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Understandable and logical rules: Rules should be simple and logical. Those that do
not have a practical function should be scrapped.
Meet citizens in a friendly and correct way: This is important for how citizens
perceive everything the municipality and the party does.
LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS AND USE THEIR COMMENTS
Make sure that comments, ideas, etc. from the citizens are documented systematically. If
the comments are given to you as a politician, make sure the civil servants get access to the
information – and the other way around.
Use questionnaires, interviews, meetings with citizens, mail-boxes in public places, and the
municipality’s web page to allow citizens to comment on services.
Councilors need to have discussions to decide what we do as politicians and what we leave
to the municipal administration.
CONTACTS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION STAFF
We local politicians will meet with the Head of the Administration who is responsible for
the daily running of the Municipality. We must never take the role of managers of the
Administration but be very strict about the different roles. That does not mean we cannot
have contacts with other municipal employees. We need them to give us a true picture of
the everyday reality on which we can base our decisions. It also gives us the opportunity to
express our appreciation for their work, ideas, experience and engagement. Contacts with
employees should be carefully planned and not only take place during coffee breaks or
election campaigns.
Map all municipal workplaces, how many staff in each place, what they do, which trade
unions organizes their workplace, etc. Set a goal for your contacts, for example all
workplaces should be visited once a year. Book study visits and make sure you have
enough time to talk to the ordinary staff not just the managers. We can also organize
thematic meetings and invite different groups. Everyone in a portfolio committee must
share the task of meeting with municipalstaff. This allows us to meet as many of them as
possible.
Be clear about what our purpose and messages are, before we meet with staff. You must
also be able to briefly present our program even if the main purpose of the visit is for you
to ask and learn.
For us Social Democrats it is natural to have good contacts with the trade unions and to
listen to their concerns and priorities. But again – we as local politicians must be careful
not to enter into an employer role on all levels. The management of the municipality must
deal with their staff.