2024 marks 100 years since ICMA added the “I” to its name. Since then, ICMA members have been committed to making ICMA a more “international” organization. The milestones the association has achieved are numerous—from ICMA’s work advocating for the council-manager form of government throughout Western Europe in the 1950s and 60s, to the more than 500 projects in 70 countries that ICMA has led since then as part of its grants and contracts work, to the development and adoption of the global engagement strategy that seeks to broaden our network of members and customers around the world, and advance professional local government management on a global scale. 

Since ICMA launched its formal grants and contracts activities, ICMA members have contributed to supporting democracy and good governance around the world—from helping newly liberated republics and former Soviet Satellite States decentralize and democratize, to building and strengthening municipal associations to serve as advocates for local governments, to supporting local government leaders and staff to implement programs that promote professionalism and municipal development for the benefit of communities around the world. ICMA has relied on peer-to-peer support, in addition to highly skilled local field staff who have made a lasting impact on institutions and individuals at the local and national levels. ICMA’s international programs have been guided by a commitment to good governance and transparency, and our programs have spanned the range of local government management—providing valuable insight to governments and their stakeholders worldwide to enable them to concretely address the challenges of decentralization, service delivery, public financial management, civic engagement, accountability, performance measurement, economic development, climate resilience, and crime and violence prevention, to name a few. 

The Plan for 2024 and Beyond

Through the collective efforts of the ICMA Executive Board, ICMA members, business partners, international affiliates, staff, and other stakeholders, ICMA has taken the next step in its journey toward realizing what a truly global ICMA can become and accomplish. Staff developed a global engagement strategy that was adopted by the ICMA Executive Board in June 2022. The strategy encompasses four goals and 17 objectives that guide our efforts to realize ICMA’s vision globally, ultimately advancing professional local government on a global scale.  

Our global roadmap includes three key initiatives that are closely aligned and that are the foundation of our global strategy. The first initiative, the adoption of a global operating model, was approved by the ICMA Executive Board in August 2023. The global operating model will enable ICMA to continue to grow and improve as an organization, both in the United States and internationally. The model will help us achieve efficiencies and allow us to enhance the experience of each and every one of our members by providing new access to global networking, knowledge sharing, and professional development resources, while continuing to provide the same quality programs and services that members are accustomed to receiving. 

The second key initiative is focused on reimagining our relationships around the world. For over 35 years, ICMA has cultivated relationships with global like-minded organizations that are focused on improving local governance. We seek to strengthen those relationships and expand our global network so that local government leaders around the world can exchange practices and tools and contribute to continuous knowledge exchange and learning. 

The third initiative involves our governance structure. An 18-member Governance Task Force has been charged with providing the board with recommendations regarding the best governance structure to achieve ICMA’s goal of being an effective, diverse, inclusive, and global organization. 

As part of our global engagement strategy, we will develop new products and services for global professionals at all career levels, including training programs, events, webinars, research, and articles that provide a global perspective on local government challenges.

Similarly, our global program management team is focused on growing our international grants and contracts portfolio by expanding our geographic as well as sectoral expertise. From citizen engagement in the Philippines to reducing ocean plastics in the Dominican Republic, we continue to diversify and strengthen our capacity to meet the needs of communities around the world.  We are excited at what is in store as we provide new opportunities for members to share with and learn from other local government professionals, including through our ever-expanding grants and contracts programs. Through these activities ICMA is able to improve the lives of millions of global residents in thousands of communities around the world.

Transforming ICMA into a truly global organization takes all of us. We look forward to engaging you on this journey!