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.

Go to ICMA Connect

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

1. Login at connect.icma.org using your ICMA Member Account username and password.
2. 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)
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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:

1. Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
2. Search for MemberCentric and download the app
3. Open MemberCentric and tap ICMA
4. Login with your ICMA credentials

Questions? Contact the ICMA Connect Support Team at appsupport@icma.org.

Description

The John Garvey Scholarship Fund allows young professionals to participate in global knowledge exchange through attendance at a local government management event in a country other than their home country. The ICMA Global Engagement Committee offers two scholarships of up to $3,500 from the John Garvey Fund to applicants who meet the requirements. One scholarship is designated for a U.S. citizen and the other for a non-U.S. citizen. If no applications are received from one or the other of these categories of potential applicants, two scholarships may be awarded within the same category.

Requirements

• Applicant must be an active member of ICMA and age 40 or under at the time of application. Learn more about becoming a member of ICMA.
• Applicant cannot be a member of the ICMA Global Engagement Committee at the time of application.
• The scholarship is limited to direct expenses associated with attendance at an international conference or event.
• The applicant, if selected, is responsible for any expenses above the $3,500 amount.
• These funds may not be used to repay student loans or to fund solely cultural experiences.
• Endorsement letters from the applicant’s employer must be submitted as part of the package explaining what assistance the local government will provide to the applicant. The employer should describe what it hopes to receive from the applicant participating in the process.

Individuals with questions can contact Sophie Weyn, assistant program manager, global engagement, at sweyn@icma.org. 

Eligible International Local Government Events

ICMA maintains contact with local government organizations around the world. If you are interested in attending the conference of one of these organizations, contact Sophie Weyn at sweyn@icma.org for more information.

Many organizations do not announce their conferences until 1-2 months prior to the conference date. While we make every effort to list the events on the ICMA events calendar and on this page, we do not know every upcoming event. If there is another local government-related event you would like to attend, list this event in your application. If you need help selecting an event, contact ICMA for assistance.

Selection Process

Applicants will be evaluated by a selection committee led by the vice chair of the ICMA Global Engagement Committee.

About the John Garvey Scholarship Fund

The John Garvey Fund was established in 1995 following the recommendation of the ICMA Global Engagement Committee (then called the International Committee) to create a scholarship to assist ICMA members in gaining an international management perspective. The scholarship was named for John Garvey, who served as coordinator of the International Management Exchange Program for many years. A stated desire of the committee is to increase the number of women, minorities, and young professionals participating in international activities.

Catch up on all the advice from ICMA's Career Compass, in case you missed one or want to share these links with a colleague. 

To get this column by email, sign-up for the Coaching Program email list. Simply click “Create Account” in the upper right hand corner of this page and follow the steps. Once you are signed-in, manage your Communication Preferences in your profile. Scroll down to “Subscriptions” and click the box next to ICMA Coaching. You will now receive ICMA Coaching Emails.

Also, check out the Career Compass Anthology: Volume I and Career Compass Anthology: Volume II - compilations of the first 50 columns in two formatted PDFs. Volume III-IV are being formatted.

Career Compass No. 114: What I Wish I Knew as a Younger Leader

Career Compass No. 113: Promote Stability Amid All the Change

Career Compass No. 112: Can You Show Your True Self at Work?

Career Compass No. 111: Are You a Generous Leader?

Career Compass No. 110: Accelerate Through Subtraction 

Career Compass No. 109: Succession Planning—Nine Classic Mistakes to Avoid

Career Compass No. 108: Leadership Starts with Self-awareness

Career Compass No. 107: The Business Case for Promoting Workplace Belonging

Career Compass No. 106: Supporting a Colleague in Distress

Career Compass No. 105: How Do You Show Up as a Leader?

Career Compass No. 104: Workforce Trends You Can’t Ignore

Career Compass No. 103: Avoid Seeking Happiness at Work

Career Compass No. 102: Responding to Public Criticism

Career Compass No. 101: Now Is the Time to Reinvest in the Front Line

Career Compass No. 100: Leadership Lessons from 99 Career Compass Columns

Career Compass No. 99: Harness the Hidden Power of Rituals

Career Compass No. 98: Combating Change Exhaustion

Career Compass No. 97: Seven Ways to Boost Your Leadership Capabilities

Career Compass No. 96: Why We Need Great Mid-managers More than Ever

Career Compass No. 95: Use Return-to-Office as Your Opportunity to Reset Culture

Career Compass No. 94: 10 Principles for Leading in Turbulence

Career Compass No. 93: Does Your Executive Group Have a First-Team Mindset?

Career Compass No. 92: Leveraging Six  Sources of Influence

Career Compass No. 91: Post-Covid, What is your Leadership Narrative?

