Thousands of ICMA members and other local government professionals use Knowledge Network questions to get just the information they need to better serve their communities. The questions cover all of the Knowledge Network’s more than 200 topics, from animal control and budgeting to water utilities and zoning. But which questions and topics do people keep coming back to?

The 23 questions below have been viewed more than any others so far this year. To make this list spanning a few months, most questions weren’t just popular in the days after they were asked, but became a consistent source of knowledge for weeks, months, or even years after they were originally posted.

If you see a question that you have an answer to, it’s not too late to add your voice!

Most Viewed Knowledge Network Questions, January - May 2012

Since many ICMA members have important hiring responsibilities, it’s no surprise that questions about job descriptions and staffing are always popular.

• Do you have a job description for a public information officer, a police social worker, or a city clerk in a small community?
• What do you look for in a strategic planning consultant for libraries?
• How do you conduct a staffing analysis by department?
• How are your fire and EMS shifts structured?
• Is police officers per thousand population a useful measure?

Looking for questions to interview police chief candidates also brings people to the Knowledge Network.

• What are good behavioral interview questions for a police chief? What about for a chief in an urban area or a smaller town?

What about the city manager’s own career? Several career resources questions have also been quite popular.

• How should a recent MPA grad start a career in local government management?
• Where should a recent MPA grad focus his/her job search?
• What’s the best advice for your first weeks as a new manager?
• Do you have an acting or interim manager agreement?
• What’s the salary range for a city manager in a small village?

Performance measurement and evaluation are important tools for running local governments, but knowing what to measure is the first step.

• How do you measure performance in parks and recreation departments?
• What about for the city manager’s office?
• How do you evaluate department heads by performance measures?

Technology and communications questions are common on the Knowledge Network, and a few made this list.

• Do you have a policy for iPads in the office?
• Should you move your data center to the cloud?
• What is your cell phone stipend amount?

And lastly, creating new ordinances and enforcing codes is an important job for every local government, and for Knowledge Network discussions as well.

• Have you banned sky lanterns?
• Do you penalize home contractors working without a permit?

You can still find the questions that didn’t make the list, or ask one of your own, on the Knowledge Network at icma.org/kn. Check out our new Question Search feature to easily browse our entire archive of questions and answers, or follow a one of the topic tag at right to learn more.