COUNCIL

City Clerks Of ce City Clerk Legal Services City Solicitor

City Manager

Note: The City Clerk and Solicitor report to City Council for statutory purposes and to the City Manager for administrative purposes.

Executive Management

Strategic & Corporate Policy

Human Resources

Strategic Communications

Internal Audit

Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Of ce

Deputy City Manager

Deputy City Manager

Deputy City Manager & Chief Financial Of cer

Public Health*

Major Capital Infrastructure Coordination Of ce**

Toronto Environment Of ce

Corporate Finance

Information & Technology

Affordable Housing Of ce**

Toronto Of ce of Partnerships**

Of ce of Emergency Management**

Waterfront Secretariat**

Finance & Administration

Special Projects

311 Toronto

Employment & Social Services

City Planning

Technical Services

Financial Planning

Childrens Services

Long-Term Care Homes & Services

Fire Services

Toronto Building

Treasurer

Chief Corporate Of cer

Court Services

Parks, Forestry & Recreation

Municipal Licensing & Standards

Toronto Water

Accounting Services

Facilities Management

Economic Development & Culture

Shelter, Support & Housing Administration

Policy, Planning, Finance & Administration

Transportation Services

Pension, Payroll & Employee Bene ts

Fleet Services

Emergency Medical Services

Social Development, Finance & Administration

Solid Waste Management Services

Purchasing & Materials Management

Real Estate Services

* The Medical Of cer of Health reports to the Board of Health and coordinates with the Deputy City Manager on administrative matters affecting City employees within Toronto Public Health ** Within the Deputy City Managers of ce indicated

Revenue Services

Establishing a Path to Growth 17

The City should adopt a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect critical success factors and will define and measure how well it is performing in relation to its strategic goals and objectives. The role of KPIs in defining success cannot be overstated. For the City to achieve success, everyone involved Mayor, Council, senior management, front line staff and external partners and stakeholders must be working toward the same goals and objectives. KPIs serve to align actions by removing ambiguity and clearly defining the direction of success and expected results. Measuring results on a regular basis tells us whether or not our policies, programs and other initiatives are taking us in the right direction and are having the intended impact. Results are not just about looking back: they provide information to guide future improvements. Ideally we may want an indicator that aggregates travel times across many routes and different periods of the day, week, and year. This type of indicator, however, is difficult to verify and not easily understood by the public. A more narrow indicator, such as travel times on specific routes is less comprehensive but more meaningful. Similarly, while comparisons to other similar sized cities would be helpful as we should be striving to be the best, comparative data are not always readily available. Using 2010 data as a starting point and working to improve from there would facilitate a quick start to this initiative. The City does maintain a number of different performance indicator databases; however, with the exception of the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Indicators (OMBI) series the Citys performance measures are not made public in any comprehensive or regular manner. KPIs should also be established to measure the impact of the Citys actions on the local economy. These indices show how effectively tax dollars are being used and should be presented to the public. Regular reporting ensures accountability. Positive results are recognized and inspire confidence; poor results identified early allow corrective actions to be taken and improvement made sooner. KPIs are also one of the most effective ways for the City to communicate externally to what at this time is a sceptical public. Regular reporting of results indicates not only the Citys performance, but also the serious attitude it takes to ensure good performance. Internally, KPI results are effective in getting buy-in from constructively oriented employees and motivating cross divisional learning. Effective KPIs motivate and recognize excellence. Well-chosen KPIs will provide the Mayor, Council, management and staff with the information they need to make improvements. Keeping the indicators few and concrete, at least at the outset, would be the best approach. To the greatest extent possible, the indicators should be about results City staff can affect wholly or mainly by themselves (i.e. progress should not be dependent upon the actions and/or agreement of others). Indicators cannot capture everything of importance, but they can highlight key elements. For example, transportation is one of the most important issues the City must tackle. It is also one of the most costly and difficult to address. Congestion on the highways, roads and transit systems within the city of Toronto is costing businesses and residents billions of dollars annually. This issue directly impacts businesses of all types and all sizes. Congestion makes it more difficult for existing businesses to operate and more difficult to attract new businesses and skilled workers to the city. As Toronto continues to develop, travel demand will continue to increase. The City needs a comprehensive plan to manage and accommodate the increasing demand with the goal of regularly measuring and reducing congestion and travel time.

