Civic Excellence

What Civic Excellence does

Civic Excellence operates as the e-learning and professional development division of Paragon Strategic Services Ltd., a privately held management consulting firm headquartered in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. The company delivers governance training, coaching, and advisory services to local government organizations, elected officials, and senior municipal leadership across Canada, with Tracey Lorenson serving as Principal and primary service delivery lead. Named engagements span 150+ communities and include partnerships with the Local Government Management Association of BC, the Union of BC Municipalities, the Local Government Leadership Academy, MATI programs, and the City of Kamloops.

The company's core product is a web-based e-learning platform hosted at elearning.civicexcellence.com, which delivers video-based courses, online assessments, downloadable worksheets, and community forums tailored to local government professionals. The catalog includes 20+ offerings, including the Masterclass Series courses Customer Service for Local Governments and Local Government Supervisory Essentials, individual assessments for Problem Solving Skills, Time Management Skills, Role Satisfaction, Understanding Stress, and Career Aptitude, and an All Course Access Membership. The firm also operates a proprietary governance assessment tool called GovRX, which provides Councils and Boards with diagnostic data on high-functioning systems, behaviors, and improvement opportunities. The platform is supported by Stripe and PayPal for payments and by Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Segment.io for usage analytics.

Revenue is generated through four streams: individual e-learning course purchases priced at $297 CAD, All Course Access memberships at $49 CAD per month or $490 CAD per year, individual assessments at $79 CAD each, and higher-margin professional services including CAO and elected official coaching, conflict resolution facilitation, strategic planning, governance facilitation, keynote speaking, confidential advice, and CAO performance evaluations. Group enrollment tiers (5+ enrollments at $197 CAD for supervisory courses and 25+ group pricing for customer service) indicate movement into mid-market organizational buyers, while the distributed 150+ community base suggests a predominantly long-tail revenue mix supplemented by a smaller pool of bespoke consulting engagements.

Name

Civic Excellence

Legal name

Paragon Strategic Services Ltd.

Website

https://civicexcellence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Civic Excellence, the e-learning division of Paragon Strategic Services Ltd., provides governance training, coaching, and consulting to local government organizations across Canada through a web-based course platform and tailored professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Training and Consulting

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC), Social Studies & Civics Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAI)

Keywords

• Local government training
• Governance consulting
• Public sector e-learning
• Executive coaching services
• Municipal professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-Learning Courses: Individual course purchases for local government professional development including supervisory skills, customer service, and masterclass series. Courses available at $297 CAD per course or bundled in membership.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription providing access to all skill builder courses and assessments. Monthly at $49 CAD/month, annual at $490 CAD/year.
3. Coaching and Consulting Services: Tailored coaching for elected officials and CAOs, conflict resolution facilitation, strategic planning, governance facilitation, and performance evaluations. Includes complimentary consultations.
4. Assessments: Individual online assessments for career aptitude, stress management, time management, problem solving skills, and role satisfaction at $79 CAD each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Civic Excellence delivers professional development training and executive advisory services for local government professionals in Canada. The core offering combines a self-serve e-learning platform with courses, assessments, and community forums, alongside bespoke consulting services covering governance assessment, conflict resolution, strategic planning, leadership coaching, and CAO performance evaluations. Pricing is structured around individual course purchases, monthly/annual memberships, and customized consulting engagements.

Product overview

Civic Excellence operates a dual offering: a web-based e-learning platform delivering courses and assessments for local government professionals, backed by consulting services under the Paragon Strategic Services brand. The e-learning platform includes individual courses (Customer Service for Local Governments, Local Government Supervisory Essentials), assessments (Career Aptitude, Understanding Stress, Time Management Skills, Role Satisfaction, Problem Solving Skills), and an All Course Access Membership providing unlimited access to all content. The consulting arm delivers hands-on services including Governance Check-In, Conflict Resolution, Strategic Planning, Training and Development, Governance Facilitation, Keynote Speaking, Confidential Advice, CAO/Elected Official Coaching, and Performance Evaluations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CivicExcellence e-Learning: Online learning platform offering courses, assessments, and community forums for local government professionals

