Susan Stuart Clark on Local Government Cultures (NCDD 2014)

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Understanding Local Government Cultures NCDD 6 th Biennial Conference October 19, 2014

Transcript of Susan Stuart Clark on Local Government Cultures (NCDD 2014)

Understanding Local Government Cultures

NCDD 6th Biennial ConferenceOctober 19, 2014

The Question

• Declining public trust of all levels of government

• Mandated public processes having mixed results

• What are local officials’ attitudes about public engagement?

2013 Research with CA Public Officials

City County

Public meetings are dominated by people with narrow agendas.

76% 77%

Community members have become more angry and mistrustful.

68% 78%

Testing the Waters, May 2013 report with findings from 900 California local officials.

2013 Research with CA Public Officials City County

Have staff with primary focus of increasing public participation in decision making

38% 45%

Use community-based organizations and their networks to facilitate communications with the public:

A little or a lot 80% 91%

A lot 31% 45%

Individual Perspectives

I want less public input right now. It feels like we’re just opening the pipe for venting even further.

City Council Member

My headcount was just cut 20%. I can’t add another function to the workload. County Department Head

There are so many things happening in the public engagement field, it’s like drinking out of a firehouse.

City Council Member

Association Level

Most local managers are not conversant with the field of public engagement. By and large, they see it as something you have to “get through” that gets in the way of delivering services in the best way. Former City Manager

Even though we talk a lot about collaboration, there are a lot of separate worlds that do not necessarily

communicate with each other. Association Consultant

One of the biggest priorities is helping develop the skills to move conversations from self-interest to the common interest. Association Executive

Board / Council

Planning Commission Staff

Directly A

“Professional” Citizens

Advocates

“Quiet” Public

Directly Affected Residents

ExpertsApplicants

County Board / City Council

Planning Commission Other Boards & Commissions

Directly Affected Residents “Professional” Citizens

Advocates

Service Providers

“Quiet” Public

Staff

Experts

Structural Context

Few staff have PE as primary responsibility; lower priority, reactive PE to fit mandates

Local government performance based on technical skills, not PE – until reach senior level

Very limited capacity; results in performance anxiety OR overestimation of skills

PE champions can run into internal resistance and external criticism

Episodic PE more common than sustained

“Old” stakeholder model

New partnership wheel

Some initial suggestions

Develop clarity about the full range of decision-makers involved

Consider enhancing existing public processes as well as introducing new ones

If multiple jurisdictions involved, do not assume that they currently collaborate

Pay equal attention to information content as well as process

Aim for concrete wins and reflect on progress made

www.ckgroup.org