Choices of workshops

Large secretariat

Workshops offered by FHCQ

To help your cooperative insure the success of its project, FHCQ offers some 30 workshops covering the essential themes of life in a housing cooperative.

Legal aspects

Role and responsibilities of the Board of directors

A classic and a must for both administrators and members. On the menu: powers, duties and responsibilities of the Board under the provisions of the Cooperatives Act and the Civil Code of Quebec.

The Cooperatives Act and Internal by-laws

This workshop presents the model internal management by-law recommended by the FHCQ in accordance with the Cooperatives Act. The main articles of the law governing the democratic life of your coop are also included.

Suspension and expulsion

What to do when faced with a delinquent member who is disinterested in the goals of the co-op? How to protect the group while acting in accordance with the reasons and procedure prescribed by the Cooperatives Act? This training prepares directors to apply disciplinary measures with judgment and nuance.

End of operating agreements

If your cooperative is near the end of its operating agreement with a government agency (CMHC or SHQ), this workshop will help you understand the issues and impacts of this new reality and look at the actions you can take in order to prepare yourselves for this event. You will also be informed about the services available, the positions and actions defended by FHCQ and other advocates of cooperative and social housing on this issue.

LANDLORD AND TENANT: OBLIGATIONS AND GOOD PRACTICES

As both owners and tenants, members of housing cooperatives are called upon to deal with a number of rights and obligations. This workshop aims to familiarize you with these rights and obligations and suggests practices that will promote the financial, real estate and associative health of your cooperative.

Regulations on the allocation of the cooperative's low-income units

This workshop aims to help cooperatives who benefit from the Rent Supplement Program (RSP) of the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) to comply with the new regulations on the allocation of affordable housing in Quebec, effective September 1, 2011.

Finances

Understanding the financial statements

What is the purpose of your cooperative’s financial statements ? How to read them? How to analyze them? This workshop aims to familiarize yourself with these important documents and to identify questions that can be asked of the Board of directors and the auditor when they are presented to the general assembly.

Financial management

This workshop is specifically for the cooperative’s Board of directors and the Finance committee. We will present to you the basis of sound financial management. We will be addressing the role of the Board of directors, the treasurer and other committee members. FHCQ’s recommendations concerning its operating rules and legal obligations in this matter will conclude the workshop.

INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL SPREADSHEET

This new training (3h) in two parts covers the basic functions of the Excel spreadsheet. The first session presents the spreadsheet, its usefulness, the interface of the software, the layout of a table, the calculations and the basic functions of the software. It will allow you to familiarize yourself with this type of software with multiple functions: database management, invoicing, budget, production of graphs...

In the second part, you will be able to deepen your understanding of the basic calculations and functions. Links between cells and sheets as well as printing tables are also on the agenda for Workshop 2.

Preparing for the audit

Each year, your cooperative must prepare for the audit of its bookkeeping and accounting. This workshop will review the documents that the members from the finance and secretarial committees must produce for the auditor to do his work efficiently. The workshop also answers technical questions on that fiscal year.

Preparing the budget

Budget planning is an unquestionable good financial management asset. The workshop will help you become familiar with the different stages of budget planning. Follow-up of the budget and an example of an expense policy will be covered.

Calculation of the RSP (Rent supplement program)

The workshop on the calculation of rent supplement will enable participants to understand the process of an application for low-income housing, to control weighting each section of the application and to develop management tools to follow-up on grant applications.

The Acomba* accounting software

Professionalize your bookkeeping and accounting system with Acomba accounting software, available at FHCQ. From the configuration of the system to the chart of accounts, from entering data to producing reports, this software will make life easier for your finance committee.

*Workshop offered in the at-home formula only

Building

Maintenance expenses and budget follow-up

This workshop is as much for members responsible for property management as for finance committees and administrators. One topic only is addressed: expenses related to maintenance. We will see the annual maintenance budget, management of reserves, controlling maintenance expenses, long-term planning, organizing chores, registry for repairs, etc.

Inspection of homes and buildings and planning the maintenance

This workshop shows the procedure for the inspection of homes and buildings. You will also learn how to plan for repairs to be carried out on schedule. Finally, we will show you an ongoing maintenance schedule for your buildings, examples of notices and ledgers, tips and things to watch out for. The participants will also put their knowledge into practice by inspecting our premises!

Organizing the maintenance and administration of the building

This workshop will help you organize your building management committee, commonly known as the "maintenance committee". We will be addressing the role of the committee, its mandates, its tasks and its calendar of events, along with a building management policy and a policy for distributing maintenance tasks in the common areas. You will leave with plenty of tools to help you in your work, such as a model of an organizational chart you can adapt to your own co-op.

Planning, implementation and monitoring of repairs

This workshop is to make you aware of your obligations as a landlord. It will allow you to identify what work should be carried out by professionals and what work can be done by the co-op. It will show you how to use a registry for your financial and logistical follow-ups, which criteria to choose from when selecting suppliers and to better understand the issues and steps of the bid analysis.

