GERMAN LESSONS IN LOCAL-GOVERNMENT - THE OPPORTUNITIES AND PITFALLS OF MANAGING CHANGE

Management change in local authorities has increased interest in lesso ns from abroad. The German Land Nordrhein-Westfalen offers particularl y fruitful scope for comparison because it is undertaking a change whi ch is also being contemplated here. Its local authorities are abandoni ng their leadership structure, which consisted of a mayor elected by t he council and a chief executive officer appointed as the administrati ve head of the local government, replacing it with American-style dire ctly elected executive mayors. The old and new offices are assessed bo th in terms of their roles as co-ordinators of internal management and as ambassadors to business and other governments for their communitie s.