Banner image courtesy of Rolesville, North Carolina.

Strategic plans can be valuable tools that guide managers and their governing bodies in making complex decisions and navigating challenging periods. And yet, financial constraints, limited staff capacity, and lack of buy in from elected officials are just a few examples of the numerous challenges to strategic planning faced by managers of small local governments.

In this report, ICMA Local Government Research Fellow Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., combines new research and practical experience in a practitioner-oriented guide to making strategic planning work in your community, no matter how small. Its insights are useful to first-time administrators or those championing a strategic plan for the first time.

Inside is an in-depth exploration of:

• The benefits of having a strategic plan from managers who have them, use them, and encourage them.
• Guidance on “how to” and items to consider before starting the process.
• Detailed case studies directly from managers of communities ranging from less than 20,000 to less than 2,000 residents on how they built the case for, created, and implemented their own strategic plans.

Even a simple plan is better than no plan, and managers have found ways to tailor planning processes to fit their community’s constraints and needs.  

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Expert Insight

Stephanie Davis, Ph.D.

Collegiate assistant professor and program director for the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management, Virginia Tech.

I have found through my years of work with small communities that strategic planning does not have to be complicated. The key to successful strategic planning in a small community is to tailor the process to fit your needs.

Looking for more resources from Stephanie Davis? Explore these selected publications: 

• Making It Work for You: Strategic Planning in Small Communities, by Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., PM magazine, 2022. >> Read article 

• COVID-19 Financial Impacts on Virginia Local Governments: A Report on Financial Policy Implications, by Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 2020. >> Read report

About the Program

The Bob Turner Scholars Internship is a hands-on learning opportunity designed to attract high school or community college students to local government and a values-based career. ICMA received a donation to be endowed in honor of Bob Turner to help train future professionals. Bob was a mentor to many individuals who followed in his footsteps and made their own contributions to society. The goal of this program is to ensure that these students have the opportunity to serve a local government as an intern under the guidance of an ICMA member mentor. Each student will work for a CAO or assistant CAO who can dedicate time over the summer to helping students understand the nuts and bolts of local government operations and, most importantly, the value system that drives decision-making and the profession.

Host an Intern

Hosting a high school intern not only impacts the student but can impact you and your organization. Do you have the calling it takes?

HOST AN INTERN

To be eligible to participate in the Bob Turner Scholars Internship Program, the chief administrative officer (i.e. city/county manager or administrator) of the host organization must be an ICMA member. To qualify, applicants must:

• Submit a host application (this does not guarantee participation).
• Sign a letter of agreement.
• Submit required financial forms to ICMA (to receive reimbursement).
• Attend a host/mentor training.
• Submit a meaningful and age-appropriate work plan.
• Designate a mentor and time for mentoring opportunities.
• Participate in a program debrief and feedback.

Pay and Salary

The host organization provides compensation, and ICMA reimburses the host organization up to $2,500 upon completion of the summer internship. Hosts are responsible for covering any pay/salary that exceeds $2,500. Hosts are responsible for providing the required equipment for the intern to perform his or her day-to-day duties.

ICMA Benefits

Interns placed in the Bob Turner Scholars Internship Program will receive:

• Complimentary ICMA membership for two years.
• Complimentary registration to the ICMA Annual Conference (if the intern is 18 years of age by the time of conference).
• Complimentary subscription to PM magazine.
• A tailored cohort experience, including biweekly cohort calls.
• Access to ICMA’s Local Government 101.

ICMA is accepting applications beginning October 25, 2024, for the summer 2025 Bob Turner Scholars Internship. Applications will be considered by the review committee. Based on the degree of interest, a limited number of host communities will be selected each year.