To cut to the chase, here’s “the ask”: When you receive an ICMA survey, would you—or, when appropriate, a member of your staff—please fill it out and send it back to us?  The information you provide helps us identify innovations, trends, and successful practices in key areas that impact your organization, your community, and the profession of local government management. 

We are studying the following topics in 2016:

• Solar energy
• Technology and cybersecurity
• Infrastructure financing
• Public engagement
• Form of government
• Local government innovation
• Salary and compensation levels of public executives
• The role of public libraries in the 21st century.

ICMA is second only to the federal government in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of research focused on issues related to local government management. Through expansive partnerships with local governments, federal agencies, academic institutions, nonprofits, and philanthropic funders, the organization gathers information on such topics as housing, sustainability, homeland security, and performance measurement (in addition to those already mentioned).  

Summarized survey results show what local governments are up to, making it possible for you to gauge where your jurisdiction’s practices and policies fall in the spectrum of responses. Analysis of survey data over time has the potential to reveal trends, help define benchmarks, identify leading practices, see anomalies, and generally help make sense of the world of local government management and leadership.

ICMA has researched municipal and county form of government for decades. The information collected through these surveys has consistently enabled ICMA to advocate for the profession on a local level. Members have also long commended the usefulness of salary survey data as well as trend data from the economic development and alternative services surveys—both of which are areas members have identified as very important. This research as well as research on other topical areas (technology, energy, engagement, etc.) has the potential to identify leading and emerging practices that ICMA can share as case studies, and that can be used to support initiatives and inform elected officials and other stakeholders.

Survey research findings can be a motivator, can give you direction and perspective, and can even give you confidence in your decision making.  For this to be true, however, ICMA’s research must legitimately represent its membership. In other words, your willingness to complete and return these surveys makes a big difference in the value of ICMA’s research.   

Yes, it takes time, and yes, because ICMA has a robust survey research program, you’re likely to receive several ICMA surveys needing your response; but we firmly believe that this relatively small investment represents time very well spent. With survey research, the more people participating in the research, the more confidence one can have in the findings.

ICMA can boast about response rates that easily exceed 20 percent and sometimes even exceed 30 percent.  This is significantly higher than industry standards, and we have you to thank for this success. We encourage you to continue supporting these efforts through 2016 and going forward. Ultimately, our research isn’t just about data points and statistics. It’s about the community of local government professionals learning from each other’s experiences. By participating in ICMA survey research you help us tell the true stories. We look forward to tallying your responses and sincerely thank you for the precious time you invest in this endeavor!

A collection of ICMA survey reports is available here.