Promoting the Long-Term Viability of Associations

ICMA has helped associations ensure their sustainability by working with them to create strategic plans, implement sound human resources practices, communicate effectively with their members, and develop reliable sources of revenue.

Strategic Planning
A strategic plan guides an association toward its desired results. With a strategic plan, staff can develop annual work plans that detail what actions the association will take to achieve its desired results and identify the resources needed to carry them out. Flexible work plans allow associations to respond to emerging opportunities. Ongoing needs assessment, outreach, and two-way communication with members ensure that the association is responsive to their priorities and needs.

ICMA uses an Association Viability Index to evaluate an association’s operations and help it develop a strategic plan that will lead to long-term viability.

  • In Mexico, ICMA engaged Mexican municipal associations in the development of strategic plans.
  • In India, ICMA helped the City Managers’ Association of Gujarat carry out its first comprehensive strategic planning process.

Human Resource Management
Associations need strong and effective executive staff to lead their efforts so that they can be proactive and forward-moving. Associations also need to capitalize on their human resources. Excellent human resource management includes documented and accurate personnel procedures, job descriptions, and office procedures. Structured, annual employee performance evaluations allow employees and supervisors to provide constructive feedback on each other’s performance, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and develop performance and professional objectives for the next year. Employees and member volunteers also need regular, professional development opportunities.

In Indonesia, a state league of cities in the United States helped three associations define the roles and responsibilities of a professional board of directors in a client-driven organization. Other ICMA programs have featured study tours as a professional development opportunity for association staff to become familiar with the human resource practices of well-established associations in the United States.

Member Communication
Member communication and participation are essential to a well-functioning association. A membership organization that is driven only by its board and staff without broad member input is missing crucial information about the best use of the association’s resources. Staff and leadership of effective associations are consistently respectful of members, welcoming them into the association’s office and at all activities, and soliciting their input into the association’s decisions.

Annual award programs recognize excellence and encourage members to share their experiences. Two-way communication between association staff and members takes place regularly via many channels, and members provide input through such mechanisms as task forces and committees. To bring members together on a regular basis, a well-planned and executed annual meeting is crucial.

  • In Armenia, ICMA provided support to the Association of Mayors and Community Chiefs with communications and staffing meetings.
  • In the Philippines, ICMA provided technical assistance and training to the League of Cities and the League of Municipalities in improvement of communications infrastructure and systems.

Financial Viability
To be effective, associations must have well-developed, stable sources of revenues—both member dues and other sources, such as entrepreneurial activities, that support their mission and goals. Determining the membership structure of a municipal association and creating a dues structure that all members consider equitable requires decisions such as these:

  • Whether to have both individual and institutional members
  • Whether to limit membership to those working in the public sector or to include those working for NGOs and the private sector
  • How to structure membership fees to cover operational and programmatic costs.

To maintain the respect and goodwill of members and the integrity of the association, and to attract new resources, administration of funds must be transparent and accountable.

  • For the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe, a partner organization from the United States provided advice on structuring a market-driven, self-financing member training program designed to provide a revenue stream to support other association activities.
  • In India, ICMA provided support to the City Managers’ Association of Gujarat to enhance the financial management capacity of the association.
  • In Honduras, ICMA implemented a program to assist the Association of Honduran Municipalities, which resulted in a dramatic increase in revenue from member municipalities.