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REFLECTIONS ON THE STATE OF THE

PROFESSION AND WHAT IT MEANS

FOR YOU

KEVIN C. DUGGAN

WEST COAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR

ICMA

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Topics:

• ICMA Background Information

• Membership Survey Results

• State of the Profession Survey Results

• Other Survey Info and “Stuff”

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Goals:

• Broaden Our Frame of Reference on

Our Profession

• Recognize the Value of Our Work

• Recognize That What We May

Experience at One Point is Not

Necessarily Reflective of Our Career or

the Profession.

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ICMA BACKGROUND

INFORMATION

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Geographic distribution of members

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Membership trends are uneven

4,668 4,541 4,519 4,570

298 290 318 334

763 807 809 888

93 98 100 110

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

Jun-10 Jun-11 Jun-12 Current

U.S. In-Service Member Totals

Full members

Sr Mgmt Affiliates

Entry-Mid Mgmt

Affiliates

Interns

Composition of ICMA Revenues

Dues

14%

Member

Services

1%

Prof

Development

9%

Information

3%

US

Programs

12%

International

53%

Other

8%

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The profession is growing

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ICMA Services Survey:

• 91% Rate ICMA Services as Excellent

(40%) or Good (51%)

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Most Valued Services:

Ethics

Information Resources/Networking

Public Management

Annual Conference

Newsletter/PM

MIT Program

Credentialing Program

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ICMA ANNUAL SURVEY

• Summer/Fall 2012

• 24% Response Rate (2,079

Cities/Counties)

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How Would You Describe Civic

Discourse in Your Community?

• Very Polarized/Strident: 6%

• Somewhat Polarized/Strident: 32%

• Generally Polite/Tolerant: 53%

• Very Polite/Tolerant: 9%

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Level of Citizen Participation in

Civic Engagement Efforts:

• Low: 47%

• Medium: 42%

• High: 12%

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Relationships With Elected Officials:

• Highly Collaborative: 48.8%

• Generally Collaborative: 40.5%

• Somewhat Collaborative: 9.2%

• Not Collaborative: 1.5%

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Relationship Over the Past Year:

• Improved: 46.9%

• Stayed the Same: 41.6%

• Worsened: 11.5%

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Effectiveness of Council Decision

Making:

• High: 60.2%

• Moderate: 28.4%

• Low/Not Effective: 11.4%

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Performance Evaluation

Effectiveness:

• High/Relatively High: 54.7%

• Moderate: 30.5%

• Low/Not Effective: 14.9%

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Relationships Among Council

Members:

• Highly Collaborative: 23.2%

• Generally Collaborative: 47.9%

• Somewhat Collaborative: 23.7%

• Not Collaborative: 6.1%

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Roles Most Frequently Performed:

• Supporting the Governing Board by

Providing Information: 77.7%

• Strive to Assure that Service Delivery is

Equitable and Responsive: 68.3%

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Current Level of Job Satisfaction

(Range of 1-5):

• 1: 31.2 %

• 2: 39.3%

• 3: 23.1%

• 4: 5.2%

• 5: 1.2%

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Composition of Responders:

• Average Years in Local Government:

20.5

• Most Common Previous Position:

ACM/ACAO

• Age: 63.3% Over 50

• Gender: 80% Male

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Poll in USA Today:

Top Benefits of Volunteering:

96%: Deeper Connection to Their

Community

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Gallup Poll: Worker Engagement:

• Actively Engaged: 30%

• Not Engaged: 50%

• Actively Disengaged: 20%

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NLC Poll: Trust in Government:

• Local Government: 37%

• State Government: 22%

• Federal Government: 12%

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IBM 2011 Study of Local

Government Efficiency:

• Council/Manager Governments are

10% More Efficient Than Alternative

Forms

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Fareed Zakaria in Time:

• “local government responding to

hard times with skill and dexterity”

• The Metropolitan Revolution: Bradley

and Katz

• “cities and counties across the

country are getting over political

divides, partnering with the private

sector and investing for future growth”

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What Careers Are More Important,

More Engaging and More

Interesting Than Local Government

Management?