Are you a local government manager who needs to look at alternative forms of service delivery?  Are you considering an opportunity to deliver public services more efficiently and effectively through collaboration with others?    If so, ICMA's Center for Management Strategies has some new resources that can make consideration and evaluation of collaborative service delivery easier for you and your organization.

Underwritten with the support of ICMA Strategic Partner CH2M HILL,  ICMA and its research partners, Arizona State University and the Alliance for Innovation have produced a series of resources on collaborative service delivery including:

 a.  a discussion  tool to help facilitate dialogue in local governments about collaborative service delivery (thoroughly         understanding the service being considered for collaboration, the context in which the collaboration would occur and what type of partnership lends itself best to the collaborative effort being considered);

b.  a research “summary” of findings on the topic;

c.  case studies showing deployment of the approach;

d.  training programs on the topic; and,

e.  service providers who can provide technical assistance to local governments considering collaboration in the form of analyzing collaborative service opportunities or through direct provision of  collaborative service delivery.

The Center for Management Strategies work in Collaborative Service Delivery was highlighted in a cover story article from the August issue of PM Magazine entitled "Contemplating Collaboration".    This article goes into detail on the new discussion tool that will assist you and your organization in thoroughly understanding the service being considered for collaboration and the context in which that collaboration would occur.   It also assists in determining the appropriate type of collaboration to consider for your needs. 

If you are considering collaboration as an alternative method of service delivery, be sure to check out the Center for Management Strategies new resources at  www.icma.org/collaboration     They will help you to keep calm and have a great conversation about whether it is the right approach for you!

You can also visit CMS in the ICMA Pavilion at the 2014 ICMA Conference in Charlotte beginning Sunday, September 14.  You can also attend a free ICMA University Forum Entitled "Collaboration is All Well and Good, But it is Right for Me?" on Sunday, September 14 from 12:45-2:45 pm.