CAO Performance Reviews

There is no successful path forward for a municipality without a great working relationship between the CAO and Council. When that relationship is aligned, organizations get things done. When it isn't, almost everything becomes harder, and it's often misunderstood just how important that alignment really is.

CAO performance reviews are frequently misunderstood as well. Many Councils see the review as a tool to justify removing a CAO. That's not what it is, and it's not what it should be used for. The Community Charter sets out clear, specific processes for the termination of a CAO, a performance review is not that process, and treating it as one undermines the very purpose it's meant to serve.

The real purpose of a CAO performance review is improvement: helping the CAO grow, helping Council and the CAO align, and giving both sides practical, actionable ways to strengthen the relationship that drives everything else in the organization.

Why Alignment Matters More Than Anything Else

Having worked with Councils where the CAO/Council relationship was strong, and Councils where it wasn't, Guillermo has seen firsthand what a difference genuine alignment makes, not just to organizational performance, but to Council's ability to deliver on its own priorities. A misaligned relationship doesn't just affect the CAO. It slows down decision-making, erodes trust, and makes it harder for Council to accomplish anything it was elected to do.

Our approach to the performance review is built entirely around finding and strengthening that alignment, identifying where it exists, where it's missing, and what specific, practical actions can close the gap.

The "CAO Mindframe" Advantage

Most performance review firms collect survey data and present findings, often without ever having done the job themselves. We bring something different: the perspective of people who have actually sat in the CAO's chair, navigated Council relationships, and understood from the inside what makes that relationship succeed or struggle.

We call this the CAO Mindframe, real, first-hand insight into what motivates a CAO to go all-in for Council, what erodes that commitment, and what genuinely improves performance. It's the difference between data collection and data that leads to results a CAO can actually use and a Council can actually understand.

Optional: Perspective from a Former Mayor

As an added dimension, we can include the perspective of a former Mayor who worked closely with Guillermo in a Council relationship built on strong alignment. This addition, similar to our Council Orientation program, gives Council direct insight into how a CAO's mindset works from someone who has sat across the table and helped build that alignment successfully.

We Work for Both Sides

We tell every client the same thing at the outset, and we say it directly to the CAO as well: Council is paying for the engagement, but the goal is a good outcome for everyone involved.

A performance review only works if the CAO can be honest during it. That requires trust, and trust requires clarity about what the process is, what it isn't, and how the results will be used. We establish that clearly with both Council and the CAO before the review begins, so nobody is guessing about our role or wondering what's really going on.

Getting the Question Right First

Occasionally, a Council asks for a performance review when what they're actually facing is a different question altogether, a breakdown in the working relationship, a governance problem, or a decision about the CAO's future that has already been largely made.

Those situations call for a different conversation and a different process, and it does no one any favours to run a performance review as a proxy for it. Before we begin, we take the time to understand what Council is genuinely trying to achieve. If a performance review is the right tool, we'll deliver an excellent one. If it isn't, we'll tell you that honestly and discuss what would actually help, including, where appropriate, recommending you seek independent legal or HR advice.

A Full 360° Review: Enhanced with AI

Our review process includes structured input from Council, the CAO, senior staff and relevant external stakeholders, giving a complete and balanced picture of performance and relationship dynamics.

We then use AI to strengthen how that data is analyzed and presented:

• Identifying patterns and trends across survey responses that might otherwise be missed
• Providing clear, objective comparisons against goals set in previous reviews
• Highlighting real, specific areas for development, not vague generalities
• Tracking alignment and performance trends over multiple review cycles, so both Council and the CAO can see genuine progress (or emerging issues) over time

Because we're committed to working with our clients over the long run, this year-over-year trend analysis becomes increasingly valuable, turning each review into part of an ongoing picture, not an isolated snapshot.

Practical Tools, Real Follow-Through

A performance review that ends the day it's delivered rarely changes anything. Our process is built to avoid that outcome:

• Practical, specific tools and actions the CAO can use to improve performance and strengthen alignment with Council
• Clear, actionable data and recommendations for Council, not just a summary of survey results
• Structured follow-up to ensure the review leads to real change, not a document that gets filed away

Our Process

• Conduct a full 360° review, including Council, the CAO, senior staff and relevant external stakeholders
• Analyze results using AI-assisted trend and pattern analysis, layered with genuine CAO-level experience
• Identify specific alignment strengths, gaps and root causes, not just performance ratings
• Deliver practical recommendations and tools for both the CAO and Council
• Provide structured follow-up to track progress and support lasting improvement
• Compare results against prior reviews over time, where an ongoing relationship allows it

Why Ferrero Forward?

We've been the CAO in the room with Council. We know what a great CAO/Council relationship looks like, because we've built one, and we know how much harder everything becomes without it. Our goal isn't to find a reason to end a CAO's tenure. It's to help build the relationship that makes everything else in your organization possible.