When managers' and elected officials' goals align and are measured in an effective way officials can focus on the future, not the present.

Forty-eight local governments received the 2015 Certificates in Performance Management from the ICMA Center for Performance Analytics.

Clayton, Missouri (16,000 population) demonstrates how a smaller city can excel in performance management.

Read how the city of Mountain Brook, Alabama, successfully created additional recreational space for its residents.

See how scorecards, dashboards, and other visuals can help residents understand local government performance data.

ICMA will host a Twitter Chat focused on the basic skills local government professionals need to do an outstanding job for their community and make themselves marketable in the increasingly competitive field of local government management.

Word of advice to active duty personnel: Seek out opportunities to network with professionals in the field in which you'd like to get a job.

Word of advice to active duty personnel: Don’t underestimate the skill sets you have or the experience in the military.

Word of advice to active duty personnel: I would encourage any individual with a military background to consider local government.