The Aventura, Florida Department of Public Works & Transportation has recently received full accreditation by the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the 2nd time.
This accreditation formally verifies and recognizes that the agency is in full compliance with the recommended management practices set forth in APWA’s Public Works Management Practices Manual.
Open to all governmental agencies with responsibilities for public works functions, initial accreditation from APWA is for a four-year period, during which time semi-annual updates will be required to demonstrate continuing compliance. After that time, there is a re-accreditation process that builds on the original accreditation, encouraging continuous improvement and compliance with newly identified practices.
The purpose of accreditation is to promote excellence in the operation and management of a public works agency, its programs, and its employees. Accreditation is designed to assist the agency in the continuous improvement of operations and management, and in providing a valid and objective evaluation of agency programs as a service to the public and the profession.
“The Department of Public Works has dedicated itself to continuous improvement and excellence, and the heroes of this accomplishment are the staff whose mission is it to provide services and programs that contribute to making Aventura a great place to live.”
APWA’s accreditation process includes five major steps:
- Self-Assessment: Using the Public Works Management Practices Manual, an internal review of an agency’s practices combined with a comparison of the recommended practices contained in the manual;
- Application: Once the decision has been made to commit to the Accreditation Program, the agency submits a formal application;
- Improvement: After the agency has completed the self-assessment and identified areas needing improvement, the agency will work to bring all practices into an acceptable level of compliance with the recommended practices;
- Evaluation: Following the completion of the improvement phase, the agency will request a site visit. The site visit will consist of a review and evaluation of the agency to determine the level of compliance with all applicable practices.
- Accreditation: The Accreditation Council will review the site visit results and recommendations from the team, voting to award or deny accreditation.
Formally awarded the prestigious accreditation by APWA’s Accreditation Council for the 2nd time, the Aventura Department of Public Works & Transportation was awarded APWA Accreditation back in 2018. In addition to the City of Aventura, the accredited agencies in Florida include the cities of Coral Springs, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Lakeland, Largo, Miami Beach, North Port, Pinellas Park, Port St. Lucie, Saint Petersburg, Village of Wellington, and the counties of Hillsborough, Leon, Manatee, Okaloosa, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Sumter.
For more information about APWA Accreditation, please contact APWA Accreditation Manager, Nicole Shoemaker at nshoemaker@apwa.net or (816)595-5294.