PM magazine asked administrators around the world what they thought the local government management profession would be like in the year 2020. Their thoughtful individual predictions, published in the January/February 2012 issue’s cover story, “Picturing It: The Year 2020,” show several trends. Here is a brief summary of what they see for the future:

• IT developments will allow for greater productivity
• Service delivery will be streamlined
• Resident engagement will become the norm
• Performance measurement, quality control, and benchmarking will be emphasized
• A commitment to sustainability will be standard
• Quality of life and a sense of place will be important to residents
• Teamwork and consensus building will be essential skills
• Working effectively with diverse and aging populations also will be a major skill.

To read more detail on the administrators’ predictions, read the cover story on PM’s website.