Examining Training in Large Municipalities: Linking Individual and Organizational Training Needs

Abstract

A well-designed training system contributes to a public organization's performance by ensuring that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to meet the demands of their current and future jobs. Training may also help governments attract and retain workers in an increasingly competitive job market. Thus, it is important to understand the nature of training in public organizations. A comprehensive study of training in local government is almost nonexistent in literature.

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, using data from the Government Performance Project, it describes the training infrastructure in 33 of the largest cities by revenue. Second, it develops a framework — the Strategic Systems Training Model — that integrates the needs of individual employees and organizations, and can be used by governments to plan and analyze their training effectiveness.