View from the Cordillera
A Commentary on Achieving Excellence in Local Government Read by Municipal Leaders on 4 Continents Published by the Cordillera Institute (Vol. 3, Issue 40)

Recession-Proofing Your Municipality (part 1): Improving Your Performance

Summary of this Commentary
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Since the publication of our commentary on how to survive the current economic downturn [Issue 03.38], we've been asked to provide more information on what makes a successful performance-improvement program. As the economy continues to contract, revenue from the 2 primary sources for almost all of our local governments will be reduced. For those expecting federal bailouts to fill the gaps, we have some words of caution. And, unless this current economic downturn is soon reversed, the focus of our local governments will shift to doing more with less -- as it has in past recessions. The good news is that there are remedies for surviving tough economic times which are just as effective when the economy is growing. One of those is improving the performance of our local governments. In this issue, we discuss the 3 key elements of successful performance-improvement programs, review some of the other must-dos, examine why some local governments are reluctant to take the plunge, and offer solutions to meet those challenges. And, since those who must justify the investment in any program want to know the expected return on that investment, we introduce a method to uncover the savings hidden in your budgets.

We welcome your comments.

David Barber
Director
Cordillera Institute
(416) 293-9300
cordinst_at_istar.ca

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About this Publication
Each week, View from the Cordillera covers some aspect of excellence in local government. It may examine one of the success elements; it may present a case study; it may introduce a resource (an individual, a group, a publication, etc.) which is advancing excellence; it may advocate a new direction for local government; or it may identify a wrong turn in public policy and offer an appropriate remedy. This electronic publication is being sent to those who govern, manage, support, and sustain our municipalities.

Who We Are
The Cordillera Institute is an independent research and public policy organization dedicated to excellence in local government. Since our founding in 1994, we have studied many high-performance organizations to learn what makes them successful. From this research, we have distilled a set of principles, paradigms, policies, programs, and practices which are the key elements of their success. Our mission is to be a catalyst -- to empower municipalities, public utilities, school boards, and other local public agencies to achieve excellence by adopting and applying these success elements.

How Excellence Is Achieved
Excellence in any field is best achieved by building quality organizations. Quality organizations, in turn, are built by developing cultures of continuous improvement. Continuous-improvement cultures are developed by empowering everyone involved to realize their potential, in line with the objectives of their organizations. People are empowered by learning to integrate the success elements into every aspect of their work So, achieving excellence starts with gaining an awareness of the success elements and the possibilities they offer.

How to Make it Happen
Many local public agencies are already on the road to building quality organizations. Others are just starting on that exciting journey. Any time you decide to travel a new road, it is very valuable to know what others encountered on that road, what they did along the way that worked well, and what they would avoid in future. Having that information can save you invaluable time and conserve your resources. It can also inspire confidence in your people to know that such a journey can be successfully completed. Our role is to bring you that information.

What We Do
The Institute devotes its resources to helping those working for or with local public agencies to achieve excellence by enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of those organizations. To accomplish our mission, we have created a number of programs specifically designed to support you on your journey to excellence. The current focus is on our Publication Program. Our publications are read by individuals and organizations (from the public, non-profit, and private sectors) who share the goal of making local government the best it can be.

If You No Longer Wish to Receive these Summaries You may be removed from the distribution list for these summaries by replying to this e-mail. Just put the word 'remove' in the subject line. Received on Fri Feb 20 2009 - 00:20:39 PST