22 December 2011

PM magazine asked administrators around the world what they thought the local government management profession would be like in the year 2020. Their thoughtful individual predictions, published in the January/February 2012 issue’s cover story, “Picturing It: The Year 2020,” show several trends. Here is a brief summary of what they see for the future:

• IT developments will allow for greater productivity
• Service delivery will be streamlined
• Resident engagement will become the norm
• Performance measurement, quality control, and benchmarking will be emphasized
• A commitment to sustainability will be standard
• Quality of life and a sense of place will be important to residents
• Teamwork and consensus building will be essential skills
• Working effectively with diverse and aging populations also will be a major skill.

To read more detail on the administrators’ predictions, read the cover story on PM’s website.