18 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing a Path to Growth 19

Possible KPI categories and measures include:

Travel and transportation (travel time, TTC on-time rates, congestion at key intersections) Outside services (timeliness of garbage collection, snow removal, EMS services, street cleanliness) Inside services (wait times for various services/permits, telephone return times) Cost reporting (cost of building permit and inspection services, road maintenance, transit operating costs, wastewater treatment)

As noted above some of these data are already recorded and reported. Staff at all levels of the organization should be empowered to share ideas for improvements and sustainability. Some of the best and most easily implemented ideas for increasing efficiency and removing unnecessary barriers come from front-line staff. Good ideas may also come from staff working in other ABCCDs with relevant experience or knowledge. Implementation of KPIs should extend to the Citys ABCCDs. The performance of City corporations, such as Toronto Hydro, should be benchmarked against best-in-class providers of similar products and/or services worldwide with a focus on increasing profitability, reducing costs and having the best metrics in their class.

RECoMMEnDATIons:
A.1. Establish key success / performance indicators and targets to define and measure operational improvements and performance relative to base periods, other comparator cities and best in class. KPIs should focus on internal performance metrics and external impact metrics. Extend the use of KPIs to benchmark and report on the performance of City corporations with a focus on increasing profitability and reducing costs. Implement mechanisms to monitor and report results on a regular basis. A.2. Empower all City staff to share ideas. Establish easy-to-use, easyto-access, systems for all staff to submit suggestions. Celebrate and reward good ideas.

2.3 Re-engineer the business / Government Interface

In terms of re-engineering the business / government interface to stimulate job creation and investment attraction, three priority areas for the City to address are: (i) reducing the time and cost for the review and approval of development and building applications, particularly industrial, commercial and institutional development, including expansions, relocations and new facilities; (ii) removing unnecessary regulatory and process barriers; and (iii) implementing best practices for procurement procedures. These initiatives will strengthen the Citys role as an enabler of economic growth and prosperity. Industrial, commercial and institutional developments create quality jobs for
20 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Toronto residents. These types of development also pay more in municipal property taxes than they consume in city services and thus make a net positive contribution to the Citys finances. The Citys GoldStar (concierge service) program to better coordinate and accelerate the development review process, and the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) Grant programs to accelerate and attract developments that create permanent jobs are initiatives that have been helpful, but these activities need to be significantly enhanced. The City will be undertaking an Official Plan review this year and revisiting its comprehensive zoning by-law. These initiatives should be expanded to re-engineer the planning and building approval process to substantially reduce the time and cost of development. Sometimes the best thing a government can do is get out of the way. In todays globally competitive, high speed economy, successful businesses have shifted from routine assembly of standardized goods and services to continually evolving, made-to-order, value-added production. To facilitate economic success, the City of Toronto must also shift from a rules and regulations based approach designed to control investment, to a flexible, adaptable approach designed to invite, welcome and accelerate investment. Although the recently initiated and ongoing e-Service initiatives are noticeable improvements, the City should systematically review its regulations, procedures and permits to eliminate unnecessary requirements. For example, the City should review its construction standards and work with the surrounding municipalities to adopt common product specifications for materials to the greatest extent possible. The City of Toronto is one of the largest public sector purchasers in Canada with an estimated annual total procurement of about $1.5 billion of third party goods and services. At this scale, even small improvements can produce large cost savings. Other major cities and governments that are also large purchasers have developed sophisticated procurement, risk sharing, value engineering and contract management procedures that may benefit the City. In addition, as the economic and corporate capital of Canada, there are many large corporations located in Toronto with a vast amount of private sector procurement experience that the administration should tap into. The ongoing financial constraints in both the public and private sector make this an opportune time to engage in public-private partnerships to share risks, reduce costs, and accelerate implementation of major capital projects. The City should also explore the expanded use of property tax incentives. Taxation is one of the most effective policy implementation levers available to the City. Strategic use of incentives will accelerate achievement of the Citys goals.

RECoMMEnDATIons:
A.3. Re-engineer the planning and building review and approval process with the goal of cutting the time by one-third to one-half. Focus on city-building with an emphasis on accelerating and reducing the cost of industrial, commercial and institutional development, including expansions, relocations and new facilities.

Photo courtesy: Toronto Transit Committee

Establishing a Path to Growth 21

A.4. Evaluate the strategic use of tax incentives to stimulate development. A.5. Systematically review regulations, procedures and permits to remove barriers to job creation and investment. A.6. Implement best practices for procurement procedures. Identify industry-leading best practices, including use of public-private partnerships for large capital assets, and implement to reduce costs and/or improve value.

