Local Government Perspective Research Articles

Trends in Public Participation: Part 2 – Citizens' Perspectives

This is a two part article which should be read as one (see RAE FAQ: www.rae.ac.uk/faq/default.asp?selcat=4&q=119). The first part is: 'Trends in Public Participation: Part 1 – Local Government Perspectives' PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 79/1 pp205-222 (DOI 10.1111/1467-9299.00253). The research that it reports provided the baseline against which the Government has evaluated the success of its subsequent local government participation policy. These articles were the two most electronically accessed items in Public Administration in 2001.

Trends In Public Participation: Part 1 – Local Government Perspectives

Trends In Public Participation: Part 1 – Local Government Perspectives

A Local Government Perspective on Land Use Planning

A Local Government Perspective on Land Use Planning

Productivity measurement and enterprise bargaining – the local government perspective

The introduction of efficiency improvements and enterprise bargaining into local authorities has been severely hampered by a failure to agree on a method of measuring service productivity. This paper develops an outcomes measure of productivity which, it argues, meets both externally imposed cost efficiency requirements and clients’ needs for service effectiveness in terms of quality and equity in delivery. Applications of this measure to library and statutory planning services are provided.

Propaganda, Persuasion and Symmetry: Local and Central Government Perspectives on Communicating with the Citizen

The paper gives a brief resumé of the major public relations models and relates these to central and local government communication with the public. It gives central government's perspective on the Citizen's Charter and shows how this translates into a construct of reality based on four perceptions. Next, these four perceptions are subjected to scrutiny from the local government perspective, drawing on the results of a research project undertaken during 1995 on the publication of performance indicators (PIs). The paper concludes by questioning central government's wisdom in trying to prescribe a communications model which does not fit local circumstances.

A View from the City: Local Government Perspectives on Neighborhood-Based Governance in Community-Building Initiatives

This article explores the perspective of local governments on the neighborhood-based governance entities being developed by community-building initiatives within their jurisdictions. In general, the governance entities created by these initiatives are seen within a pluralist framework in which they are treated as one of a number of organizations operating on behalf of a neighborhood with which government can choose to work in a number of ways. Public officials see a benefit in working with and through identifiable organizations and community leaders who can broker relationships and provide apparent legitimacy to government activities in the neighborhood. Nevertheless, public officials have identified a number of limitations of such entities, and it is unclear how best to structure their roles, responsibilities, expectations, and lines of accountability.

Indicators of Sustainable Tourism in New Zealand: A Local Government Perspective. Stuart J. Dymond. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 5, no. 4, 1997, pp. 279-93. Channel View Books/Multilingual Matters Ltd., Frankfurt Lodge, Clevedon Hall, Victoria Road, Clevedon BS21 7HH, United Kingdom. $73 annual subscription

Indicators of Sustainable Tourism in New Zealand: A Local Government Perspective. Stuart J. Dymond. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 5, no. 4, 1997, pp. 279-93. Channel View Books/Multilingual Matters Ltd., Frankfurt Lodge, Clevedon Hall, Victoria Road, Clevedon BS21 7HH, United Kingdom. $73 annual subscription

The national forest of the English midlands ‐ a local government perspective

The national forest of the English midlands ‐ a local government perspective

Indicators of Sustainable Tourism in New Zealand: A Local Government Perspective

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) established a set of core indicators of sustainable tourism in 1995, which were promoted as a useful tool in the operationalisation of sustainable tourism development. Local authorities provide an established framework within which to operationalise the WTO's core indicators of sustainable tourism. This paper examines the extent to which sustainable tourism is reflected in the research practices and attitudes of local authorities within New Zealand. A nationwide survey investigated the importance of tourism, the current status of research and the perceived value of the WTO's core indicators of sustainable tourism within the New Zealand local authority framework (regional councils, territorial local authorities and regional tourism organisations). The importance of tourism within local authority areas was positively correlated with the number of different research activities undertaken.Two main types of research were identified: demand-related and supply-related research. Demand -related research is undertaken within the majority of local authority areas throughout New Zealand. However, supply-related research is under-represented. The WTO's core indicators were generically grouped into economic, planning, social and ecological indicator types. Regional councils showed a preference towards ecological indicators. Territorial local authorities and regional tourism organisations preferred economic and social indicators. The detailed implications are discussed.

