The CCMA is supported by the Office for Local Authority Management (OLAM), a division of the Local Government Management Services Board. OLAM acts as the point of contact for the CCMA. It supports the committee structure and influences and implements the Association’s work programme through targeted research and identification of best practice.
A key focus of the work of OLAM is to ensure that the view of the local authority system, articulated through the County and City Managers' Association and its committee structure, are conveyed to relevant Departments and Agencies. This is done on both a planned and responsive basis throughout the year, and combines the input of local authority practitioners with the research capacity of OLAM.
It is done in a number of different ways:
- Through submissions and position papers;
- In direct engagement with senior public servants and Ministers;
- By identifying opportunities for wider communications;
- Through press releases on relevant issues;
- By the production and distribution of factual material on local authorities;
- Through the annual Service Indicators in Local Authorities Report.