Thanks to Kevin Lahner, ICMA-CM,  city administrator, Burlington, Wisconsin for his thought provoking  cover story, entitled The  Time for Transparency is Now," in the June issue of PM Magazine.    Kevin discusses the increasing need for transparency in local government and encourages managers to take a multi-faceted approach to reach out to citizens and encourage their involvement in, and examination of,  government processes and activities.  He encourages the use of social media, the development of a plan to encourage resident involvement and the use of innovative tools to "open" the work of government to the community, including dashboards and open data platforms.

The Center for Management Strategies will soon be "unveiling" its research work on the topic of civic engagement which mirrors many of the points that Kevin has made in his article--careful planning, readiness and capacity analysis, a commitment by the elected body as well as by staff in the organization recognizing the importance of engagement as a community value, and a commitment to these principles for  the  long haul.  

Kevin also makes the point that successful engagement programs must be multi-faceted.  The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2)  probably makes this point best through its "Spectrum" of public participation.    IAP2 discusses five types of civic involvement that should be used based upon the circumstance in which engagement is desired and the promise that the local government is willing to make to the community.  These types of involvement run the "spectrum" from  "informing"  to "consulting" to  "involving" to "collaborating" to fully "empowering" the community.   Each has its strategies and is fully based upon the promise that the local government is willing to make to the community.

Be sure to read Kevin's article on transparency as it is truly a call to action for local government managers.  And, be sure to check out the CMS website, blog and group (you can subscribe to the blog via RSS feed or join the group to receive notices of new postings) in the coming months as we roll out our research on civic engagement and  the educational and technical assistance programs to assist you in designing and implementing an effective program for civic engagement--and transparency in your community.