The increasing complexity of managing the local government sector is proving a challenge for managers and councillors all over Australia. Despite each council’s different objectives, managers and councillors are mandated to provide the products and services to create and support sustainable communities for their constituents. They do this with increasing scrutiny of their management and performance, and rising levels of accountability. In recent years there has been a plethora of international, national and state reviews into the sustainability of local government organisations, in particular their financial sustainability. This concern over sustainability, together with the recent global financial crisis, has brought into sharp focus the financial predicament that Australian local government faces. More and more councils are coming to terms with the reality that they are financially unsustainable, and the problem is growing at an alarming rate.
So what exactly is meant by sustainability? For many councils this may simply mean financial sustainability and keeping the community’s financial records current. For others, it is more holistic. It is suggested here that local government organisations need to embrace the concept of sustainability in a broader sense – a sound strategic management plan that embraces both the community and corporate objectives of the council into the future. A strategic management plan that encapsulates the kind of community a person could envisage their grandchildren living in.
How does a local government organisation deliver a strategic management plan that is relevant, agile, is able to be implemented, and ultimately successful for its managers,councillors and constituents? The keys to a successful strategic management plan are its ability to align with organisational objectives, and to ensure continuous feedback on the plan through measurement, monitoring, evaluation and predictive capabilities.
This white paper begins with an overview of local government in Australia and the significant challenges it faces, and then investigates the national, state and territory reviews and legislation relating to council strategy. It discusses the importance of providing councils with a robust strategic management process, together with a continuous feedback framework through the use of corporate performance management solutions. It concludes with the notion that corporate performance management solutions will define the future of strategic management in local government.
Out there and in touch: Mobility Solutions for Local Government
Advances in technology in recent years have broadened the range of solutions available to all businesses, and an increasing number of Local Governments are experiencing first hand these benefits. It is now expected that councils will have integrated library and internet systems, e-Commerce facilities for transactions with suppliers and customers (such as online rates payments), greater online interaction with customers (online tracking of development applications), and streamlining of even the most basic communications (direct email correspondence with elected representatives). But all of these are 'in-house' functions; those where the council's business is conducted inside head office.
Many critical functions of local government are performed off-site in the field, where the exchange and management of information becomes more complex. In the absence of enabling technologies, the inefficiencies associated with double-handling of information (collecting in the field then processing in-house) have been tolerated. Previously mobile devices did not have the computing power or the memory capacity to effectively provide wireless access to information systems and network speeds were not sufficient for the task. Until now.
There is a new wave of technology that is driving a revolution in mobile connectivity - not just in communication, but in data collection and manipulation, and the creation and modification of records. TechnologyOne Mobility Solutions partners the intelligent Property & Rating solution with mobile 'smart devices' to provide a productive mobile experience for users taking TechnologyOne applications to the field. The mobility framework allows offsite workers to utilise the functionality of TechnologyOne enterprise solutions directly, and to complete work requests automatically, which reduces the need for time consuming administrative handling of actioned tasks. The mobility application is a simplified, smart client application, which is able to operate in either an online or offline mode.
Council's have traditionally been depicted as concerned only with the 'three R's' – roads, rates and rubbish. This perception has been driven by a large expectation from rate payers that local government will provide important infrastructure services in an efficient and cost effective way. However, this narrow viewpoint does not even scratch the surface of the role that councils now play within their communities. Councils now also deliver an increasing number of community and lifestyle facilities and coordinate various community events targeting different community groups. In trying to fulfil this role, councils have encountered escalating financial constraints, which brings into question whether councils can remain sustainable.
This whitepaper explores how councils can improve internal processes and enhance strategic planning practices to develop sustainable organisational and community plans.
Local Government White Paper
