Managing In The New Local Government

There are 2.6 million people employed in government and a very large proportion of these have managerial responsibilities. They are faced with a very rapid rate of change and many of the old ways of managing are proving less effective. The new government elected in 1997 is adding to these challenges through the reforms it is seeking - this will create a new style of local government. This text: examines the new role of the local government manager; identifies five themes of the new local governement; deals with crisis management; outlines the traditional responsibilities of managers for making and managing budgets; and focuses on the relationship between managers and service users.

This book provides a descriptive analysis of how public administrators manage municipal government. Using examples from the United States, it explores six dimensions of public administration: legal aspects of public management; human resources management; budgeting and public finance; the political dimension; intergovernmental relations and ethical considerations. As well as theory, the authors address such practical issues as economic development, housing, culture and recreation, public safety, transportation and waste disposal.

Managing Local Government Services, 3rd ed. is a comprehensive text on the subject of local government services relevant to local governments of all sizes. This edition is refocused and updated to include the demographic, economic, technology and cultural trends that affect the management of service delivery. New chapters discuss the shift from ¿government¿ to ¿governance,¿ alternative methods of service delivery, community development, and the five management practices that are fast becoming the standard for professional local government management.Each chapter lays out the manager¿s responsibilities in each service area, and provides effective policies, practices, and procedures. Short case examples give you a practical look at the goals, challenges, and solutions in the manager¿s world.

Some of the very best writings on issues involving local government can be found in journals published by the American Society for Public Administration or journals with which ASPA is associated. This volume includes thirty of the most outstanding articles that have been published over the past sixty years in these journals. Local Government Management is an ideal supplement for any course in local management and administration, whether the audience is students or practicing professionals.

Local government organisation and management in Britain is in the throes of a major transformation brought about by changing economic, social and political circumstances and central government legislation. This book outlines the major pressures for change and analyses and assesses local government's response in terms of role, culture, structure and internal process. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of new decentralised, competitive/regulatory and enabling models of what local authorities should be like in the mid 1990s.

Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers offers a practical introduction to the changing structure, forms, and functions of local governments. Taking a metropolitan management perspective, authors Kimberly Nelson and Carl W. Stenberg explain U.S. local government within historical context and provide strategies for effective local government management and problem solving. Real-life scenarios and contemporary issues illustrate the organization and networks of local governments; the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of city and county managers; and the dynamics of the intergovernmental system. Case studies and discussion questions in each chapter encourage critical analysis of the challenges of collaborative governance. Unlike other books on the market, this text’s combined approach of theory and practice encourages students to enter municipal and county management careers and equips them with tools to be successful from day one.

Actual cases with a format that sets the stage for grappling with important decisions about supervision, hiring, economic development, staff misconduct, problem analysis in a political environment, the manager¿s role in promoting sustainability, and more! Designed to meet the needs of both practicing managers engaged in professional development and graduate students who aspire to local government careers.

This "how-to" book on planning and managing GIS within local government describes and details the key components of a successful enterprise, sustainable and enduring GIS. It describes the strategic planning process an organization must undertake prior to GIS implementation. The heart of the book is the formula for success that offers a systematic methodology for examining and benchmarking a GIS initiative and the practical and repeatable strategy for success. There are many obstacles to successful GIS implementation, and unfortunately, the local government landscape is riddled with false starts, poorly planned implementations, and glorified mapping systems. This book documents the reason for failure and possible remedies to overcome the challenges to implementation. It discusses pathways to change, ways of improving organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and lays out the organizational approaches, management processes, and leadership actions that are required for GIS to become an indispensable part of an organization. This book is about aiming high, so you can consistently hit your mark by formulating goals and objectives that will tremendously influence the success of a GIS initiative. It details the factors crucial for building an enterprise GIS vision statement that includes governance, data and databases, procedures and workflow, GIS software, GIS training and education, and infrastructure, and how to develop performance measures related to the stated objectives of an organization. The book combines theory with real-world experience to offer guidance on the process of managing GIS implementation. Through key components, this book introduces a new way to think about GIS technology.?