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Institute of Government for County Officials In August
1989, the South Carolina
Association of Counties, in cooperation with the Institute for
Public Service and Policy Research at the University of South
Carolina and The Strom
Thurmond Institute of Government & Public Affairs at Clemson
University established the Institute of Government for County
Officials. This certificate program provides county officials the
opportunity to enhance their skills and abilities so that they can
function more effectively. Level II was added in August 1992, and
the Advanced Institute was added in August 1994.
The courses are offered in conjunction with the three major meetings
of the SC Association of Counties: the Annual Conference, the
Legislative Conference, and the Mid-Year Conference. Conference
details can be found at on the
South Carolina Association of Counties Web site.
Curriculum
Level I
A certificate will be awarded upon completion of a total of 27 hours
of instruction.
Mandated Topics - 18 hours required
The Budget Process (3 hours)
Orientation to County Government (6 hours)
Ethics and Public Service (3 hours)
The Comprehensive Plan, Zoning, and Land Use Planning (3 hours)
Legal Issues - County Government Law and Employment Law (3 hours)
Elective Topics - 9 hours required
Building Effective Intergovernmental Relations (3 hours)
County Government Services (3 hours)
Conducting Effective Meetings/Parliamentary Procedure (3 hours)
Planning and Goal Setting (3 hours)
Leadership (3 hours)
Public Speaking for Council Members (3 hours)
Building an Effective County Team (3 hours)
Legal Issues in County Government (3 hours)
Level II
A certificate will be awarded upon completion of a total of 18 hours
of instruction.
Current Issues Facing County Government (3 hours – maximum of two
courses)
The Policy Role of Council (3 hours)
Financial Management (3 hours)
Effective Negotiation/Decision-Making (3 hours)
Legal Issues of Land Use Planning (3 hours)
Effectively Communicating With Your Constituents (3 hours)
The Property Taxation Process (3 hours)
Economic Development (3 hours)
Course Descriptions
Level I - Mandated Courses:
The Budget Process – Topics presented in this session will include:
financial planning and policies, budget preparation and control,
capital budgeting and debt administration, financing local
government, an overview of investment strategies, and talking to
your "financial" people.
Ethics and Public Service - Through lecture, case study, and group
discussion, participants will explore the ethical environment in
which public officials must function and the standards which they
are expected to meet. Topics include a discussion of ethical values
and principles, models for resolving ethical dilemmas, and a brief
review of the South Carolina Ethics Act.
The Comprehensive Plan, Zoning, and Land Use Planning - An overview
of land use planning, approaches to zoning, the components of a
comprehensive plan, and land use planning issues.
Level I - Elective Courses:
Building Effective Intergovernmental Relations - In this day and
time, no governmental entity can afford to function in a vacuum.
Effective intergovernmental relations are no longer an option, but
are essential if county governments are to adequately address the
needs of their citizenry. This course will explore the
intergovernmental relations between counties and the federal
government, the State, municipalities, and special purpose
districts, the need for building effective intergovernmental
relations, and strategies for building such relationships. Examples
of effective intergovernmental relations in South Carolina will be
noted.
Planning and Goal Setting - This course focuses on the importance of
planning and goal setting in the policy-making process. Participants
will be introduced to the process of long-range planning and will
learn strategies and techniques of establishing and prioritizing
individual and council goals. The overriding importance of a shared
council vision will be stressed.
Effective Leadership - Through a combination of lecture, group
discussion, and individual exercises, the seminar will cover current
theories of leadership, the differences between management and
leadership, and the complex interactive system in which county
leaders must function. Participants will have the opportunity to
complete individual assessments of their personal leadership style
and to consider the impact of this style on county citizens and
staff.
Building an Effective County Team - This session focuses on the
Importance of the council functioning as an effective policy-making
team. Participants will assess the level of teamwork of their
council as well as their own contributions to and role in that team.
Group dynamics, the effect of individual goals and personality, and
group problem solving will be explored. Strategies and techniques
for building a more effective council team and for expanding the
team to include county staff will be examined.
Level II Courses:
The Policy Role of Council - This course is designed to help council
members carry out their role as policy-makers in today's complex
policy environment. Topics will include understanding public policy,
introduction to policy analysis, political considerations of policy
choices, and implementation issues. The course, together with the
material presented in the "Current Issues Facing County Government"
series and "Decision-Making", will provide council members with the
basic information they need to address the critical policy decisions
facing their communities.
Financial Management – Budget decision-making and format, risk
management, cash management and purchasing, alternative budget
formats and processes will be examined in this class. Alternatives
to be considered are performance and objectives budgeting; program
budgeting; zero-based budgeting; and target-based budgeting.
Contracting out will also be discussed. Each of these methods will
be explored in detail with particular emphasis placed on the
connection between financial decisions and council policy-making and
goal setting.
Media Relations - In our society, the media plays an increasingly
significant role in shaping the environment in which county
government functions. The media plays an important role in forming
the perceptions on which our citizens judge county services and
operations. This course will focus on creating positive relations
with the media and will include such topics as preparing for an
interview, putting forward a positive image, getting your message
out through the media, cultivating the media, and understanding the
media's needs. Advice will be given on dealing with newspapers,
radio, and television.
Effective Negotiation/Decision-Making - The environment in which
county elected officials and top administrators function often
requires effective negotiating skills. This class will consider the
negotiation process, styles of negotiation, techniques for improving
negotiating skills, and developing your BATNA (Best Alternative to a
Negotiated Agreement). The course will consist of lecture,
discussion, and small group exercises. It will also provide an
in-depth look at decision-making in a political environment. Topics
will include a review of decision-making theory and practices in
government, identification of problems, fact-finding, setting
criteria for selecting among alternatives, and the political aspects
of decision-making. This builds on the material presented in "The
Policy Role of Council".
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