Submission Deadline
The deadline to submit your proposal is closed.
How it Works
Our committee will evaluate each proposal and make selections based on topic, content, and alignment with the 14 Practices for Effective Local Government Management and Leadership. All those who submit proposals will be notified after the selection process.
Questions?
Your question may be answered in the FAQ, if not, please contact Felicia Littky, manager of conference education programming, at conferenceteam@icma.org.
Overview
Are you passionate about local governance, leadership, and making a difference in your community? We invite you to be a part of the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference by sharing your expertise and insights as a presenter!
At ICMA, we are committed to advancing the field of local government management and leadership. As we prepare for the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference, all educational tracks and sessions will be carefully aligned with the 14 Practices for Effective Local Government Management and Leadership. This alignment ensures that our conference program directly addresses the key challenges and opportunities facing local government professionals today. The 14 Practices serve as a comprehensive framework for excellence in local government management. They are the result of extensive research, feedback from our Conference Planning Committee, and data analytics that help us identify the most critical areas of focus.
By aligning our conference tracks and sessions with these practices, we aim to provide local government professionals with relevant and actionable insights that will empower them to make a real difference in their communities. Whether they are seasoned professionals or just beginning their career in local government, they will find valuable sessions that speak directly to their needs and aspirations.
Why Should You Submit a Presentation Proposal?
Share Your Expertise
Showcase your knowledge, experiences, and success stories.
Impactful Networking
Connect with peers, mentors, and innovators in the field.
Influence Change
Shape the future of local governance and leadership.
Showcase Innovations
Highlight your community’s achievements and innovations.
Professional Growth
Enhance your own skills and leadership capabilities.
Topics We’re Interested In
Digital Agility
An exploration of the latest in digital technologies and data-driven decision-making.
The ability to adopt and leverage digital technologies and capabilities to achieve strategic goals and create value is essential. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, local governments face unique challenges and opportunities as they strive to deliver efficient and effective services to their communities. This track highlights operational technologies, tools, and other innovations that allow organizations to advance their operations, asset integrity, risk management, and business continuity and growth. Topics may include approaches to navigating the digital transformation journey, data-driven decision-making, cybersecurity, resilience and privacy, digital service delivery, innovative civic engagement, e-government regulations and compliance, digital inclusion and equity, effective IT governance, and managing at the speed of emerging technologies, such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and 5G, that can be leveraged to enhance services, improve efficiency, and drive innovation in local government.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
11 Technological Literacy
Leadership
Adapting leadership approaches to navigate change and uncertainty.
What have we learned about effectively engaging others in developing, achieving, articulating, and embodying shared values, ethics, sense of purpose, and vision in the face of so much change and uncertainty? This track will explore how public servants can adapt leadership approaches to navigate current and future challenges.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
6 Strategic Leadership
Livable Communities
Addressing “wicked problems” and building community resilience.
The “wicked problems” impacting places can lead to opportunities for government staff and local stakeholders to communicate, build trust, and collaborate in new ways. This track will explore approaches that are making a difference in community resilience and quality of life.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
2 Community Engagement
7 Strategic Planning
8 Policy Facilitation and Implementation
9 Community and Resident Service
10 Service Delivery
14 Communication and Information Sharing
Management
Future-proof processes, systems, and policies in local government.
ICMA and the local government management profession have built a 100-year+ history around ethical, efficient, transparent, and results-oriented oversight of local government operations. To ensure leaders and the local government workforce continue to meet those obligations, this track will focus on the challenges and opportunities in future-proofing processes, systems, and policies. This also includes HR, workforce, staffing, etc.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
1 Personal and Professional Integrity
3 Equity and Inclusion
4 Staff Effectiveness
6 Strategic Planning
8 Policy Facilitation and Implementation
12 Financial Management and Budgeting
13 Human Resources Management and Workforce Engagement
Self-Transformation
Unlocking your potential, enhancing well-being, and creating positive change.
