Task Force Management :::

Every locality has its own way of tackling difficult issues. Some leave the decisions to elected officials. Some decide by referendum. A few put off dealing with major problems until they're forced to.

An increasingly popular way of facing up to difficult issues and making hard choices is by creating a task force and asking it to recommend a course of action. The appeal is obvious: The recommendations can be more focused and objective, and less political, than depending solely on elected officials. By inviting others in, you broaden support for solutions. And, not coincidentally, it can take some of the heat off of elected officials when hard choices are made.

But before handing over your community's most difficult problems to a task force, be careful. There's a critical path to success. You have to get the right people on the task force, frame the mission precisely, help members assemble and work through background information, find ways of bringing citizens and groups into the process, and have a clear deliberation and decision-making process so the task force doesn't flounder.

In other words, it helps to have an experienced task force manager. At Civic Strategies, we've designed and managed numerous task forces on subjects ranging from taxation alternatives to urban walkability. In fact, we've written a brief paper on the art of managing task forces, which you can read by clicking here.

Would you like to talk with someone about our task force management services? Send us an e-mail, fill out our information request form or call us at 404-873-5343.