What’s needed
The League of Women Voters of Harvard has monitored the progress of the voter options for a charter commission or committee. We did not take a formal position on the question, but we discussed it at length. We do believe that the commission, now empowered by the election ballot, will have the greatest chance of success if it, like other successful charter commissions, is guided by a process consultant who has experience and expertise in working with towns in Massachusetts that have active charters or charter commissions.
What’s possible
This expertise is available. One option is to contract with the Collins Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts, Boston (https://www.umb.edu/cpm/services). The city of Newton is currently using these services. A member of that commission offers her view of the value that these services are bringing Newton: “We chose a consultant so that we could spend more time meeting with, talking to, and having hearings with various constituencies about what they wanted the local government to look like.
“The Collins Center was better able to provide data [about charters in communities similar to ours] efficiently, thus allowing us to connect closely with the community.”
Mike Ward from the Collins Center spoke in Harvard in January. A video of this event is available on the Harvard Cable Channel.
What’s more
In addition to content expertise and research capabilities, an outside consultant would provide guidance and expertise during each stage of the process to help the commission work more effectively and efficiently in completing tasks in a timely manner.
An outside consultant will be distanced from local partisan and potentially divisive conversations, ensuring that the commission’s work reflects a commitment to civility.
What are we asking?
Encourage the elected commissioners to discuss the question at their first meeting and to delegate a member to reach out to the Collins Center to engage in a discussion about how the center can help.
Support the commissioners if they decide to ask the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee for funds.
Now that the charter question has passed, we should all do what we can to ensure the commission’s success. Expert process facilitation is an important start.
Patti Anklam is the president of the League of Women Voters of Harvard.
