The year 2024 marks 100 years since ICMA added the “I” to its name. Since then, 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. ICMA staff have prepared a global roadmap which includes three key initiatives that are closely aligned and that are the foundation of 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 will enable ICMA to continue to grow and improve as an organization, both in the US and internationally. The model will help us achieve efficiencies and allow us to 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 is focused on reimagining our relationships around the world. For over 35 years, ICMA has cultivated relationships with global like-minded organizations which are 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.
The third initiative involves our governance structure. An 18-member Governance Task Force has been charged with providing the Board with recommendations regarding the best governance structure to achieve ICMA’s goal of being an effective, diverse, inclusive, and global organization.
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.
John Garvey Scholarship allows young professionals to have an international experience, including participating in exchange programs or international local government conferences.
ICMA Europe is a nonprofit organization registered in the Slovak Republic affiliated with ICMA that was established in 2017 to connect associations of local governments and professionals throughout Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East to promote ICMA’s mission and foster information sharing and professional development.
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.
Grant Funded Technical Assistance
ICMA manages 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. Since 1989, ICMA has 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.
