Government Operations

Overview

Throughout the pandemic, local governments have once again adapted to new challenges while efficiently and effectively delivering services to their communities. It is an important time to reflect on lessons learned and to assess which operational changes will remain after the threat of the pandemic subsides.

Community Conversation

In August 2021, SEMCOG and MAC convened local government elected officials and administrators for a guided conversation on how they have adapted to the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic. Participants in this Community Conversation discussed the ways that many aspects of government operations are evolving. These include:

• Increased digitization of government services, particularly public meetings, has been essential to effective government operations during the pandemic;
• Citizen engagement at virtual meetings has been significantly higher during the pandemic, and many communities are seeking options to indefinitely accommodate remote citizen engagement;
• Existing staffing challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic, but many local government administrators have shifted their focus toward managing staff output – rather than total hours worked – to measure success;
• The flexibility of offering remote and hybrid work options is allowing local governments to attract and retain talent, as is a continual reevaluation of salary and benefits to remain competitive with the private sector and other communities;
• A variety of technology and cybersecurity issues emerged during the pandemic, and local governments are looking for ways to ensure security as internal processes and service delivery are digitized; and
• Communities are evaluating their internal personnel/HR practices to ensure excellence and opportunity for all are prioritized.

Below is the recording from the August 2021 community conversation.

Visioning the Future

Building on the examples and takeaways shared at the August 2021 Community conversation, SEMCOG and MAC will be soliciting feedback from communities throughout Southeast Michigan on the following topic areas:

• Digitizing government services
• Staffing opportunities and challenges
• Technology and cybersecurity
• Public engagement
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion

SEMCOG and MAC will develop state and federal legislative policy to address these issue areas, while also facilitating workshops, webinars, and discussions to share best practices from throughout the region and state. Please contact Michael Spence, Administrator, Government Affairs, for more information or your share your thoughts.