Municipal Monitor Q2 2015 | Page 23

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN

Study finds municipal organizational systems built around preparing for and coping with shifting priorities

By Ian Smith , HDSIK Management Consultants

It has been suggested , “ Strategy cannot be successfully executed without the right organization design . ” Experience also suggests that organization design helps improve performance by focusing on the key elements in the organizational system as illustrated at right .

Organizational design is particularly important to municipalities since it has a direct impact on the quality of services they offer . And it is the quality of service that determines what people think of their municipal government .
The purpose of this article is to summarize the observations and key findings from interviews of over 20 municipal leaders regarding the design of municipal organizations .
Environmental & Operating Context
Strategy
Processes
Culture
Human Capital
Leadership
Structure
Outcomes / Results
• Organization
• Unit
• Individual
MUNICIPAL MONITOR 21