Career Compass No. 90: Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis

Career Compass No. 89: Overcoming the Arrogance of Expertise

Career Compass No. 88: Leaders Are Dealers in Hope

Career Compass No. 87: Do Something!

Career Compass No. 86: Empathy is a Superpower

Career Compass No. 85: To Thrive in Post-Pandemic, Enhance Employee Experience

Career Compass No. 84: Got Grit?

Career Compass No. 83: How Do I Have Energizing Performance Conversations with Direct Reports?

Career Compass No. 82: Avoid Layoffs by Using a Menu of Strategies

Career Compass No. 81: We Need Adaptive Leaders Now

Career Compass No. 80: To Retain Your Talent, Use Stay Interviews

Career Compass No. 79: Leading by Connecting

Career Compass No. 78: Info Interviews - A Tool to Help You Advance

Career Compass No. 77: Ten Practices to Build a Mini-Culture of Learning

Career Compass No. 76: Humble Leaders Get Results

Career Compass No. 75: Patience Is a Leadership Virtue

Career Compass No. 74: How Do I Get Everyone's Commitment?

Career Compass No. 73: How Do I Get and Benefit from a Stretch Assignment?

Career Compass No. 72: How Do We Generate Creative Ideas?

Career Compass No. 71: Why Won’t They Collaborate with Us?

Career Compass No. 70: How to Handle a Difficult Conversation with a Direct Report

Career Compass No. 69: Psychological Safety: The One Key Determinant of Team Effectiveness

Career Compass No. 68: My My 1:1 Meetings Are a Waste of Time

Career Compass No. 67: Effective Leaders Start with Compassion

Career Compass No. 66: Lighten Up!

Career Compass No. 65: FIO—The Key Competency for 21st Century Leaders

Career Compass No. 64: Ten Ideas to Become a Talent Magnet

Career Compass No. 63: Legacy: Don't Live It, Leave It

Career Compass No. 62: "How Do I Get A Better Title?"

Career Compass No. 61: Leadership Is the Art of Conversation

Career Compass No. 60: I Don't Like My Mid-Manager Job!

Career Compass No. 59: Perform the Job Before You Get It

Career Compass No. 58: Overcoming Deep-Seated Fears

Career Compass No. 57: Leading By Living Your Values

Career Compass No. 56: The Paradoxes of Leadership

Career Compass No. 55: I'm Not Ready! 

Career Compass No. 54: How Do I Position Myself for Advancement?

Career Compass No. 53: How Do I Hold People Accountable?

Career Compass No. 52: Recasting My Rep

Career Compass No. 51: Building a World Class Culture

Career Compass No. 50: Storytelling--A Powerful Way to Lead and Communicate

Career Compass No. 49: Building High-Performance Teams—What’s the Magic?

Career Compass No. 48: How Do I Benefit from a Coach?

Career Compass No. 47: Leadership Myths Debunked 

Career Compass No. 46: Leading By Letting Go

Career Compass No. 45: City Managers Need Coaches Too

Career Compass No. 44: Rookie Mistakes of a First-Time Department Head

Career Compass No. 43: My Team is Overwhelmed (and so am I)!

Career Compass No. 42: Trust Me!

Career Compass No. 41: The Post-Heroic Leader

Career Compass No. 40: “Why Can't We Just Get Along?"

Career Compass No. 39: The Courage to Do the Right Thing

Career Compass No. 38: Your Staff Meetings Don't Have To Be Dreary

Career Compass No. 37: Engaging Employees for Success

Career Compass No. 36: Creating a Leadership Presence

Career Compass No. 35: Leadership Lessons from My Teenage Daughter

Career Compass No. 34: Making Presentations Like a Pro

Career Compass No. 33: Making the Move Up and Out—What’s the Fit?

Career Compass No. 32: The Power of Vulnerability 

Career Compass No. 31: Political Savviness

Career Compass No. 30: Building a Powerful Network

Career Compass No. 29: Forget Work-Life Balance...Re-Energize at Work and at Home!

Career Compass No. 28: My Team Member Is a Slacker!

Career Compass No. 27: Creating a Safe Environment for a Courageous Conversation

Career Compass No. 26: The Art of the Interview

Career Compass No. 25: Winning Office Politics, the Right Way

Career Compass No. 24: Asking Powerful Questions

Career Compass No. 23: Building Your Personal Brand

Career Compass No. 22: Overcoming Your Blind Spots

Career Compass No. 21: My Micromanaging Boss Is Driving Me Crazy!

Career Compass No. 20: They've Oversized My Job!

Career Compass No. 19: Why Should Anyone Follow Me?