2.4 City-owned Property, Creating value and Reducing Costs

The City has been said to be land rich and cash poor. The City owns about $18 billion of real estate, substantial amounts of which are dormant or underutilized. In 2009, the City established Build Toronto as an arms length corporation to generate revenue by maximizing the value and economic development potential of properties under its management. Sale, joint venture and lease options should be considered. Build Torontos efforts should be enhanced to accelerate the monetization of the Citys land assets. This process may require investing in certain lands to maximize their value by making them development ready before sale or lease. Some of the Cityowned properties are former industrial sites. Although these sites are in good locations well serviced by road, transit and utilities the property values are significantly reduced by soil contamination issues. Cleaning up these properties would both increase the value and accelerate redevelopment and job creation. The process should also take advantage of opportunities to leverage investments by others. The City of Toronto is for example a major land owner in the waterfront area which includes the West Don Lands community that will accommodate the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes Village. The section of the West Don Lands that will be used during the Games is being developed by Waterfront Toronto in partnership with Infrastructure Ontario. The upcoming 1812 Bi-Centennial celebrations (2012) and Pan Am Games (2015) are catalysts that should be used to kick start and accelerate development in order to create jobs, attract tourists and increase assessment sooner rather than later. Residents and businesses within the City of Toronto frequently cite the fact that city roads and sidewalks are constructed, repaved or repaired for one purpose only to be dug up soon thereafter for another purpose. In addition to the inconvenience and delays these multiple construction activities cause, they leave cracks in the road and sidewalk surface that make these public assets more susceptible to damage by water, frost and salt, thereby necessitating further repairs. The result is a patchwork of repairs that is inconvenient, unsightly and costly to city taxpayers. The City should pursue all possible avenues to coordinate construction activities so that all necessary work, including work by private utilities (e.g. cable, gas, hydro, telephone) is completed as part of a single project. In the event it becomes necessary for any agency to dig up the road, sidewalk or other City asset within a defined time period, such as five years, that agency should bear the full cost to
22 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing a Path to Growth 23

restore the asset to the pre-existing condition and pay a significant penalty. It is not appropriate that City of Toronto taxpayers bear the costs or have to accept the unsightly appearance resulting from the work of other utilities and agencies. Correcting the current situation may require a change in provincial and/or federal regulations that grant broad permission to other utilities to access municipal rights-of-way. The City has established the Major Capital Infrastructure Coordination Office. The Citys upcoming core service review should examine whether this office should be strengthened and promoted. Beyond construction activity, there is wide spread public concern that the appearance, and in particular the cleanliness, of Citys streets, transit shelters, parkettes and other areas used by residents, businesses and visitors has seriously declined over time. This reflects badly on the city as a place to live, work and invest, and on the City government. Conversely, a highquality, clean, public realm projects a sense of confidence, safety, security and pride that enhances the citys image and attracts social and economic activity. Residents, businesses and visitors all benefit from improving our public spaces. A substantive and sustained effort is required to improve and maintain the appearance of the public realm.

RECoMMEnDATIons:
A.7. Enhance and accelerate monetization of the Citys land assets. Make surplus City-owned land useable and development ready. A.8. Expedite approval process and funding to accelerate development and densification of the Waterfront using 1812 Bicentennial Celebrations and 2015 Pan/Para pan American Games as catalysts to create jobs, attract tourists and increase assessment. A.9. Strengthen and promote the existing Major Capital Infrastructure Coordination Office. Pursue all possible avenues, including changes to federal and provincial regulations and penalties for violations, to ensure that construction activities are coordinated and that all necessary work, including work by private utilities (e.g. cable, gas, hydro, telephone) is completed as part of a single project. A.10. Address health, safety and cleanliness issues to improve Torontos public spaces and image. A substantive and sustained effort is required to improve and maintain the appearance of the public realm. Explore ways to engage the private and philanthropic communities.

