Eric Champagne (University of Ottawa) , Robert Blair (University of Nebraska Omaha) , Chloe Charette (University of Ottawa)
Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), acting as city managers, city administrators, or director generals, manage complex municipal government organizations in Canada. They personify the quiet excellence of public administration, the theme of the 2026 CAPPA conference. While elected local officials dominate the public eye and civic stage; CAOs unobtrusively and efficiently supervise the provision of a range of services to their residents. CAOs are often unknown in a community. Using case study methodology, researchers at the University of Ottawa Centre on Governance collected information on the work of CAOs in municipalities in each province. Researchers examined the roles, responsibilities, and the legal framework of these “quiet” and elusive public administrators. Since Canadian CAOs have not been widely studied, this study adds to our understanding of this important public administrator. The population of the fourteen municipalities in the study range from13,000 to 568,300; with municipalities in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), Consolidated CMAs, suburbs, and self-standing rural areas. As expected in the Canadian confederation, where provincial laws and customs determine the nature and structure of CAOs, the researchers found that municipal government by-laws also impacted the position. Analysis of the data revealed variation but also consistency. Technical skill sets were identified, as well as softer people skills. This research also reveal the quiet excellence of CAOs contribution to the quality of life in Canadian cities.