The United States has a long history of public efforts aimed at social and economic inequality. While many of these programs were developed at the national level, it has become increasingly evident that inequality manifests itself most clearly at the local level. Thus, many cities and counties had sought to address inequality through local policies and programs. Lessons about the better practices regarding the local pursuit of equity, however, remain difficult to come by. This report provides such lessons by summarizing the results of the Governing for Equity Project.
In this Leading Edge Research report, ICMA Research Fellow Benoy Jacob, Ph.D., highlights local governments that excel in increasing diversity and fostering inclusiveness. This report examines how American local governments—cities and counties—are actively addressing social and racial inequity in their communities. In particular, it considers the challenges and opportunities faced by public administrators when adopting an equity lens in their day-to-day operations.
Expert Insight
Benoy Jacob, Ph.D.
Director of the Community Development Institute, Division of Extension, and Affiliated Faculty at the LaFollette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“The initiation of a change toward equity requires, first and foremost, bringing community stakeholders together around a shared vision of equity. Creating a vision for equity is critical for the initiation of equity because it formalizes the purpose of the organization in terms of equity.”
ICMA Local Government Research Fellowship
This report was supported through ICMA’s Local Government Research Fellowship program. ICMA Research Fellows are practitioners and academics that conduct action-oriented research addressing important trends, drivers, and issues facing local governments. Their work advances ICMA’s strategic priority to provide thought leadership and resources that support members and other local government stakeholders in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world. Learn more about ICMA's Local Government Research Fellowship.
Looking for more resources from Benoy Jacob, P.h.D? Explore these selected publications:
- Pathways to the Making of Prosperous Smart Cities, by Kevin C. Desouza, Michael Hunter, Benoy Jacob, & Tan Yigitcanlar, PM Magazine, 2020. >> Read article
- Advancing Social Equity: Lessons from (and for) Public Managers, by Benoy Jacob, PM Magazine, 2019. >> Read article
- Benoy shared his prediction on performance management for 2019 for ICMA’s Predictions on Local Government from 19 Experts. >> Read more
- Border Effects in Suburban Land Use, by Benoy Jacob & Daniel McMillen, National Tax Journal, 2015. >> Read article
- Big Data in the Public Sector: Lessons for Practitioners and Scholars, by Desouza, K. C., & Jacob, B., Administration & Society, 2017. >> Read article
- Beating the Clock: Strategic Management under the Threat of Direct Democracy by Ely, T. L. and Jacob, B., Public Admin Rev, 2013. >> Read article
- Tax Competition Among Municipal Governments: Exit Versus Voice, by Hendrick, R., Yonghong Wu, & Jacob, B., Urban Affairs Review, 2007. >> Read article
- Re‐thinking local autonomy: Perceptions from Four Rural Municipalities, by Benoy Jacob et al, The Institute of Public Administration in Canada, 2008 >> Read article
The ICMA Cybersecurity Leadership Program is a 12-week mentorship based collaborative readiness program led by CISOs and other experts who deliver their proven frameworks and insights on how to lead and secure a network and an organization – protecting data assets and the enterprise brand. This program coaches participants on what it means to think and act as a cybersecurity leader.
As ICMA’s research has demonstrated, local governments of all sizes are susceptible to cyberthreats and must actively prepare for these threats with cybersecurity investments. This leadership development program prepares existing and emerging leaders to better defend their most critical assets.
— MARC OTT, ICMA Executive Director
What are the objectives of the program?
| KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES GAP | COMPETENCY | CISO EXPECTATIONS |
| LEADING AND MAKING DECISIONS | LEADING | Execute as a (local government) leader to facilitate, influence, persuade, and negotiate with individuals, teams and groups toward decisions |
| PLANNING AND MANAGING CHANGE | ADAPTING | Leverage the power of systems thinking to mitigate risk and empower people during organizational and market fluctuation |
| BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS | COLLABORATING | Establish alignment of individual purpose with team meaning and organizational mission to energize efforts and maximize results |
| PRESENTING INFORMATION CLEARLY | COMMUNICATING | Manage messaging based on stakeholder need, sensemaking, and simplicity to create clarity in meaning, confidence, and community |
| EXECUTING TO ACHIEVE VALUE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY | DELIVERING VALUE | Focus on projects and processes (and the people associated with them) while linking execution to strategy to deliver value to community |
How is the program structured?
With intentionally designed asynchronous and synchronous activities and rich content and application-focused outcomes, the program takes a whole-solution approach to cybersecurity leadership rather than a focus on siloed activities. You can find the complete course breakdown here.
Here is a list of program activities:
- Breakout Group Meeting – 60-minute meeting (in-person or virtual) amongst breakout group members (typically 10-12 participants).
- Breakout Group Summary – These posts are for the rest of the cohort to see what your breakout group discussed. Each week your breakout group’s designated leader or scribe will write this post which will be seen by the entire cohort.