The Issue of Governance in Neighborhood-Based Initiatives

The authors of this issue-mapping article explore the rationale behind, and issues bearing on, the governance of community-based initiatives. They examine three issues relevant to the formation of local governance structures: the relationship between neighborhood-based governance structures and local government; issues of representation, legitimacy, and connection; and long-term viability. They suggest an agenda for further exploration that includes examining the relative benefits of different governance structures, exploring the issue of capacity in community-building, and investigating the perspective of local governments that have jurisdiction over the areas in which these efforts are being implemented.

Managing information in complex organisations: A local government perspective

(1995). Managing information in complex organisations: A local government perspective. Local Government Studies: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 115-129.

Justifying investment in GIS: a local government perspective

Abstract Justifying GIS in local government is a complex task for two main reasons: first, a GIS implementation can range from a single, well-defined application in one department to a corporate multi-purpose GIS; and, second, local authorities are complex organizations currently facing major pressures for change, and considerable uncertainty about their future structure and role. The purpose of this paper is to review the potential use of cost-benefit analysis, to explore tangible and intangible benefits, to identify the costs involved, to explore the effect that a robust GIS strategy can have on the relationship between costs and benefits, and to review some of the published material on the cost-justification of GIS in local government.

A Local Government Perspective on Financing Infrastructure

A Local Government Perspective on Financing Infrastructure

‘A beast coming out of the mist'— A local government perspective on European community integrated development operations policy

‘A beast coming out of the mist'— A local government perspective on European community integrated development operations policy

Collectivités locales : du modèle communautaire et territorial au modèle fonctionnel de l’entreprise

Local Authorities : From a Communal and Territorial Model to a Functional Corporate Model. In recent years the organization and working methods of local and regional authorities appear to have been clearly inspired by the corporate model. This development is characterized by a functionalization and de-territorialization of activities, one of the most common features being the privatization of management methods. After identifying these features, the study attempts to explain this phenomenon by tracing it back to the very sources of the distinction between the functional and the territorial approach and by placing it in an ‘archeological’ perspective of local government.

A Local Government Perspective

A Local Government Perspective

Part I: General Discussion State and Local Government Perspectives

Part I: General Discussion State and Local Government Perspectives

Office Automation: A Local Government Perspective

The city of Long Beach is situated in southern California, about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, and has a population of approximately 370,000. The city employs 5,000 people that work in 20 different departments ranging from the management of the Long Beach Harbor to the operation of the city's airport and marinas. Over the past few years the city has increased its investment in technology significantly. This increasing utilization and reliance on technology has presented a number of critical problems and opportunities for our organization in the areas of productivity, personnel management and training, organization, and cost control. Examples of our involvement in technology abound. Some of the more significant include: word processors, data processing terminals, color graphics, micro-computers, a cable television institutional network, and plans for a city-owned and -operated telephone system. At the same time, the number and complexity of available hardware and software offerings have exploded to the point that it is almost impossible to keep track of them. The office of the is here technologically. What is needed is for organizations to catch up with technology and begin the planning process to assimilate these tools efficiently into the work place. Of primary importance is to ensure that our present and future investments in data processing, automation and communications systems have the capability of interfacing. In the summer of 1981, the city manager directed Information Services to prepare a comprehensive study regarding the acquisition of word processing equipment. Subsequently, a report on the status of word processing in the city, including a complete inventory of word processing equipment, was prepared along with a word processing manual. The report revealed that the city had already acquired 72 stand-alone word processors from seven different vendors at a capital investment of almost $600,000. As a result of this study, the city manager promulgated an administrative regulation governing the acquisition of word processing and other automated equipment. The administrative regulation established the city's first policy for automation:

A Local Government Perspective on “Performance Appraisal in the Post-Reform Era”

A Local Government Perspective on “Performance Appraisal in the Post-Reform Era”

Citizen and Administration: The Local Government Perspective

Citizen and Administration: The Local Government Perspective