Do seek political guidance on time. When a group of civil servants discuss a plan with residents and other stakeholders, there can be a tendency to come up with entirely new solutions. Remember that ultimately, politics is responsible for policy. The process must therefore be conducted in stages, with political approval being given for each new step.
Start
It usually begins with an exploration of the problem or desire, the available options, the parties involved, and the required budget. This is a quick scan. Depending on the complexity, the civil servant then visits stakeholders to determine whether it makes sense to collaborate on a plan.
The decision to initiate the process then rests with the political decisionmakers, who set the framework: this is the desire, this is the budget, and this should be the minimum objective. So seek political guidance! (Go/No Go)
Decision-Making Process
Next, the process of collaborating on the plans begins. Interim decisions are often made, and sometimes it becomes clear that the framework is restrictive. In such cases, political guidance must be sought again.
This results in a final proposal that the political parties agree to (or not). Make it clear to those involved that the final decision rests with the politicians.
Decision
Then comes the decision by the decision maker, the policians like the mayor or alderman. Don’t forget to inform those involved about the decision and the reasons for any deviations.
Then comes the implementation. Follow-up may be necessary to ensure that everything is going as agreed or to ensure that the objective is being achieved as anticipated.
Implementation
It might be necessary to check the implementation (with citizens).
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