Saskatchewan Completes Development Phase of Property Assessment System Modernization

The Saskatchewan, Canada, Property Assessment Network (SPAN) project was implemented by The Saskatchewan Assessment Management Agency (SAMA), in order to develop and establish fairer, more equitable, and defensible market-based valuation methods. On April 15, 2005, the project moved from special project status to operational status. "It has been my pleasure to work with top-flight professionals from SDI, Govern and CGI and many of the best and the brightest within the agency as this project moved from inception to successful completion," said Irwin Blank, managing director, Technical Standards & Policy Division of SAMA.

SAMA oversees property assessments and is the service provider of choice for most of Saskatchewan's local governments. SAMA develops the province's assessment policies and procedures for 820 jurisdictions with a combined total of one million properties and provides full assessment services to over 800 of those municipalities.

In August of 2002, SAMA selected the Govern for Windows solution for their main system migration representing a major transformation for SAMA's information technology systems. Three years later the SPAN system is operational and will continue to evolve to better serve the needs of SAMA and all of their clients over the coming years. "Although I know that we are only at the beginning of what I anticipate will be a very positive long-term business arrangement between SAMA and the team of Govern, SDI and CGI, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of these firms and their staff for their excellent efforts throughout our SPAN project," stated Blank, "I truly believe that Govern, SDI and CGI provide an unparalleled level of expertise, experience and commitment to success that SAMA was very fortunate to obtain and benefit from for the duration of our computer modernization project."
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