Tech-Knowledge and Local Governance

 

Introduction

The interplay of technology and the local government management profession has never been more crucial to governance than it is today. As the standard-bearer for effective local government management and leadership, ICMA is developing a new initiative specific to strategic leadership and management of technology in local government. The Technology Management Institute (TMI) is a new mechanism that serves as a resource and forum for government executives interested in technology management.

TMI Mission

To promote excellence in local governance by preparing government executives to manage technology-enabled organizations, enhance citizen service delivery, and provide dynamic leadership in building stronger communities and regions in a networked world.

Objectives

  • Create a distinctive learning forum and peer network for local government executives fostering improved governance, citizen services, and organizations through strategic management of information technology.
  • In collaboration with ICMA University, develop, promote, and educate local government executives in the core competencies of technology management, including geospatial information technology.
  • Create a clearinghouse featuring news, strategies, policies, and best practices in local government technology management.
  • Engage partner stakeholders including the private sector, universities, and other institutions in creative collaboration and support for the Institute’s mission and activities.

TMI Advisory Board

TMI will rely heavily on guidance from an advisory board chaired by ICMA Executive Director Bob O’Neill and composed of local executives, chief executive officers (e.g. city managers), chief financial officers, and chief information officers from cities and counties recognized as leaders in effectively using information technology for strategic purposes. The TMI Advisory Board also will have private-sector representation from firms that recognize value in the TMI concept, and are committed to help ICMA and the advisory board build TMI into the premier resource of its kind.

TMI Advisory Board members are responsible for assisting ICMA/TMI in building a local government executive leadership network designed to provide guidance on effectively using information technology to address strategic issues, including enhancing internal organization, community image, economic development, and investment.

The TMI Advisory Board held a meeting in March 2003. Click here for notes on the meeting.

Local Government Technology Management Needs

Several timely ICMA research initiatives affirm clear and specific needs for leadership skills, peer support, and technology management knowledge-sharing to boost effectiveness in local government organizations.

  • Local governments tell ICMA in e-government trend surveys that technology’s top four impacts are growth in citizen contact with elected and appointed officials, increased demands on staff, new roles for staff, and business process changes in the organization.
  • Our surveys show that half of all local governments (50.5%) will rely more on geographic information systems (GIS) and related visual tools to analyze data for decision support and performance management, particularly for emergency preparedness.
  • And inside city halls and county agencies, major expansions of intranet portals are planned for online staff training, project collaboration, process streamlining and human resources management–new ways of doing business in local governments.
  • ICMA’s E-Governance Task Force, a member-driven leadership group, has worked over the past year to frame technology management challenges, such as how to finance e-government services, what technology tools work best for varying sizes of communities, and what communities need to do to assess their readiness to conduct business online.

The Technology Management Institute is the program center ICMA is developing to support the profession in these areas. The Institute is the new vehicle for engaging these challenges, and, in partnership with the ICMA University, providing content-rich professional development opportunities to local governments.

ICMA Contact

Mosi Kitwana, director of Research and Development, 202/962-3649; mkitwana@icma.org.

 

 

 

 

Downloads

TMI Advisory Board Members (doc, 28 KB)

TMI Advisory Meeting Notes (doc, 655 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--CRM Coppell (pdf, 945 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--Future of Government Portals (ppt, 65 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--e-Communities (pdf, 1,220 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--Leadership Management Technology (pdf, 87 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--Austin City Connection (pdf, 2,652 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--Plano eCommerce (pdf, 2,286 KB)

January 2004 TMI Denton Presentation--Hurst Shared Services (pdf, 48 KB)