What are some of the key challenges facing local government GIS Managers/Coordinators today?

[BlinkGeo]

Interested in getting a discussion going around what challenges may be common across local government GIS.

[Sergio Farruggia]

Hi Andres,
In my opinion there are various topics regarding this question (good question!). First of all, the progress of Geographical Information finally sees the specialist fence of the experts fall. Products and services for mass consumption are becoming increasingly widespread, a definite sign that available technologies have allowed solutions to intercept the needs (true or induced) of a large user range to get ready. So, an increasing number of people are getting used to interactive maps, for entertainment, pleasure as well as for study or work reasons.
Moreover, other elements can be carried out comparing Google phenomenon (and that of other its competitors) and the public process to create SDIs (at different levels: global, national, regional and local) in term of developing time frame: it is even too easy to point out the fast result of Google, that in less than four years reached a leadership in the www. With this ouverture, can we image which other big jump it will be able to do into 2013? It is, for instance, the foreseen date to have a complete implementation of the European directive INSPIRE at EU member State level.
Finally, more in general, the vision of Digital Earth put forward by Vice-President Al Gore 10 years ago needs to be re-evaluated in the light of the many developments in the fields of information technology, data infrastructures, and earth observation that have taken place since, as a group of international geographic and environmental scientists wrote recently in a position paper, findable here: http://ijsdir.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.php/ijsdir/article/viewFile/11... .
In this context , I think local government GIS Manangers/Coordinators will be involved with respect to two challenges:
improving the project management capabilities, in order to adopt wise policies to design GI project development capable in time of using solutions not only reacting to the change but anticipating it as well

staying tuned with governance transformations: open source and peer production, platforms for interaction and ubiquitous free access are three trends that, when they have worked their way through public administration, not much will be left of governance as we know of it now.
I hope the discussion you suggested will receive other contributions, because I'm very interested in knowing other point of views and to learn from other experiences.
Sergio