High performance teams in municipal engineering & public works: a study of sustainable government leadership

Infrastructure is often the focus when considering sustainability in the public sector. However, sustainability and productivity of the workforce is arguably more significant in relation to optimizing service levels and the delivery of public value. Within public sector environments, the engineering team often works under many constraints such as funding, limited resources and strict operating conditions directed by council. In addition, public sector leaders often have restrictive pay structures thus further limiting the available talent pool. Under these constraints, strategies to develop and lead highly productive teams are vital to the sustainability of local government organizations. This paper reviews the currently available literature on leadership and high performance teams and draws out the significant issues related to public sector environments. This information can be utilized to assist in the development of high performance engineering and public works teams focused on sustainable government and project delivery. The paper also provides future directions for research in this field.