Chapter 5
Tools and Resources to Improving the Performance of Local Governing Boards
Chapter 5 is designed to summarize and provide access to the Governance Diagnostic, the tools and practices described in Chapter 3, a glossary of local government terms, a bibliography, and access other research reports and supplementary materials.
Governance Diagnostic: A Baseline Performance Assessment
As a starting point for discussions on performance improvement, we have designed a simple questionnaire that anyone can take as an individual or as a group. The results can then be used to create a long-term plan for incrementally improving board performance in selective areas that may deserve more priority than others.
Tools for Improving Governance Performance
- The tools in this section address both the internal-facing and the external-facing leadership roles of elected officials and a senior management team described in Chapter 3.
- Representation of Community Interests
- Collegial Deliberation and Decision-making
- Policy making
- Organizational Oversight
- Community Leadership
Glossary of Local Government Terms
The glossary defines the most common terms and acronyms that board members encounter in carrying out their multiple roles. Most of the terms are part of the common jargon that board members will hear when dealing with various professional staff, such as lawyers, accountants, subject- matter professionals, financial managers, etc.
Bibliography
This document provides information for all reference citations in this handbook and for additional supplementary materials we have found useful in preparing these materials. This can be helpful to check specific references or browse areas of interest.
Additional Resources to Improve Government Performance
This section describes Center for Public Service and other centers and institutes that provide support to local governing bodies. This includes reports, studies, leadership and board training, citizen engagement services, dispute resolution and technical assistance advice.