2.5 outreach and Collaboration

Successful businesses develop strong relationships with their customers, suppliers and support services and agencies. It is essential for the City to establish similar relationships with the business community to develop a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges business and labour face, and conversely for business and labour to develop an appreciation of municipal governance and management. Delivering on a promise of customer service excellence requires a proactive approach to identifying and resolving concerns before they become problems. A frank exchange of information, for example, in regard to why companies chose
24 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

to locate in Toronto, why they chose to expand within the city or elsewhere, why they might consider leaving, would provide invaluable insights about how policies, programs and services can best be adapted to achieve win-win outcomes for business, labour and city building. Getting it right requires addressing the cost of doing business. Municipal property taxes on industrial and commercial properties within the City of Toronto continue to be higher than in the surrounding regions. Reducing this tax differential is vital for sustained economic growth. Successfully implementing the recommendations of this report will help accelerate the Citys long-term plan to become more tax competitive by reducing operational costs and improving services. Getting it right also requires a collaborative and coordinated approach not only within the Citys administration, but also with external partners and stakeholders as well. One of the greatest strengths of the Toronto region is its diversity. Diversity in its broadest context economic diversity which creates resiliency, cultural diversity which brings creativity and innovation, aboriginal peoples, immigrants and native born Canadians, densely populated urban areas as well as suburban and rural areas, advantaged areas and neighbourhoods in need, diversity of thought and life experience, and socio-economic diversity including age, education, income, religion, sexual orientation and more. While diversity of people and activities is an asset, fragmentation of public organizations can be an obstacle. We can only realize the potential of our diversity advantage if we are able to coalesce these diverse realities and form a united whole. At the present time, there are a large number of organizations within the Toronto region doing work both at a community scale and city-wide scale that have similar mandates. Consequently some appear to be duplicating efforts, if not directly competing with others, rather than collaborating. For example, the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance (GTMA), Invest Toronto and Toronto Region Research Alliance (TRRA) all have mandates to attract foreign direct investment. A more collaborative and coordinated regional approach would benefit all. It is essential that the City of Toronto strive to forge an alignment of interests and actions among the many different groups and organizations with the goal of reducing costs and improving effectiveness. A collaborative approach will also help ensure that the interests of all groups are considered and the benefits of economic prosperity equitably distributed. The City should take a lead role in convening representatives from surrounding municipalities, business, labour and academia, as well as provincial and federal government officials to begin development of a regional economic competitiveness strategy and implementation plan. Recognizing that the municipal governments, business and labour organizations and academic institutions within the Toronto region are part of a single, interdependent economic region, the City of Toronto should strive to develop and implement a regional approach to attracting investment and stimulating economic growth. A collaborative regional approach is imperative if we are to effectively compete with other major world city regions.
Establishing a Path to Growth 25

RECoMMEnDATIons:
A.11. Mayor Ford and Councillor Michael Thompson, Chair, Economic Development Committee, should continue and possibly expand an ongoing outreach program to engage the CEOs of Torontobased companies and other civic leaders. An ongoing Open for Business Advisory Committee should also be established to monitor implementation of the recommendations of this report and provide advice to the Chair of the Economic Development Committee throughout this term of City Council. A.12. The Chair of the Economic Development Committee should take a lead role in convening representatives from surrounding municipalities, business, labour and academia, as well as provincial and federal government officials to begin development of a regional economic competitiveness strategy and implementation plan.

3.0 Future Initiatives

The Advisory Committee also identified 10 additional action areas for serious consideration. These action areas are also very important initiatives for the City to pursue as soon as practical but will take longer to implement and produce results. Any of the 10 future initiatives described below could be advanced if opportunity and budget presented themselves. In almost all of these future initiative areas, considerable awareness of the need for action exists and many initiatives are already underway. By listing them here, the Committee wishes to draw attention to the need for even greater action.

3.1 labour force Development

The unemployment rate for youth (aged 15 24 years) living in Toronto is consistently and significantly higher than the rate for the overall labour force. Given the approaching flood of retirements of the baby boom generation greater efforts need to be applied to encouraging and facilitating youth employment. There should also be a specific focus on aboriginal peoples and aboriginal youth. The aboriginal peoples population in Toronto is about five years younger than the non-aboriginal peoples population (median age 32 years, compared to 37 years), has higher unemployment and lower annual income levels. The City should expand partnerships and enhance existing programs such as:

Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) Youth Employment Partnership (YEP) More skills programs at colleges and universities Partnerships with Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) Using procurement processes to encourage apprenticeships (e.g. construction) Urban Aboriginal Peoples Strategy

