A new memorandum of understanding (MOU) opens doors for thousands of U.S. local government professionals to provide technical assistance to Chinese cities on city/county management, sustainable development, innovative approaches to eco-friendly urbanization, performance management, local government survey research, and other topics.

The MOU was signed on November 18 between ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, and the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel. CAIEP is the training unit of the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs, the key agency to approve training programs and providers for Chinese local governments.

Under the MOU, ICMA can fulfill requests to recommend experts to provide technical assistance for SAFEA and for Chinese ministries, provinces, and cities. The MOU was formalized by Robert J.  O’Neill, Jr., ICMA executive director, and Mr. Nie Biao, Director of the Department of Culture, Educational and Health Experts Exchange Affairs of SAFEA.

O’Neill will present a keynote address at the SAFEA Foreign Expert Affairs Conference in Shenzhen, China, in April 2015. The conference will attract Chinese national and sub-national government officials and state-owned enterprise representatives plus ICMA members and others who are interested in offering technical assistance and/or training in China under the new MOU.

The vice president of SAFEA, Mr. Sun Zhaohua, and two other Chinese officials also attended the signing ceremony.

The MOU builds on a network that has been expanding since the ICMA China Center was established in 2011 as a partnership between ICMA and the China University of Political Science and Law. Since that time:

• ICMA signed an MOU with the National Academy for Mayors of China (NAMC) to enhance the Center’s training offerings. NAMC is the lead agency providing regular training opportunities to local government officials in China. The two organizations will jointly organize training, translate and publish ICMA resources for Chinese local government officials, and cooperate on academic conferences and study tours.
• ICMA has been approved as an official SAFEA training partner to provide training and capacity building for Chinese local government officials in China and the United States. The new MOU expands that approval for ICMA to provide technical experts.
• At the ICMA International Regional Summit in Yangzhou, China, in May 2014, ICMA and the city officially established Yangzhou as a training base for the ICMA China Center.
• Also at the summit, ICMA signed an agreement with CUPL’s Center for Cooperative Innovation for Governance by Law. Contingent on a grant, the partnership will provide opportunities for exchanges by professors, researchers, students, and interns from both countries as well as joint conferences and publications.
   

About ICMA

ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, develops and fosters professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people’s lives. The management decisions made by ICMA's 9,500 members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities throughout the world.