Administrative capacity

Strong partnerships for effective municipal services

At a time of growing complexity and increasing pressure on resources, many municipalities are looking at cooperation as a way to achieve their goals and core tasks. Moore Public offers local administrations expert support in building effective partnerships and strengthening their governance capacity so that they can respond flexibly and efficiently to the challenges of tomorrow.

Agreement note: Management Team and College of Mayor and Aldermen set ground rules

In local administrations, cooperation between the administration and the governing bodies is a key factor in providing services to residents efficiently and transparently. But it is not always straightforward to seamlessly align different roles, responsibilities and expectations. Differences in tasks and competences can lead to misunderstandings or uncertainty. To overcome these challenges and strengthen cooperation, a clear Agreement Note offers a solution.

The Agreement Note lays down the forms of interaction between management and administration and about the way in which they want to achieve the policy objectives of the administration together. The Agreement Note is therefore an important document, alongside the policy and management cycle, the organisational management system and the separate codes of ethics, both for the political mandataries and for the staff members of the municipality and PCSW.

An Agreement Note ensures clarity and helps to flesh out the mutual expectations. The document acts as a shared basis, setting out the agreements on responsibilities and working arrangements, so that both can work together constructively on the policy goals. An Agreement Note not only avoids miscommunication, but also builds a basis of trust that is reflected in more efficient services to residents.

Debate on core tasks: Making strategic and operational choices

The various tasks and priorities are comprehensively and critically screened through a debate on core tasks for demarcating the services. In a debate on core tasks we evaluate, based on political expectations and official ambitions, which tasks need to be carried out by the municipality and where there are opportunities for efficiency improvements. Moore Public guides this process through benchmarks and practical examples from other administrations.

Specifically, we discuss which services we want to provide ourselves, outsource, discontinue and in which services we want to take the lead, facilitate or coordinate. We look at financial sustainability: which tasks are financially feasible within the available resources of the administration? We estimate the societal impact: we take into account the social value of certain tasks, even if they are not legally required. We consider the changing context: we prepare for new challenges such as demographic changes, technological innovations or new policy frameworks at a higher level. Finally, we consider possibilities for collaboration with other municipalities or external partners for tasks that involve fewer core activities.

The validated conclusions provide input for preparing the objectives tree of the multi-year plan.

Administrative capacity analysis: Sufficient capacity to perform tasks

An effective collaboration starts with a deep understanding of the municipality’s own administrative capacity. Our administrative capacity analysis is a proven methodology with which we comprehensively map an administration's strengths and areas for improvement. This analysis helps local administrations understand to what extent they can fulfil their policy objectives and core tasks. The administrative capacity analysis should answer the question of whether a local administration is strong enough to continue operating efficiently in the future, and whether it is ready to meet future challenges.

Our approach starts with an exploration of the governance context, whereby both internal and external factors that influence the administrative capacity are examined. Through interviews, workshops and data analysis, we assess the administration's core competences and performance, including decisiveness and collaborative culture. Stakeholder engagement is crucial in this process; by engaging with the college and staff, we ensure broad support and valuable input. Based on these insights, we draw up an action plan with practical recommendations for both strategic and operational improvements.

Merger or cooperation: choosing strategic scenarios

Based on the results of the administrative capacity analysis, we help municipalities give direction to their vision for the future, whereby different options are identified:

• Merger to strengthen administrative capacity: A merger is intended to increase the clout of a municipal organisation. With our expertise in mergers and integrations, we assist municipalities in elaborating a shared organisational vision, integrating services, and working out the practical consequences of a merger. This support can be relied on both by municipalities looking to merge and by recently merged municipalities who require analysis regarding the integration of administrations. In this process, we look in particular at the 7 critical aspects to align capacity with the new assignment (Transition capacity):
  • Digitisation: digital programme management relating to the integration of various systems of municipalities
  • More straightforward policy harmonisation in mergers between municipalities of comparable size
  • Cultural integration (is more important than structural integration): complementarity, shared DNA, identity
  • The combined importance of a broader policy agenda and more policy capacity (financial and human resources)
  • Middle management as the catalyst for better services and more capacity
  • Employees who previously already worked in the municipality have difficulty adjusting to the merger
  • Short-term policy effects carry over into the long term
• Policy-related consolidation: PMC (Policy and Management Cycle) comprises the rules on the strategic planning and financial management of local administrations: not only the financial aspects of policy implementation, but also substantive planning (policy objectives, action plans, actions, etc.), and implementation and evaluation of the policy.
• Intermunicipal partnerships: For municipalities who want to achieve their objectives without entering into a merger, partnerships offer a worthwhile alternative. Our partnership scan assesses the performance and capabilities of current or potential partnerships, so the municipality can make informed decisions about their contribution to municipal ambitions. In a number of cases, this may be the most advisable way to resolve budgetary pressure, staffing issues and the need for major investment in physical and digital infrastructure.