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The City should also look to expanding partnerships to engage youth in sports and arts. Sports and arts are effective and positive ways to strengthen a sense of belonging, develop team building and leadership skills, and encourage creativity. All of these attributes are also important employment skills. With an aging population and less than replacement birthrate, immigration is essential to ensuring Toronto has the labour force required to support economic growth. At present the knowledge and skills of many well educated and highly trained immigrants are significantly underutilized to the detriment of the individuals, their families, communities and businesses. We need to attract and retain skilled immigrants in Toronto and more fully utilize their abilities. The federal and provincial governments must be encouraged to develop programs to assist immigrants to transition to life in Canada, ideally before they leave their country of origin. All orders of government should work collaboratively to ensure programs are as seamless as possible. International students also benefit the City in a number of different ways. International students are an important part of the business model for most post-secondary education institutions in Canada. As students, they bring a diverse range of knowledge and experience to the classroom that benefits all students. As visitors to Toronto, they explore our neighbourhoods and contribute to the local economy. As graduates, if they choose to remain in Toronto they provide essential skills for economic growth. If they choose to return home or relocate elsewhere in the world, they may become business, political and social leaders in their new home and provide a positive connection back to Toronto for future interactions. Education and training should focus on all types of jobs. Torontos construction industry, for example, is recognized as one of the best in the world. The industry has also developed outstanding training centres that assist youth to find good paying jobs and develop the labour force of the future for the industry. This is an opportune time to enhance and expand existing labour force development programs and to firmly establish Toronto as a Centre of Excellence in this field. Innovation is now a critical success factor for all businesses. Successful companies are continually developing new products and services and/or reengineering the way they conduct their business and deliver their current suite of offerings. Creating forums, events, venues and other opportunities to bring different perspectives together is a proactive way to accelerate innovation. MaRS, for example, is a hub for breakthrough thinking in life sciences, technology and social entrepreneurship. The Canadian Film Centre and Ontario College of Art & Design Universitys Digital Futures Initiative offering new cross-disciplinary programs in practice, research and innovation related to digital media, and Ryersons Digital Media Zone are other examples of partnership to accelerate innovation and commercialization.

InITIATIvEs:
B.1. Expand partnerships and enhance programs to stimulate youth employment, apprenticeships and internships. Consider the selective use of tax incentives to support business and development in priority areas.
Establishing a Path to Growth 27

28 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

B.2. Work with other orders of government and support organizations such as the Toronto Region Immigration Employment Council and Internationally Educated Professionals Conference to expedite recognition of international credentials and experience, and ensure immigrants are employed based on their accreditation, knowledge and skills. B.3. Work with colleges, universities and other educators to make Toronto a magnet for young, ambitious international students. B.4. Enhance and promote Toronto as a Centre of Excellence for professional and skilled trades. B.5. Work with industry to create thought incubators.

3.2 strategic Industry sectors

The City should build on existing efforts to identify the industry sectors most critical to economic growth in Toronto and direct resources to anchor, incent, and own these key sectors, in order to establish Toronto as the centre of gravity. There should also be a focus on developing sector-based economic growth strategies and policies for attracting capital and creating a business environment that is conducive to private sector development. A good start would be to prepare a white paper that assesses Torontos strengths and weaknesses, examines how the citys strengths tie together and identifies future policy directions. Canadas financial services industry is now recognized as a global leader and Toronto is the focal point of the industry. The City should work with organizations such as the Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA) to determine how best to lever this well-earned reputation to develop a global investment management centre rivalling London, New York, Singapore and Dublin. One approach would be to target foreign investment management firms, including private equity and hedge fund managers, administrative services, trading platforms and global research teams to establish operations in Toronto. Incentives should be developed, including tax breaks. Consideration should be given to the applicability of the tactics successfully used by Singapore and Hong Kong to attract quality firms, including possible investment allocations into newly established firms by certain public pension plans subject to fiduciary and hurdle rates of return being met.

Photographer: Jerry Abramowicz

InITIATIvEs:
B.6. Encourage and support further development of strategic industry sectors with goal of establishing world class clusters. B.7. Reinforce and expand Torontos presence as a global investment management centre.

Establishing a Path to Growth 29

Examples of leveraging City assets and initiatives adopted elsewhere.