- Discuss with Breakout Group – Share your thoughts, perspectives and comments with your breakout group. These will be seen by you, your breakout group, and faculty.
- Discuss with Cohort – Share your thoughts, perspectives and comments with your cohort. This is an online threaded discussion and you are expected to engage in with your colleagues. Posts will be seen by all participants and faculty.
- Live Event – 60-minute, virtual meeting conducted via web conference with your entire cohort and facilitated by your faculty mentor.
- Read – Read a document, case study or article.
- Reflect – Your online reflections are your private notes and thoughts. They will only be seen by you.
- Surveys or assessments – You will also receive occasional surveys on the platform for you to answer questions and submit responses that will help you shape your own learning journey and provide us valuable feedback to shape future courses.
- Watch – View a brief video from your faculty presenters.
How does the ICMA Cybersecurity Leadership Program compare to other cybersecurity programs?
What keeps you up at night?
| ICMA Cyber Program | University Training | Boot Camp Program | Technical Training | |
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Who Should Attend?
Existing and emerging front-line and mid-level leaders interested in improving their cybersecurity capabilities, team engagement, and organizational outcomes. In addition to IT professionals, this program may also work well for cyber organizational partners in finance, operations, HR, and other disciplines who are interested in learning more about cybersecurity leadership and overall organizational risk management.
What is the Cost of the Program?
| RETAIL | ICMA MEMBERS | NON-MEMBERS | |
| PRICE | $2,495 | $1,995 | $2,495 |
The retail cost is $2,495 per participant, however ICMA Members pay $1,995 - a 20% discount! Non-ICMA Member fee is $2,495.
Can I count this toward my ICMA Credentialed Manager status?
Yes. ICMA will allow 48 credit hours for this program. In addition, completion of this course can be applied to other credentialing programs--for example SHRM, PMI, and CISSP.
Next Steps...
Whether you'd like more specific information about the program, or you're ready to register now, your next stop is the program registration page.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
NLC’s newest Municipal Action Guide: Roadmap to Repair: A Guide to How Cities Can Acknowledge and Address the History of Harm to Indigenous Peoples, Rebuild Trust, and Repair Relationships.
Resources from the 2022 ICMA Equity Summit | Ready or Not! Moving from Discourse to Action
Equity: From Interest to Action for Colorado Local Government Professionals
Capstone project: Matthew Hirschinger, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Arvada, Colorado; sponsored by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
St Paul, MN: Racial Equity Toolkit and 2022 Equity Language
ICMA Equity and Inclusion Toolkit
Strategies and leading practices in use in communities around the world.
Equity Framework and Rapid Response Tool
City of San Antonio Office of Equity
RESOURCES FROM OUR PARTNERS
Tools and resources from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity
Tools and resources from PolicyLink.
Resources from Living Cities.
POLICE
The Model Police Officer: Recruitment, Training, and Community Engagement
ICMA's survey on police recruitment, training, and community engagement from the perspectives of management, police administration, officers, human resources, and the community.
Black Lives Matter: Racial Disparity and a Review of Police-Community Relations (PDF)
In 2014, race disparity and police use of force collided to become the top issue in urban America.
OTHER RESOURCES
Historically Marginalized Populations Toolkit
Building an Inclusive Workforce
Offered as a member benefit, ICMA members have access to the online community reserved only for current ICMA members. Nonmembers are invited to become an ICMA member to join the conversation.
ICMA Connect community provides members with opportunities to:
- Find and connect with fellow ICMA members
- Network with colleagues around the world
- Participate in discussions vital to the management and advancement of our communities
- Gain access to member-specific digital resources
- Ask questions of your colleagues
- Share knowledge and resources
Access ICMA Connect from your computer
- Login at connect.icma.org using your ICMA Member Account username and password.
- Complete your profile. Your profile details will already appear from our member database, but we encourage you to complete your profile with as much information as possible. (Any changes made take 30 minutes to reflect on your profile)
- Browse through the community. Keep up with the current conversations in the ICMA All-Members group. This your opportunity to join a conversation or start a new one.
- Post a message. Got a question? Your colleagues have the answer! Go to Discussions, then Post a Message to send a message to your colleagues in your communities.
- Share. Just like the “take a penny, leave a penny” model, if you find something useful on ICMA Connect, we hope you will share something of your own! You might even ask your peers for feedback on your work. To share a document, go to Resources, then Add a New Entry.
Access ICMA Connect from your phone
The complimentary ICMA Connect app, powered by MemberCentric, is the best way to connect and collaborate with peers, participate in community discussions, and access up-to-date content and news from ICMA, directly on your mobile device.
Download Instructions:
- Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Search for MemberCentric and download the app
- Open MemberCentric and tap ICMA
- Login with your ICMA credentials
Questions? Contact the ICMA Connect Support Team at appsupport@icma.org.