Participation and operating

Efficient general assembly

Your assemblies are chaotic and endless? The meeting lacks decorum? Give yourself the means to make these important meetings more effective and enjoyable. On the agenda: the types of assemblies, the role and mandate of the members' meeting, the preparation of meetings and professional tricks to facilitate meetings and defuse problematic situations.

Participation management and member contract

Rediscover the habits and attitudes that foster member involvement in the management of the cooperative in this workshop which presents the model membership contract recommended by FECHIMM. This workshop will help you put forward a preventive approach and to develop tools to stimulate the involvement of your members. A simple and effective procedure to manage the shortcomings of your members in their commitments and obligations to the cooperative will also be addressed.

My co-op, my choice!

This workshop is mainly intended for new cooperative members. Its objective is to present the basics of the cooperative formula (functioning, values and cooperative principles, the roles of the member) as well as the expectations in terms of participation.

Organizing management committees

In this workshop, you will learn how to better organize the work of your committee members. Take the opportunity to mobilize your members around a fair sharing of responsibilities and tasks. This workshop will allow you to better structure the co-op’s main committees while emphasizing collaboration.

Relationship between members

Life in a co-op: teamwork

Cooperative life is often synonymous with group life: committees, meetings, chores ... And teamwork sometimes rhymes with "happiness", but sometimes with "pain"! This workshop will help you understand the inevitable teamwork and to become aware of the different modes of interaction of each, so that teamwork becomes a pleasure.

Communication

Life in a housing cooperative can be demanding and, in this context, knowing how to communicate well is a major asset. This two-part training (6 hours) aims at developing communication skills. It allows you to identify the elements that promote constructive exchanges and to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of communication. Workshop 2 is an opportunity to put what you have learned into practice.

Managing common spaces: the building regulation

In this workshop you will learn to better understand the role of the good neighbourhood committee: how to implement the building regulations. We will see how to create and how to implement the building regulations. We will also be addressing the organization of the committee, its role, its mandates and the introduction of a procedure for handling complaints and planning the social activities in the co-op.

Mediation

This workshop is for all members, but especially for the board of directors who act directly in conflict management. Mastering basic concepts and the mediation intervention tools and techniques are on the menu.

Introduction to mediation

This two-part workshop (6 hours) is intended for all members of cooperatives, but particularly for directors who are directly involved in conflict management. The first part presents the basic concepts as well as the tools and techniques of mediation. In the second part, thanks to concrete situations, you will have the opportunity to put your mediation skills to the test by applying the concepts and tools proposed

Conflict resolution

Unresolved conflict can sometimes escalate into a major crisis, dangerously affecting the quality of life of your members. This workshop will help you understand the nature, dynamics and evolution of conflicts. It will also give you the keys to solve them.

GOOD NEIGHBORLINESS: LIVING TOGETHER

At the heart of the cooperative project lies the principle of "living together", with all the joys and difficulties that this entails. This training course will help participants better understand human relations in general (and neighborhood relations in particular), by addressing the themes of communication, differences, cultural issues and private and collective life. It will allow participants to share with each other and find ways to strengthen and improve relationships in their cooperative.

THE POWER DANCE

This two-part workshop (6 hours) aims to encourage the involvement of women in their cooperative to enable them to take their rightful place. Designed within the framework of the project "Coopératives d'habitation : Présence des femmes, pouvoir des femmes", it gives participants the opportunity to discuss issues related to intimidation and power relationships. Tools are also offered to participants to help them take their place in the co-op. The second workshop will focus on the practical integration of what has been learned.

MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY

In a context of growing cultural diversity, this workshop aims to promote the development of skills that facilitate interactions and understanding between people from different cultures. Participants will have access to appropriate tools to facilitate the understanding of issues related to interactions in a multi-ethnic environment. The workshop will also provide a space for reflection and dialogue that will lead to the emergence of best practices in cultural diversity management.

SSECRETARIAT - NEW CURRICULUM

ORGANIZATION OF THE SECRETARIAL COMMITTEE

This thoroughly revised training course aims to give you the basic tools to ensure the proper functioning of the secretariat management. It allows you to fully understand the legal responsibility of the secretariat committee. The mandate, role, responsibilities, tasks and schedule of activities of the committee, as well as an information policy, are presented.

THE TASKS OF THE SECRETARIAL COMMITTEE

By attending this training, you will master the basic techniques of taking notes at meetings and writing clear, concise and complete minutes. The workshop also focuses on filing and archiving documents.

Selection and integration of members

Managing member selection

A well-functioning selection process is essential to ensure the sustainability of your co-op. Make sure you have the right criteria and proven interview tools to identify the co-op potential of candidates

For more info

Philippe Leclerc
Training officer
514-843-6929, ext. 1353

Dominique Locas
Training assistant
514-843-6929, ext. 1228