Governments across Canada and around the world have invested in casinos as a means to generate revenue without raising taxes, increase tourism and create wellpaid jobs. There are many areas within Toronto where a casino would also be a major catalyst for redevelopment of the surrounding lands in addition to providing a new revenue source. Given the size and catchment area of the city, Toronto can support several world-class, year-round casinos. The revenue streams from casino operations could be invested in debt reduction, strategic infrastructure and improved social services. Other potential revenue sources include converting organic matter to pellets to be reused as fuel which is cleaner than coal but less so than natural gas. The technology is now mature and there are many installations in the US and Europe. Toronto is an ideal candidate city with a very good sorting discipline. This project would reduce waste disposal hauling costs, generate renewable energy and CO2 credits, and create about 100 jobs. Capital costs, in the order of $500 - $750 million can be funded through a public-private partnership.

3.3 non-land City Assets

The City is the sole shareholder of Toronto Hydro, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto Parking Authority and a minority shareholder of Enwave. Monetization of all or part of certain of these assets (as is being studied by the City) could be used to reduce the Citys deficit and invest in strategic initiatives.

InITIATIvEs:
B.8. The City should investigate a wide range of opportunities to monetize non-land City assets.

3.4 Positioning
To those of us who live or work in Toronto, and most visitors, our city has many unique, interesting and attractive attributes. However, there is a low level of awareness and considerable misinformation about Toronto around the world. Toronto has a generally good reputation, but its global brand is weak and its outstanding features are not top-of-mind for most nonresidents. People recognize the name, but know very little about our city. As a first step in establishing and creating a greater awareness of the Toronto brand, the value of the current brand in the global context should be assessed including the cost and benefits of a proactive set of initiatives in this area. The global brand should be developed in a regional context and reflect the integrated strengths of the Toronto area. Over a long period of time fiscal imbalances have developed between the three orders of government that need to be properly addressed. Toronto and Canadian municipalities in general suffer this imbalance. Transfer payments from other orders of government are usually conditional and focus on the priorities of the funding provider and tend to be unstable and unpredictable sources of revenue. A more permanent solution based on the roles and responsibilities of all orders of government is required.

InITIATIvEs:
B.9. Assess the value of the Toronto brand. B.10. Pursue stronger fiscal federalism and greater intergovernmental cooperation.

30 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing a Path to Growth 31

32 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

4.0 ConClusIons
The City of Toronto has all the ingredients for success and enormous potential for sustained economic growth and prosperity. At the same time, it faces a number of significant challenges. All of the members of the Advisory Committee, convened by Councillor Michael Thompson (Chair, Economic Development Committee) and Chaired by Blake Goldring, M.S.M., CFA (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AGF) were pleased to assist the City in addressing these challenges. The Advisory Committee approached its task in a thoughtful and considered manner, reviewing past reports and proposals, seeking out additional research and information from others, and engaging in frank discussions and debates about priorities and the merits of potential solutions. It is clear that achieving success will require greater financial discipline and an action plan clearly focused on increasing efficiency, making better use of existing assets and leveraging the capacity of the private sector. The City is at a turning point. There needs to be a fundamental change from past practices of applying temporary fixes to fully embracing best practices of implementing sustainable solutions. This change will require a cultural shift in how the City does business and its relationship with its publics. The 12 recommendations and 10 future initiatives contained in this report focus on getting the basics right and establishing the internal infrastructure for continual improvement. First and foremost the Advisory Committee recommends that key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets be established to clearly define the Citys goals and expected results. By clearly setting out common expectations, KPIs are an effective way of aligning the activities of different units within large organizations. They will also enable the City to communicate its progress to the public and other stakeholders. As part of this transformative change process, the Committee also recommends that the City re-engineer the planning and building review and approval process. These are critical city building functions. The City has implemented a number of improvements to streamline the existing processes; now is the time to develop a new process with the goal of cutting the time by one-third to one-half. Similarly, the City should make fundamental changes to its procurement processes, including the expanded use of public-private partnerships, particularly for major capital projects to accelerate investment and job creation. The City should pursue ways to make better use of its existing assets as quickly as possible. Enhancing and accelerating the monetization of the Citys land assets, strengthening and promoting the existing Major Capital Infrastructure Coordination Office and addressing the health,
Establishing a Path to Growth 33

