Continuing Education for Commissioners: Summary of Findings

It is clear that there are many choices and formats for a continuing education program. It will be up to county commissioners to decide what program they want to attend and what courses will benefit them.

My questions for county commissioners (included in the full report: Appendix D) would be:

• What is the perceived value of the Institute of Government to county governments and what changes must be made?
• Is there a need for a higher level of classes beyond the orientation level?
• Does North Carolina need a certification program? Will it act as an incentive to officials or have no effect?
• Can the programs be more accessible through distance learning, or will the loss of a peer learning environment make the program less effective?

As evidenced by the preceding section on future developments, many states are considering new means – through technology – of reaching out to commissioners. North Carolina will need to carefully way the pros and cons of new teaching formats.

It may be necessary to create customized onsite workshops – such as the ones conducted by the South Carolina School Boards Association – in order to make the workshops more relevant. The question is: How easy is it to customize workshops for boards, and are they effective? Does the nature of changing government and the need for awareness at all levels make it harder to customize a commissioner’s education?

One thing is clear: none of these associations try to tackle continuing education alone. Most county associations partner with a university or work with a consultant to design their program. Even those who have an internal program have used tools or formatting from a consultant group. The problem for county government is that most consultant groups specializing in board training focus their programs for nonprofits. If the NCACC or an individual county had the resources to hire a consultant, it would be unlikely that the consultant would have experience with government boards.

The focus of education in county government is constantly changing. From my research and interviews, it is clear that several changes to county government education must be explored.

1. Negotiation: The area of negotiation education is growing among Master of Public Administration programs and has presented graduates with valuable team skills. As the need for inter-team and external collaboration (contracts, intergovernmental relations) grows, understanding negotiation styles and strategies will be key for an effective county official.
2. Mixed-group education: As evidenced by Stafford County’s Leadership Institute, elected officials will have varying skills and ideas to bring to the table. Education programs must include county officials, managers, clerks and even school board members in order to educate officials by providing a wide range of perspectives on county issues.
3. Stress and the speed of information: Education programs should not just be about leadership. Addressing personal concerns such as stress and time management are much more relevant in today’s technology-driven world. These “soft” subjects can make the difference between an effective official and a miserable board or staff member. Also, with the mounting demand for information from all levels of government, officials will need strategies for more effective communication, more diverse methods of communication, and dealing with increased public scrutiny.

Education is not necessarily the answer to all of a board’s problems. Is the problem a deficiency of knowledge or skill among the board, or is it a deficiency of execution? Board members at the very least must know:

• the roles and responsibilities of county boards, and the roles and responsibilities of individual board members
• Structuring the work of the board (e.g., committees) in a way that will optimize effectiveness within their current capabilities
• Developing the appropriate working relationship with professional staff (if one exists)
• Understanding and accepting their role and its restrictions under the law

All the training in the world will not make a board effective if the ability to implement is not there. Here, areas such as poor leadership, lack of consensus, poor communication and lack of resolution procedures should be examined.

You may need to perform a board evaluation or bring in an outside consultant to perform an assessment. Whatever the case may be, don’t see training as a way to solve all your problems, but rather as a tool to help you recognize them.

The NCACC’s part in continuing education is more as the role of a facilitator. A workshop at the 2006 NCACC Annual Conference titled “Are you ready to be certified?” is a perfect starting point. It a great opportunity to explore a more structured continuing education program in county government, one that not only addresses basic information for new commissioners, but creates a peer learning environment that helps seasoned commissioners address upcoming issues in their county. Courses in negotiation, contract law, time management and team building are always relevant at any stage of a public official’s career.

Lastly, as recommended to Strategic Goals Team No. 2, NACo serves as an excellent resource for new commissioners. Every four years, NACo publishes “The County Leadership Handbook.” This document includes sections on board leadership, media relations, Information Technology and understanding the budget. I recommend that this be part of all new commissioner packets and distributed to each county as new handbooks are published.