ABSTRACT
Deciding what to do to strengthen the management process in a local government is very much like deciding where to take the first bite of an elephant. In considering ways to strengthen the management process and thereby improve performance, public officials, civic and community leaders, and interested citizens face a fundamental management problem: that of deciding how to convert opportunities into plans that can be implemented successfully with available resources. The chapter focuses on the specific steps that should be taken to convert the kind of improvement opportunities identified into action plans that can be carried out successfully with limited resources. Exhibit 93 presents, as an illustration, an action plan for implementing one opportunity: the development of a management-training program. The chapter addresses the methodology of making choices. By June 1, 1978, management personnel will be more aware of and better able to carry out their management responsibilities.
