There is a government program many Pennsylvania communities don’t know about until they need it. The Strategic Management Planning Program, offered through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), provides funding and expert guidance to communities that are experiencing—or anticipating—financial distress, helping them improve their financial outlook.
Whether shortened to STMP or STMPP, PA’s “stamp” program has nothing to do with postage. Rather, it’s a comprehensive financial management and capacity-building program available to most municipalities across the Commonwealth. By analyzing financial trends in the context of a community’s goals and departmental capacity, STMP projects go beyond basic revenue and expense tracking. The program offers tools and expert consulting services to strengthen a municipality’s managerial, administrative, and financial operations.
As the Local Government Policy Manager at the Governor’s Center of Local Services, Bethany Williams says the program is ideal for municipalities with capacity limitations.
“Our team at DCED stays actively involved and builds relationships through STMP, which aims to ensure long-term financial stability for our community partners,” Williams said.
Although this hands-on approach does support severely distressed municipalities—such as those emerging from Act 47 recovery plans—Williams emphasizes that STMP is designed to be proactive by helping communities address persistent financial challenges before they become more serious.
As a matching grant program offering up to $200,000 (with a 50 percent match), STMP allows municipalities to hire consultants with expertise in financial analysis, government administration, and community planning and economic development to help create long-term financial plans.
According to Laurence Christian, government affairs specialist at Strategic Solutions, the core objectives of STMP are to identify financial trends and help municipalities create revenue strategies that align with community goals. “In most cases, communities are in the red and need to make tough decisions—whether that means diversifying revenue or exploring shared services,” he said.
Going through this process encourages municipalities to make hard decisions, and the consultant’s job is to show them their options. “It can be very eye-opening,” Christian said.
Don’t be alarmed by the 5-year timespan of many STMP projects—four of those years are part of the implementation phase. The financial planning component must be completed within the first 12 months.
Williams emphasized that success depends on building a community’s capacity to act on the plan. “This is a five-year partnership,” she said. “These are plans that don’t sit on a shelf because implementation funds are built in. STMP doesn’t just recommend best practices but provides a big piece of the complete puzzle.”
As Strategic Solution’s Government Administration Specialist, Lawrence Christian has extensive expertise with financial assessments and interim leadership. Please contact us at info@strategic-solutionsllc.com with inquiries about financial planning in your community.