Career Compass No. 18: Taking Smart Risks

Career Compass No. 17: The Subtle Art of Promoting Your Value

Career Compass No. 16: Should I Consider a Lateral Move?

Career Compass No. 15: Dealing with Angry Crowds

Career Compass No. 14: Selling Your Ideas

Career Compass No. 13: Developing a Finance IQ

Career Compass No. 12: Communicating with Your Boss

Career Compass No. 11: Frank’s Rules for Resume Writing

Career Compass No. 10: Personal Learning—The Key to Adapting and Advancing

Career Compass No. 9: Bouncing Back From Defeat

Career Compass No. 8: Leading From the Middle

Career Compass No. 7: How Do I Create a "Dream Team" of Advisors?

Career Compass No. 6: The Multi-generational Workplace

Career Compass No. 5: Developing Leadership Skills When You Have No Formal Authority

Career Compass No. 4: Spot That Opening, and Take It!

Career Compass No. 3: Getting Ready for the Next Opportunity

Career Compass No. 2: Defining Your Value In Uncertain Times

Career Compass No. 1: What Skills Are Most Important for a Manager (And How Do I Develop Them)?

Sponsored by the ICMA Coaching Program, ICMA Career Compass is a column from ICMA focused on career issues for local government professional staff. Dr. Frank Benest is ICMA's Liaison for Next Generation Initiatives and resides in Palo Alto, California. If you have a career question you would like addressed in a future Career Compass, e-mail careers@icma.org or contact Frank directly at frank@frankbenest.com. Read past columns at icma.org/careercompass.

CoachConnect

• Go to icma.org/coachconnect to sign up as a coach or learner! 

1-1 Coaching

• Resources for New Coaches

• NEW! Coaching Up, Down, and Across

• ABC's of One-to-One Coaching

• Being a Great Coach and a Winning Player

• Video: "Being a Great Coach and a Winning Player"

• Video: "Being a Great Coach: Catalyze the Greatness in Others"

• Video: Being a Winning Player: Take Charge of Your Talent"

• Making Effective Requests

• Talent Catalyst Conversation Outline

• Video: "Talent Catalyst Conversation: Watch Coaching in Action" 

• Video National Mentoring Month

Speedcoaching

• Guidelines for Enjoying Speed Coaching

State Associations

• Leveraging Your Participation in the Coaching Program: Ten Tips for State Associations

• Leveraging Your Participation in the Coaching Program: Ten Tips for Outreach Partners

FAQs

1. Who is Coaching for? What does it offer?

Everyone! Coaching offers value for people at any stage in their careers. As in sports, coaching helps even the best players do better. Why? Because everyone can benefit from sharing best practices and gaining perspectives from others who can help them see their situation and opportunities from a fresh perspective. That's why we organize the Coaching program webinars to serve as whole team learning experiences. It's also why the Speed Coaching and 1-1 Coaching models provide a structure for advice at multiple stages in a career. 

2. What resources are in the coaching program?

The ICMA Coaching Program delivers a suite of services to help you grow and enjoy your career:

• 6 live Webinars per year spotlighting best practices on key topics from local government professionals throughout the U.S. -- invite your whole team to participate. 
• Digital Agendas and Archives with video recordings and extensive presentation materials and examples from dozens of sessions available in a convenient online library--delivering you "professional development in a box"--when you want it and where you want it.
• One-on-One coaching provided through our online platform, ICMA CoachConnect
• Talent Development Resources to make greater use of your talent and have fun doing it.
• Speed Coaching session at the ICMA Annual Conference  and templates for use at local level -- expand your networks.
• Career Compass columns that address critical career issues.

3. Do I need to be a member of ICMA to participate in 1-1 Coaching?

No. Due to the generosity of the sponsors and partners for the ICMA Coaching Program and volunteer coaches, you do not need to be a member. Since ICMA membership has many benefits, we encourage you to consider joining.

4. What's the difference between a coach, a catalyst, and a mentor?

Some people use "coach" and "mentor" interchangeably. In the ICMA Coaching Program, we use the term "coach" to refer to someone who is helping others find the answers for themselves. This fits well with the interests of aspiring professionals to gain insights from others but blaze their own trails. A catalyst is a type of coach who accelerates action and precipitates results for others without becoming consumed in the process. A catalyst keeps the player in charge of his or her choices. In contrast, mentors often refer to people who teach others and guide them in how to do things. This works well when there is a specific body of knowledge that someone wishes to learn. So, a coach and a mentor are tools for different purposes. You'll probably want one or more of both and who they are will likely evolve over your career.

5. How often and over what period of time should a coach and coachees meet?

This is up to the coach and player. Some meet initially in-person or over the phone and then have occasional check-ins. Some make other arrangements. It's up to your mutual decision. You can decide to start and stop a coaching relationship as you see fit. 

