MSD Accreditation

APWA Accreditation: What does it mean for Canton MSD?

In November 2017, Canton’s Municipal Services Department received National Accreditation status through the American Public Works Association (APWA). This accreditation status demonstrates that our organization is a leader among municipal agencies across North America. Currently, there are only 132 other municipal agencies in the United States and Canada that have achieved this standard of quality and operational efficiency.

Achieving accreditation and maintaining certification as an accredited agency is quite an undertaking and accomplishment that helps us be “the best we can be.” Being accredited means that our agency understands best management practices, examines our operations regularly, documents our policies and procedures, and engages in continuous process improvement. The result of this process helps Municipal Services staff ensure that the services we provide meet or exceed industry standards for the benefit of our agency and the customers we serve.

Benefits of APWA Accreditation:

Municipal Services staff embraces the accreditation process and acknowledges the value and benefit of being an accredited agency through:

Examination and review of our policies and procedures by outside professionals substantiates our agency’s abilities, and verifies industry standards are being met, or exceeded, in the services we provide.

Our practices, policies, and procedures help us to ensure safe, efficient, effective, and consistent services to our customers.

Having procedures in place provide a framework for the future. By examining procedures periodically we are able to identify, refine, and plan for improvements. As a result of the accreditation process we are able to capture and document institutional knowledge and provide a blueprint for success to those that follow.

What’s next?

Now that we have achieved accreditation, a framework for continuous improvement has been established for the Municipal Services Department. The APWA accreditation process requires that agencies obtain re-accreditation status every four years. During this time, we will continue to develop and improve our practices and procedures to ensure the services we provide our customers are the best. This continual process for improvement and service optimization will ensure that we continue to be one of the premier public service agencies in the country.