Flash Player 9
Version Test
Download Flash
Marci Riehl - Ministry of Forests and Range
With the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range since 1991, Marci Riehl was a member of the first PCMP graduating class, in February 2007. She is currently Corporate Initiatives Analyst - Contracts for BC Timber Sales (BCTS) at the ministry. We interviewed her in Victoria in late April 2008.
The Right Program
When I first heard about the PCMP, I was really excited. It was very timely for me, because I'd been waiting for something like this for a long time. It filled a huge void.
I thoroughly enjoyed the program. It gave me confidence. I learned a huge amount, and it cemented things that I was unsure about. It was one of the best experiences of my work life, and I am a PCMP champion. I was also very lucky that BCTS supported me all the way through.
More Effective Learning
The PCMP filled in all the gaps. You can learn so much by doing and researching on your own, but you need to have a good instructor to interpret it for you - how it's meant, where it fits, how to apply it. I found that invaluable. The PCMP instructors were a really good support.
Everyone in BCTS, close to 700 staff, had to do the entry-level course, PCMP 110 - even the assistant deputy minister. By the deadline, September 2007, we achieved 97% of that. That's when I started procuring sessions for BCTS.
More Dedicated Sessions
During my own PCMP courses, I enjoyed getting the perspectives from the other ministries and how they deal with similar issues, but for ministries like ours, contracts are often very complex, and for a lot of money. We are now buying additional PCMP sessions, out of our own budget, which, in terms of issues, discussions and forms, are tailored to BCTS.
Having dedicated sessions is a really valuable opportunity for us, and we hope to do 10 of them a year in different BCTS locations throughout the province.
The Feedback
Our staff raved about the relevance of the courses, saying things like, "It was really nice to go to a contract course where you were able to get an answer to or some insight on issues that you deal with on a daily basis." Many said how valuable it was for them to get objective insight and advice from the instructors - the PCMP instructors got rave reviews.
The most common comment was, "I totally enjoyed the course and learned a lot for the first time in a long time."
Marci Riehl
B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range
(250)387-5007