6. How many coaches should I have?

Just as top sports players have multiple coaches (one overall, another for a particular skill, etc.), you may wish to have more than one coach. You might have one coach who helps you as you navigate your overall career. This might be an ongoing relationship of several months or more with occasional check-ins. You might have another coach (perhaps even one suggested by your career coach) for a targeted time to help you address a special need or insights about a particular subject or situation.

7. What is the "two-plus-one" system of coaching?

Two-plus-one is an easy way to remember the ideal set-up of a quick-to-access network of coaches. For project, program, or organizational advice, you want one coach within your department or team that can advise you on internal processes, goals, or give you other feedback related to your programs and goals. This can be, but does not need to be your direct supervisor. Then you want a coach in the same organization, but outside your team, to be an advisor that can also put things in context to the organization, the community, or how priorities connect to your question, project, or need for coaching. This can be a more senior staff person, but does not have to be. Someone with longer tenure in the organization can help as they should understand the levers and pulleys in the organization. Lastly, you want a coach outside your organization who can give you a fresh perspective, and can also be a confidant for you on issues you might not want to bring up internally before getting an outsider's perspective. And as in question 6, you can have as many coaches as you need!

Contact coaching@icma.org with feedback or additional questions!

ICMA’s research activities yield a growing body of information and knowledge about local government.  Based on our research, we produce survey summaries, case studies, research reports, LGR: Local Government Review, and other products that provide data, thoughtful analysis, and insights into best practices.

Summary Survey Results

Following the completion of each ICMA survey, we prepare Summary Survey Results that provide a quick glimpse of the findings. Among the survey topics are sustainability, municipal form of government, and alternative service delivery.

Research Papers

Occasionally ICMA publishes brief papers that summarize the state of research in a given area or use published research to provide a primer on the topic. Examples include Public-Private Partnerships (P3s): What Local Government Managers Need to Know and Improving Quality of Life: The Effect of Aligning Local Service Delivery and Public Health Goals.

LGR: Local Government Review

Published twice a year as a special section in Public Management magazine, LGR: Local Government Review, provides key research findings and expert insights into current local government issues and trends. Featured topics include resilient communities, the future workforce, citizen engagement, and cybersecurity.

LGR: Local Government Review, July 2021

LGR: Local Government Review, December 2020

LGR: Local Government Review, February 2020

LGR: Local Government Review, March 2019

LGR: Local Government Review, July 2018, powered by TownCloud

LGR: Local Government Review, December 2017, powered by TownCloud

LGR: Local Government Review, June 2017

Other New Research

Beyond Compliance: Recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Populations to Achieve Higher Positions in Local Government

Blockchain Technology: Local Government Applications and Challenges

Disaster Recovery Essentials: A Tool for Preparing Your Community to Face the Unexpected

Ethics Matter! Advice for Public Managers

Getting Started: Performance Management for Local Government

Local Government & Immigrant Communities Survey

The Model Police Officer: Recruitment, Training, and Community Engagement

Municipal Form of Government (2018-19)

Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation: An Economic and Disaster Recovery Plan for Puerto Rico

Veterans Guide to Finding a Job in Local Government

19 on 2019: Predictions on Local Government from 19 Experts

Products of Research Collaborations

In addition to our independent research, ICMA regularly conducts research in partnership with universities, nonprofit and private-sector organizations, and government entities. For example:

Smart Communities: Rethinking Infrastructure (with Siemens)

Smart Solutions: Technology Serving Communities E-Book (with IBTS, the Institute for Building Technology and Safety)

Smart Communities and Data Analytics (with SAS)

Cybersecurity: Protecting Local Government Digital Resources (with Microsoft)

Growing Local Food Systems: A Case Study Series on the Role of Local Governments (with the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems and funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation)

The GIS Guide for Elected Officials (with Esri)

Advancing Social Equity Goals to Achieve Sustainability (with Arizona State University and funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and a series of related case studies

Solar Survey of Local Governments, 2016 (with the U.S. Department of Energy)

Bring Solar to Your Community: Themes, Summaries and Insights from 27 Case Studies (with the U.S. Department of Energy)

Shared Building Department Services (with the Institute for Building Technology and Safety)

Small Towns, Rural Communities and Sustainability (with the National Association of Development Organizations, the National Association of Counties and others and funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency)

Water Rate Approval Process Research (with ARCADIS, Stratus Consulting, the University of North Carolina, and Richard Atwater and funding from the Water Research Foundation)

Local Libraries Advancing Community Goals, 2016 (with Aspen Institute and the Public Library Association)

To explore potential research partnerships, contact Tad McGalliard at ICMA (tmcgalliard@icma.org).