Research conducted for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) identified six processes associated with high levels of local government management capacity. They were: 1) people of competence fill both elected and key administrative positions, and there is substantial continuity among the latter; 2) fiscal management practices are used as policy tools that permit capital and operational planning and control; 3) public officials recognize the legitimacy of concern for equity in public policy and administration; 4) open decision‐making processes facilitate exchange of views between citizens and officials; 5) public services are delivered effectively and efficiently; and, 6) information management systems are utilized that permit decision‐making information to flow freely between policy and administrative sectors and within the administrative sector.More significant in sustaining management capacity than the form of government, size of the jurisdiction, or region of the country, these processes are subject to enhancement by capacity‐building efforts by practitioners and by those engaged in training of local pers