PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE
CITY MANAGEMENT
Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute
July 20, 2015
EFFECTIVE CITY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONAL
 #1 - Council Effectiveness
Break
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Service Delivery
Staff Effectiveness
Management of Public Funds
Human Resources Administration
EFFECTIVE CITY MANAGEMENT POLICY
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Strategic Leadership
Policy Facilitation
Communication
Democratic Principles
Integrity
<SCENARIOS>
STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE
COUNCIL EFFECTIVENESS
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Roles and responsibilities
Teamwork
Effective decision-making
Acting strategically – policy leadership
TEAM MEMBER ROLES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
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Mayor & Council
City Manager/Administrator
City Clerk
Other City Staff
MAYOR /COUNCIL – SHARED
GOVERNANCE ROLE
 Decision-making on direction and
resources
 Anticipate and focus on issues
 Listen to the citizens
 Educate the public
 Mobilize support in the community
 Set the “tone” for the city
CITY COUNCIL DUTIES
 Legislation – ordinances, resolutions,
motions
 Approve/amend/monitor budgets
 Establish city policies
 Approve plans and programs
 Approve expenditures and payments
 Approve contracts
 Appointments
CITY COUNCIL AUTHORITY
 Council only exercises its powers when
acting as a group in official session
and adopting ordinances, resolutions
and motions.
 Individual council members have no
authority on their own.
CITY MANAGER/ADMINISTRATOR
 Implements council goals
 Information source for council;
between council and staff; with public
 Analyzes issues and develops
professional recommendations
 Develops proposed budget*
 Mediates and resolves conflicts
 Supervises departments/employees*
CITY STAFF
 Provide services and products
 Respond to citizen issues
 Implement decisions, plans, programs
and policies
 Analyze issues; develop professional
recommendations
 Educate and develop employees;
evaluate and adjust performance
Roles and Responsibilities
 Understand and make clear the
relationship between the Mayor –
Council – city manager– staff
 Act in accordance with defined roles
THE TEAM CONCEPT
 Teamwork = functioning cohesively as
a group
 The goal – elected officials and staff
working together to achieve common
objectives
Staff Strategies to Enhance
Teamwork
 Identify goals and priorities
 Share information among all members
 Clarify roles and expectations
 Use effective reporting systems
 Financial monitoring & reports
 Project updates
 Goal & policy implementation review
 Develop and use effective processes for
handling common issues:
Processes
o Agenda development
o Meeting management – rules of order,
policies
o Information flow – meeting packets
o Citizen input
o Use of work sessions
o Complaint handling
Processes
o Contacting /making requests/ giving
directions to staff – without disrupting
operations
o Boards & commissions – contact &
information
o Intergovernmental relations
o Performance reviews
Teamwork
Support decisions unanimously –
regardless of your own views.
Effective Decision-Making – Staff
Role
 Urge deliberate discussions
o Try to get agreement on the way
decisions should be made
 Give adequate time for decisionmaking
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Avoid forcing decisions prematurely–
despite pressure for action
Decision – Making
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Staff:
Be factual & objective
Provide relevant info
Frame the issues
Craft alternative recommendations
Facilitate the decision-making process
Share information among all Council
Members
Decision–making
 Consider alternative actions
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Including the “Do Nothing” alternative
 Encourage public involvement –
without capitulation
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Responsiveness versus
Responsibility
Act strategically
 Address critical issues
 Identify priorities
 Develop plan to accomplish priorities
Act strategically
 Develop/update as needed:
Short-Range
Budget
Goal-setting
Specific project planning
Act strategically
Mid-Range
Capital Improvements program (CIP)
Equipment Replacement Plan
Financial Policies
Strategic Plan
Act strategically
Long-Range
Comprehensive Plan
Park & Open Space Plan
Trail Plan
QUIZ
QUIZ RESULTS
If your total score is:
Above 100: Your city meets the criteria for
effectiveness.
80 - 100: Your city meets many of the
criteria for effectiveness.
40 - 80: Your city meets some of the criteria
for effectiveness.
Below 40: Your city needs to significantly
improve its effectiveness.
BREAK
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE CITY
MANAGEMENT
 Definition
 Elements/Practices
 Scenarios
SERVICE DELIVERY
 Providing city services efficiently,
effectively and economically
SERVICE DELIVERY
Elements/Practices:
 Operational effectiveness
 Operational planning
 Citizen (customer) service
 Quality assurance
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Performance measures
Citizen/customer satisfaction
STAFF EFFECTIVENESS
 Promoting the development and
performance of staff throughout the
organization
STAFF EFFECTIVENESS
Elements/Practices:
 Clearly Defined Roles, Responsibility,
Authority
 Team Leadership
 Delegating/Empowerment/
Accountability
 Appropriate Equipment & Technology
 Training and Development
MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS
 Ensuring the cost-effectiveness of
programs, balancing budgets and
securing the financial health of the
community
MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS
Elements/Practices:
 Budget development & monitoring
 Payroll administration
 Purchasing
 Insurance and Risk Management
 Project financing
 Debt issuance & debt service
MANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS
Elements/Practices:
 Equipment/asset replacement planning
 Capital Improvements Programming
 Financial Analysis
HUMAN RESOURCES ADMIN
 Ensuring that personnel policies and
procedures are equitable, legal and
current; ensuring practices are
adequate to accomplish objectives
HUMAN RESOURCES ADMIN
Elements/Practices:
Chain-of-Command
Personnel Policies
Job Descriptions
Safety
Workforce Planning
Training and Career Development
HUMAN RESOURCES ADMIN
Elements/Practices:
 Hiring/Promotion
 Performance appraisal
 Discipline
 Labor-management relations
(collective bargaining)
 Important laws
IMPORTANT LAWS
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Chapter 20 - Public Employment Law
Chapter 400 – Civil Service
Fair Labor Standards Act
Civil Rights Acts – Fed & State
Veterans Preference Laws
Military Leave
OTHER IMPORTANT LAWS
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ADA
FMLA
OSHA
HIPAA
ADEA
ACA
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
 Positioning the organization and
community for events and
circumstances anticipated in the future
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
Elements/Practices:
 Goal-Setting
 Strategic Planning/Visioning
 Comprehensive Planning
 Initiative and Innovation
 Implementation
POLICY FACILITATION
 Helping elected officials and others
identify, work toward and achieve
common goals and objectives
POLICY FACILITATION
Elements/Practices:
 Effective leadership
 Collaboration
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Other governments
Non-profits
Public-private partnerships
 Facilitating Council effectiveness
 Negotiation
COMMUNICATION
 Facilitating the flow of ideas,
information and understanding among
individuals
COMMUNICATION
Elements/Practices:
 Information to Mayor/Council
 Information to the public – two-way
 Responding to citizen “requests”
 Media relations
 Internal communications
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
 Demonstrating commitment to
democratic principles
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES
Elements/Practices:
 Respecting elected officials
 Citizen participation/citizen
engagement
 Educating citizens
 Interaction with citizen boards,
commissions, advisory committees
 Diversity
INTEGRITY
 Demonstrating fairness, honesty,
ethical and legal awareness in
personal and professional relationships
and activities
INTEGRITY
Elements/Practices:
 Personal integrity
 Professional integrity
 Organizational integrity
 Ethical standards
SCENARIOS