Rural Utility Business Advisor (RUBA) Program Training Available with RUBA! The Rural Utility Business Advisor (RUBA) program offers training in various locales statewide on a cost reimbursable basis. Participants may be eligible to earn credits for certain RUBA training courses offered in conjunction with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Course descriptions follow. Utility Management (32-Hour Courses) Introduction to Operations and Maintenance Provides an overview and in-depth look into the Operation and Maintenance Best Practices categories: Technical, Managerial, and Financial Capacity. Each category is broken down into what the requirements, what are the possible scores a community can receive, and how to receive the maximum amount of points possible. Introduction to Operations and Maintenance Personnel Management Presents tools a rural utility manager needs to maintain a productive work force. Topics include personnel policies and procedures, safety policies and programs, selecting and hiring staff, orientation and training, regulations and the law, communications and conflict, and motivation and management. Personnel Syllabus Financial Management Provides an overview of financial operations for rural utilities. Topics cover basic processes and procedures for financial reporting, fund accounting, budgeting, collections, risk management, audits, and rate setting. Financial Syllabus Organizational Management Describes organizations that may own and operate water and wastewater facilities. Topics include governance, authority and accountability, level of service, customer agreements, roles and responsibilities, the utility ordinance, and regulations. Organizational Syllabus Planning Management Details the planning process as applied to managing small water and wastewater facilities in rural Alaska. Topics cover how and why to get the public involved in planning, developing and evaluating water/wastewater alternatives, and starting a construction project. Operations Management Offers specific skills and knowledge that a manager needs to oversee a rural utility. A manager needs to understand an operator’s duties and the time needed to perform those duties. Topics include safety, operations and maintenance scheduling, data collection and reporting, public relations, inventory control, and contingency planning. Operations Syllabus Elected Officials Provides an overview of government for community leaders in rural Alaska. Topics include an official’s roles and responsibilities, the Open Meetings Act, parliamentary procedure, ordinances and resolutions, financial management, and sustainability. Elected Officials Syllabus Utility Clerk Covers skills needed to work effectively as a clerk within a small rural utility. Topics include a clerk’s roles and responsibilities concerning public relations, meetings, office and records management, elections, financial management, and ordinances and resolutions. Utility Clerk Syllabus RUBA Information Systems Have you ever attended a RUBA course before? Look yourself up: Search RUBA Training Attendance Lists Want to know about future classes? Check our RUBA Training Calendar Also, check out the Alaska Training Coalition Calendar . Contact for More Information About the RUBA Program Trisha Sullivan Division of Community and Regional Affairs Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1650 Anchorage, AK 99501 Phone: (907) 269-4549FAX: (907) 269-4563 e-mail: patricia.sullivan@alaska.gov Revised 12/20/2023