Experience in Knox has shown that internal units can compete effectively if given the opportunity to also improve their operating practices. Mayor support required for change programs The final part of the Forum was for Mayors to meet with their coordinators who were being trained in how to apply benchmarking and continuous improvement management techniques. Throughout the Forum it was apparent that Mayor support was critical in driving change programs. A good example of this was One Stop Shop services to business initiated by Cebu, the 100 day program driven by the incoming Mayor of Colombo and the quality certification for the municipality driven by the President of Kuantan. In fact all participating cities had examples of change which occurred due to the leadership efforts of the Mayor.
Large cities can learn from smaller cities and vice versa.
Although financial capacity is a constraint to improving services, significant improvements can still be achieved through changes in policy, operating practices, personnel skills and leadership. Leadership and setting a direction for the city, are two major success factors in lifting the service performance of cities. Many examples were provided of city leadership setting clear objectives and a style of management that has led to improved communications with residents, improved services and innovative methods of funding infrastructure and operations. Cities continue to become more and more important in influencing the quality of life in Asia but they are hampered by having responsibility without commensurate authority. For example, this applies to personnel management, taxing properties and borrowing.