Details:

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), through its Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee (GAPC), is seeking proposals for a policy white paper “Striking a Balance - Matching the Services Offered by Local Governments with the Revenue Realities.”

The recession of 2007–2009 has had a major impact on the finances of local governments across the US, increased demand for their services, and prompted many governments to make or consider a range of changes to their programs, policies, and practices.

In December 2011, ICMA released “Coping with Crisis: How are Local Governments Reinventing Themselves in the Wake of the Great Recession?,” which tracked the changes local governments have made or are considering making: changes to personnel, core services, and programs; the creation of service partnerships; and restructuring.

Building on this and other studies, ICMA is issuing this RFP to identify researchers who have the expertise to draft a white paper that would:

 (1) offer recommendations for how local governments can engage their community to prioritize the services they offer through a lens of “essential” versus “nice to have, non-essential” services, while also considering service levels and

 (2) provide a framework for how local governments can apply this service priority filter when making decisions on service reduction or elimination, given the range of fiscal realities they may be facing.

Local government examples should be interwoven into the above sections. To set the context, the paper should also briefly outline a roster of the types and range of services local governments offer across the US and provide information about local government revenue sources, their current levels, and underlying trends going forward.

ICMA is the premier local government leadership and management organization.  Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by advocating and developing the professional management of local government worldwide. This white paper will become a part of an ongoing series designed to explore key policy issues from a local government management perspective.

Process for Developing the White Paper:

ICMA’s GAPC will supervise development of the paper by providing feedback on drafts, ensuring that key issues are addressed, and advising on management perspectives.  The final paper should be no more than 15-20 pages in length and must be completed by October 2012. 

Budget:

ICMA will pay a $5,000 stipend to the selected author.  In addition, authorship of this paper will provide national exposure on a major policy issue.

Proposal Requirements:

All proposals must be submitted to Joshua Franzel at ICMA by email at jfranzel@icma.org no later than March 19, 2012.  Proposals should be no longer than two pages and should describe:

(1)  Your overall approach, including an outline of the paper and what you see as its main components/sections.

(2)  Your academic preparation for and experience with this issue, including references to any previous publications or research that is relevant to this project.

(3)  Why you believe you are uniquely qualified to prepare this paper and ensure that it meets ICMA’s goals.

If you have questions, please contact:

Joshua Franzel / jfranzel@icma.org / (202) 682-6104