Management Analyst Fellowship Program

About the Program

Since 2010, the City of River Falls has hired full-time Management Analyst Fellows to serve a one-year to two-year position with the City. The City's goal is to provide local government professionals, who have recently graduated with their master’s degree, an opportunity to gain on-the-job knowledge and experiences to help further their career. Under the general direction of the full-time Assistant to the City Administrator and with mentorship from the City Administrator and Assistant City Administrator, the position provides administrative and staff support to the programs pertaining to all areas of municipal management with particular responsibilities in staffing analysis, human resources, budget analysis, performance measurement, and organizational change. The Management Analyst Fellow position benefits the City as the role offers good value and flexibility compared to hiring a regular full-time employee. Here is a list of past Fellows and where they are now!

Recruitment for the Fellowship

There are several ways to recruit talent. The City of River Falls has used a combination of techniques to recruit over the past three years. In addition to traditional advertising on local recruitment websites and resources, we have used the below recruitment resources.

International City/County Management Association-Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF)

The LGMF is a highly competitive career-development opportunity that is designed to generate interest in local government careers among recent master’s program graduates. ICMA recruits recent graduates to participate in the program. An organization that participates in the program will receive access to the applicant pool and is able to recruit LGMF candidates through their own local recruitment and placement processes. For more information on the LGMF program, please visit the ICMA website.

Graduate Schools

Recruitment of interns from NASPAA programs is another good way to find an intern. NASPAA is the organization of graduate education programs in public policy, public affairs, public administration, and public and non-profit management. The NASPAA website contains a list of all accredited graduate schools.

Recruitment Materials

Below are the recruitment materials for the 2019 Management Analyst Fellow position. Sample interview questions are available upon request. Applications will only be accepted through the job posting on the Employment Opportunities webpage when it is available.

Work Products

Management Analyst Fellows working for the City of River Falls perform a variety of entry-level, professional administrative work, research, and analysis in support of the City’s established goals and objectives. Work performed by the Fellows is highly visible and has a direct impact on the organization. Typical assignments/projects involve public relations, civic education programs, internal/external committees, the operating and capital budget, and a good balance of administrative and operational responsibilities. Specific projects completed by past interns include:

  • Request for Proposals in areas of Banking, Insurance, Legal, and Utility Services
  • Creation of City's public budget documents (since 2012 budget year)
  • Implementation of new financial software package for accounting, payroll, and human resources
  • Analysis of a transition to LED street lights and the impact on Utility rate structure
  • Personnel Policy research and creation, including development of seasonal and new employee orientation manuals
  • Customer Service Policies and Procedures research and creation, in compliance with Public Service Commission rules
  • Human Resources assistance including the creation of job descriptions, class and compensation surveys, recruitment coordination, labor utilization analysis, and participation in selection processes
  • Written communication with the public through newsletter articles, website and public television content, and reports to City Council on numerous topics
  • River Falls Comprehensive Citizen Survey facilitation and coordination
  • Analysis and evaluation of the liquor license renewal program
  • Implementation and facilitation of City employee trainings on Microsoft Office programs
  • Labor relations assistance, including negotiation preparation, contract language creation, analysis of proposals, and participation in negotiation meetings
  • Report on the implementation of a wayfinding system for the City