safety and cleanliness of the public realm would serve to generate new revenues, reduce costs and help retain and attract investment. To deliver on its commitment of customer service excellence, the City should take a proactive approach to strengthening its relationships with business, education, labour and the surrounding municipalities. The Mayor and Chair of the Economic Development Committee should expand their ongoing outreach program as much as is practical to engage the CEOs of Toronto-based companies to identify issues and opportunities. The City should also take a lead role in convening representatives from other municipalities in the Toronto region, together with business and labour, as well as provincial and federal government officials to begin development of a regional economic competitiveness strategy. Finally, and critically, we recommend a mechanism to provide for overall accountability. An ongoing Open for Business Advisory Committee should be established to monitor implementations of the recommendations of this report and provide advice to the Chair of the Economic Development Committee throughout this term of Council. An annual report indicating progress to date and describing proposed new initiatives should be prepared and submitted to the Advisory Committee. All of the recommendations of this report have been prepared to help a great city realize its true potential. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to Torontos future success.

34 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

Establishing a Path to Growth 35

5.0 summary of recommendations for Immediate Action

5.1 Management by Performance
A.1. Establish key success / performance indicators to define and measure improvement and performance relative to base periods, other comparator cities and best in class. Implement mechanisms to monitor and report results on a regular basis. Extend the use of KPIs to benchmark and report on the performance of City corporations with a focus on increasing profitability and reducing costs. A.2. Empower all City staff to share ideas. Establish easy to use, easy to access, systems for all staff to submit suggestions. Celebrate and reward good ideas.

5.2 Re-engineer the business / Government Interface

A.3. Re-engineer the planning and building review and approval process with the goal of cutting the time by one-third to onehalf. Focus on city-building with an emphasis on accelerating and reducing the cost of industrial, commercial and institutional development, including expansions, relocations and new facilities. A.4. Evaluate the strategic use of tax incentives to stimulate development. A.5. Systematically review regulations, procedures and permits to remove barriers to job creation and investment. A.6. Implement best practices for procurement procedures. Identify industry-leading best practices, including use of public-private partnerships for large capital assets, and implement to reduce costs and /or improve value.

5.3 City-owned Property, Creating value and Reducing Costs

A.7. Enhance and accelerate monetization of the Citys land assets. Make surplus City-owned land useable and development ready. A.8. Expedite approval process and funding to accelerate development and densification of the Waterfront using 1812 Bicentennial Celebration and 2015 Pan/Para pan American Games as catalysts to create jobs, attract tourists and increase assessment.

36 Toronto Prosperity Initiative

A.9. Strengthen and promote the existing Major Capital Infrastructure Coordination Office. Pursue all possible avenues, including changes to federal and provincial regulations and penalties for violations, to ensure that construction activities are coordinated and that all necessary work, including work by private utilities (e.g. cable, gas, hydro, telephone) is completed as part of a single project. A.10. Address health, safety and cleanliness issues to improve Torontos public spaces and image. A substantive and sustained effort is required to improve and maintain the appearance of the public realm.

5.4 outreach and Collaboration

A.11. Mayor Ford and Councillor Michael Thompson, Chair, Economic Development Committee, should establish an ongoing outreach program to engage the CEOs of Torontobased companies and other civic leaders. Establish an ongoing Economic Competitiveness Advisory Committee to monitor implementation of the recommendations of this report and provide advice to the Chair of the Economic Development Committee throughout this term of City Council. A.12. The Chair of the Economic Development Committee should take a lead role in convening representatives from surrounding municipalities, business, labour and academia, as well as provincial and federal government officials to begin development of a regional economic competitiveness strategy and implementation plan.

Establishing a Path to Growth 37

6.0 summary of suggested Future Initiatives

6.1 labour force Development
B.1. Expand partnerships and enhance programs to stimulate youth employment, apprenticeships and internships. Consider the selective use of tax incentives to support business and development in priority areas. B.2. Work with other orders of government to expedite recognition of international credentials and experience, and ensure immigrants are employed based on their accreditation, knowledge and skills. B.3. Work with colleges, universities and other educators to make Toronto a magnet for young, ambitious international students. B.4. Enhance and promote Toronto as a Centre of Excellence for professional and skilled trades.
B.5. Work with industry to create thought incubators.

6.2 strategic Industry sectors

B.6. Encourage and support development of strategic industry sectors with goal of establishing world class clusters. B.7. Reinforce and expand Torontos presence as a global investment management centre.

6.3 non-land City Assets

B.8. Monetize non-property City assets.

6.4 Positioning
B.9. Assess the value of the Toronto brand. B.10. Pursue stronger fiscal federalism and greater intergovernmental cooperation.

38 Toronto Prosperity Initiative