ICMA's International Management Exchange Program involves pairing of a local government management official from United States with his or her counterpart from one of the ICMA's affiliate countries. The Program gives local government managers the opportunity to learn how the executives, communities and governments deal with daily operations and future challenges. India was added under this program from the year 1999.
Applications are invited in the month of December every year by CMAG. ICMA sends the details of the interested candidates willing to come to India in the exchange program. Subsequently, matching and final pairing is done by ICMA and CMAG with mutual considerations. Here it is mandatory that the applicant must be a member of CMAG. If none of the US City Managers' desires to visit India, no exchange takes place even if the CMAG office has received requests from its members for an exchange.
City Managers' from the two countries under exchange program stay at the residence of their counter part in their period of stay. This introduces them to local culture, people, and their habits and local environment, which gives them a comprehensive understanding of the scenario.
City Managers' Association Gujarat (CMAG) members were invited to participate in the 1999 and 2000 International Management Exchange Program with counterparts in US. Each Exchange is for a period for approximate two weeks including up to one week spent at the ICMA annual meeting. The exchange program coincides with ICMA's Annual Conference in September 1999. Indian counterpart also attends the ICMA annual meeting
Under the exchange program, CMAG has two way responsibilities, it is responsible for the fares and expenses of its member going abroad and it also extends hospitality to the guest city manager from US.
Exchange participants are asked to submit final reports to CMAG after the completion of their exchange. Reports highlight how the exchange contributed to a participant's professional development and what innovations learned abroad will have on the participant's local government.
Under the ICMA's exchange programme 1999, sponsored by CMAG, Garland in the Texas State of U.S., and Bhavnagar in Gujarat State in India were selected as exchange cities, and its City Managers, were chosen to visit each others' cities for two weeks to study the modes of civic governance.
The year 2000 exchange partners are Mr. Devendra Makwana, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation from India and Mr. James Grassman, from City of Wauwatosa, Milwakee, USA. The exchange was cancelled between them to unforseen circumstances. Hence Mr. Makwana was paired with 2001 exchnage partner from US - Dr. John Dally. Mr. P.P.Vyas, Dy MC from Rajkot MC will be an exchange candidate for the next year.
In all humility, we dedicate this special issue to the memory of those who became the victims of the disaster. CMAG's fraternity of civic bodies in Kachchh lost many precious lives, a fact that compounds our grief. The Indian Republic Day will never be the same again!
Those who survived were quick to rush to the aid of people affected areas. So much so that the visiting specialists in disaster management, with years of experience all over the world, talked of the spirit of cooperation and philanthropy not experienced by them anywhere else in the world!
The same spirit brought several institutions to CMAG, and together, they started charting the forward path. Environment Planning Collaborative, Kachchh Navnirman Abhiyaan, Kachchhi Samaj, SAATH, INTACH, students of CEPT, CHETNA, AMC Heritage Cell, Unnati, individuals, the list is endless.
The office became a beehive of activity, and actions followed:
