2024 marked 100 years since ICMA added the “I” to its name. Since 1924, 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 1960s, to the more than 500 projects in 70 countries that ICMA has led since then as part of its grants and contracts work. The Envision Strategic Plan, created and ratified by the membership in 2017, identified globalization as a key driver for local governments and the board established the Global Vision and Collaboration Committee to begin developing a more comprehensive global strategy.  

In November 2019, ICMA produced a whitepaper on the global future of ICMA that outlines the opportunities, challenges, and key questions that staff believed should be explored as part of any transformation. This whitepaper served as the jumping off point for research, discussions, and decisions on how to transform ICMA into a truly global organization. 

With guidance from the ICMA Executive Board and the collective efforts of members, business partners, international affiliates, staff, and other stakeholders, the Global Engagement Strategy was developed. It was approved by the ICMA Executive Board in June 2022. The strategy includes four goals and 17 objectives that will guide our efforts to realize ICMA’s vision internationally.

ICMA seeks to position itself as the home for local government practitioners worldwide–advancing professional local government globally.  From 2023 to 2024, ICMA staff developed a global roadmap which included three key initiatives aligned with our global strategy. The first initiative, the adopting of a global operating model, was approved by the ICMA Executive Board in August 2023. The global operating model enables ICMA to continue to grow and improve as an organization, both in the U.S. and internationally. The model helps us achieve efficiencies and 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 focused on reimagining our relationships around the world. For over 35 years, ICMA has cultivated relationships with global like-minded organizations focused on improving local governance. We seek to strengthen those relationships and expand our global network so that local government practitioners around the world can exchange experiences and tools and contribute to continuous knowledge exchange and learning. ICMA’s new relationship model was approved by the Executive Board in December 2023, and staff continues to implement this model by developing new, mutually beneficial collaboration agreements. 

The third initiative involved ICMA's governance structure. An 18-member Governance Task Force worked from June 2023- March 2025 to provide the Board with recommendations regarding the best governance structure to achieve ICMA’s goal of being an effective, diverse, inclusive, and global organization.  The new regional realignment and associated Constitutional amendments were approved by the board in a series of decisions from June-August 2025 and members will vote on these changes in a Special Election that will launch in November 2025. 

All of these initiatives will ensure financial stability and achieve operational excellence while continuing to provide the same quality programs and services that ICMA is known for.

Get answers to your questions about the Global Engagement Strategy by reviewing the FAQs below.

View the Global Engagement Strategy FAQs

For more information about this effort, contact global@icma.org.  

ICMA’s Current Global Engagement Activities

International relationships with 35+ local government associations representing local governments and professionals in their respective countries. 

Tranter-Leong Fellowship supports international experiences for ICMA members using an endowed fund generously donated to ICMA. 

ICMA Mexico is an independent entity, locally registered in Mexico, that carries out the mission of ICMA in Mexico, developing and selling products and services to promote professional governance. 

ICMA’s Global Engagement Committee is a member-led committee that has spent several decades helping ICMA by supporting its global activities. 

Student Chapters are being constituted around the world.  While most are in the United States, a growing number of chapters are being formed at universities in other parts of the world. 

Global exchanges enable ICMA members to interact with municipal managers and other local government staff from other countries and discuss solutions to local government challenges that are common across the globe. See highlights from past exchanges to Belgium and Eswatini and South Africa. 

Advocacy for the professionalization of local government around the world. ICMA works with its strategic allies and other global local government organizations to demonstrate the value of professional local government management. Through training and professional development products, ICMA shares best practices in local government management through the 14 principles of effective leadership and management which can be applied across borders. 

Grant Funded Technical Assistance 

ICMA managed grant- and contract-funded technical assistance programs in partnership with organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. State Department in different countries around the world, including the United States.  From 1989-2025, ICMA managed more than 500 programs in 70 countries.  Since 2010, ICMA has coordinated hundreds of fellowship exchanges in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. 

The Future of a Global ICMA

ICMA’s global engagement initiatives support ICMA’s mission and vision to advance professional local government and to create and sustain thriving communities throughout the world. We are focused on strategic actions that promote ICMA’s values and, with member support, we will continue to identify opportunities to build and strengthen relationships with like-minded organizations and develop and deliver professional development products and services that provide local government leaders and their staff from around the world with the skills they need to better serve their communities.