Products and services

• CivicExcellence E-Learning Platform An online learning platform delivering courses, assessments, and community features for local government professionals across Canada, offering self-paced video courses, interactive exercises, downloadable worksheets, and community forums.
• All Course Access Membership A membership subscription providing immediate access to all Masterclass and Skill Builder courses, online assessments, course certificates, printable templates and guides, and community forums, priced at CAD 49/month or CAD 490/year.
• Local Government Supervisory Essentials A Masterclass Series course for newly promoted supervisors in local government, covering supervisory responsibilities, leadership models, team development, communication skills, and conflict management, priced at CAD 297 per enrollment.
• Customer Service for Local Governments A Masterclass Series course on customer service challenges specific to local government, covering attentive listening, conflict resolution, and internal customer service, priced at CAD 297 with 12 months of access.
• Individual Skills Assessments A suite of online assessments measuring career aptitude, stress management, time management, problem solving skills, and role satisfaction, priced at CAD 79 per assessment.
• Governance Check-In Service A proactive governance assessment service using the proprietary GovRX tool to provide Councils and Boards with data on high-functioning systems and behaviors, and opportunities for improvement.
• Paragon Strategic Services Consulting
• Conflict Resolution Facilitation Facilitation services to help groups resolve conflict and work productively, including team sessions, one-on-one interventions, and all-staff training to rebuild trust between management and elected officials.
• Training and Development Service Live and e-learning training programs for elected officials and staff covering communication, team-building, emotional intelligence, coaching, time management, conflict resolution, problem solving, customer service, and other leadership topics.
• Strategic Planning Service Strategic planning services emphasizing stakeholder alignment and robust preparation, with guidance on strategic measures and communication tools for strategy implementation.
• Governance Facilitation Service Facilitation services for local government discussions on labor relations, airport authorities, regional fire services, economic development, harbor authorities, waste management, and First Nations relations.
• CAO Performance Evaluations Performance evaluation services for Chief Administrative Officers and other senior leadership positions such as Fire Chiefs, using customized surveys, interviews, and multi-stakeholder feedback.
• Elected Official / CAO Coaching Tailored coaching focused on capacity building and confidential advising for elected officials and Chief Administrative Officers, addressing relationship building, stakeholder relations, decision-making, and conflict resolution.
• Keynote Speaking Service Conference keynote presentations by Tracey Lorenson on local government issues, including the signature 'Elephant Hunting- A Leader's Guide to Candour and Confronting Conflict' presentation.
• Confidential Advice Service Ongoing confidential professional business advice included in major projects, plus complimentary consultations for local governments considering engaging experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Worked with over 150 communities across Canada
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Local Government Management Association (BC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner8-year partnership with LGMA BC in development and delivery of web-based professional development programs including MATI programs for managing people in local government organizations.
• UBC Faculty of LawminorOthersTracey Lorenson lectures at UBC's Faculty of Law on governance and public sector topics.
• Royal Roads UniversityminorOthersTracey Lorenson lectures at Royal Roads University on governance and public sector topics.
• Capilano UniversityminorOthersTracey Lorenson lectures at Capilano University on governance and public sector topics.
• Justice Institute of BCminorOthersTracey Lorenson lectures at the Justice Institute of BC on governance and public sector topics.
• Local Government Leadership AcademyminorOthersTracey Lorenson is a lecturer at the Local Government Leadership Academy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• International City/County Management Association (ICMA): ICMA is the largest global association for local government professionals, offering training, credentialing, and resources for CAOs and managers. Comparable to CivicExcellence in targeting local government leadership with professional development, but at much broader US-centric scale.
• Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM): UBCM represents all BC municipalities and provides advocacy, training, and resources including professional development for elected officials. Comparable as a large incumbent that also serves CivicExcellence's core customer base with training content.

Emerging players

• KnowledgeCity: KnowledgeCity is a general e-learning platform offering video-based training across business, safety, and compliance topics including some government-related content. Comparable as a video-based e-learning platform, though not specialized in local government.
• Public Sector Network: Public Sector Network runs events, training, and content programs for government professionals across multiple jurisdictions. Comparable as a professional development and content platform targeting the same public sector audience, though broader than just local government.
• Alliance for Innovation (Transforming Local Government): Alliance for Innovation focuses on local government transformation, innovation, and leadership development with conferences, training, and resources. Comparable in providing development content for municipal officials, though with a stronger innovation/tech angle.

Regional players

• Centre for Local Government (formerly ACELG): Australia-based local government research and training centre providing professional development, research, and policy advice. Comparable in offering specialized local government training and capacity building outside North America.
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA): GFOA provides training, certification, and resources for public sector financial officers primarily in the US. Comparable as a professional association offering specialized training and credentials to local government officials, though US-focused.

Direct peers

• Local Government Management Association of British Columbia (LGMA): LGMA is a strategic partner of CivicExcellence but also a direct peer in delivering professional development, training, and management resources to BC municipalities. Overlap is significant in courses, webinars, and member services for the same local government audience.
• Local Government Leadership Academy (LGLA): LGLA delivers leadership development and training programs specifically for elected officials and senior staff in BC local government — the same persona CivicExcellence targets. Direct overlap in elected-official training and CAO development.

Others

• MissionSquare Retirement (formerly ICMA-RC): MissionSquare serves public sector employees with retirement, education, and benefit programs. Comparable in serving the local government employee audience with professional development, though the primary product is financial/retirement services rather than training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/civicexcellence
• Facebookfacebook.com/civicexcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civic-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civic Excellence