Designed for individuals committed to unlocking their fullest potential, enhancing their well-being, and creating positive change in their lives and focusing on making oneself better. This track highlights:
- Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence: The practice of mindfulness and its role in developing emotional intelligence; techniques for managing stress, improving self-awareness, and fostering healthier relationships.
- Goal setting and Achievement: The art of setting meaningful, achievable goals that align with your values and aspirations; strategies for overcoming obstacles and staying motivated on your path to success.
- Positive Well-being: The principles of positive psychology and how to cultivate happiness and well-being in your life; the science of flourishing and strategies for enhancing life satisfaction.
- Resilience and Adversity Mastery: How to build resilience in the face of life’s challenges and techniques for bouncing back from setbacks and emerging stronger and more resilient than ever.
- Personal Growth Strategies: Insights into various personal growth frameworks and approaches, from self-reflection to self-improvement techniques; identifying your unique strengths and areas for growth.
- Life Balance and Time Management: Finding harmony in life by mastering the art of time management and work-life balance; practical strategies for juggling personal and professional responsibilities.
- Transformational Leadership: Unleashing leadership potential by understanding how personal growth contributes to effective leadership; exploring leadership models that prioritize authenticity and personal development.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
5 Personal Resiliency and Development
Service Delivery
Reimagining service delivery and public safety operations.
Across the range of local government service areas, current expectations, systems, and delivery models often look vastly different than when many managers entered the profession. This track will explore how, where, when, and by whom the work gets done presents opportunities for reimagination to make the best use of resources and meet the needs of the public. Also includes public safety and emergency services operations.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
9 Community and Resident Service
10 Service Delivery
Thriving Economies
Promoting economic mobility and inclusive, sustainable development.
Local governments and communities worldwide are in varying states of rebounding from the pandemic, natural disasters, and other economic shifts. This track will help leaders learn to monitor and adapt to disruptive industries and trends, as well as identify opportunities to promote economic mobility and inclusive, sustainable development.
Addresses Effective Local Government Leadership and Management Practices:
6 Strategic Leadership
7 Strategic Planning
12 Financial Management and Budgeting
Have Questions?
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you make a lasting impact at the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference. Please email Felicia Littky, manager of conference education programming, at conferenceteam@icma.org.
Presentation Formats
Educational Session
Session Length: 60-minute, 45-minute presentation + 15-minute Q&A session
An educational session consists of a formal presentation made by an expert(s) on the subject. The presenter(s) does/do not have to be an acknowledged expert in the field, but should be well-versed on the topic through experience and/or research. Experienced CAOs or other practitioners are welcome to submit. Presentation presenters are encouraged to prepare a PowerPoint for their presentation, using the PowerPoint template which will be provided to them by ICMA upon acceptance.
Limited to FOUR (4) speakers per session
Intended Outcome: caring (about the topic), insights, awareness, understanding, comprehension, reflection, and/or knowledge.
Discussion
Session Length: 60-minute
A discussion is a group conversation between a small group of participants on a specific topic or issue. Discussion sessions typically include a 5- to 10-minute introduction by the organizer to introduce the topic, followed by discussion and feedback from participants. Discussions are meant to be interactive between the facilitator and attendees. As such, they take place in rooms set for up to 60 participants seated at roundtables. These sessions are NOT formal presentations and should be created to facilitate group conversations.
Limited to FOUR (4) discussion leaders/facilitators per session
Intended Outcome: targeted feedback, engaging discussions, and/or networking with similarly interested participants.
Skill-Building Workshop
Session Length: 120-minute
These workshops are intended to be skill-focused, active, and engaging. The content and outcomes of the session should be specifically focused on one or more of the ICMA Practices for Effective Local Government Management and Leadership. Please note: The ICMA Professional Development Staff will provide skill-building workshop instructors with guidelines on how to develop their sessions, activities, PowerPoint slides, participant guides (strongly recommended), and post-session communications/activities. Skill-building workshops are meant to be interactive between the facilitator and attendees. As such, these take place in rooms set for up to 60 participants.
Limited to TWO (2) instructors per session.
Intended Outcome: Clear and specific performance-based outcomes and skills that participants can apply in a real-world context.