Managing Local Government Services

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.

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.

"Managing Local Government Services is written for local government practitioners who lead and manage municipalities and counties and who are responsible for the administration of services to residents, as well as for students considering a career in local government management. The ideas in this text are especially helpful to entry-level managers and those in smaller communities, as it enables them to grasp the scope and complexity of local services and to appreciate the challenges and opportunities of governance." -- publisher's website.

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.

Built on independent research and financial audits of a number of newly created Shared Service Centers (SSCs) in Poland, Local Government Shared Services Centers: Management and Organization is the first book to thoroughly examine the organization, development and effectiveness of the shared service market in the Polish public sector.

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 is a guide to the tasks of the local government in public management and local government institutions and services, the core of the book focuses on managerial functions and relations in a local authority context. It is intended as a primer for all practicing and aspiring managers, and above all, for professionals moving into service management at a senior level for the first time.