ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the strategic approach taken by the City of Tallinn to improve the quality of public services in Tallinn and evaluates participatory aspects of the strategic planning process against the OECD checklist of citizens' participation. Tallinn was one of the first local authorities in Estonia to start performance measurement and strategic planning. The approach taken by the City of Tallinn to improve public service quality is fully in line with international public management and governance trends: there is a general belief that the public sector should do more strategic management and citizen consultation. The development plan must provide an analysis and prognosis of the current and future economic, social and environmental conditions of the local authority and define its main objectives for economic and social planning, including public service planning. Citizen engagement is a viable means to improve service quality and a strategic planning exercise is a good vehicle to trigger citizen engagement.
