Towards Mission Creep: Fragmented Local Governance in the Face of Crisis

Abstract

In a world of broad legal mandates and narrow, intermittent funding streams, special purpose governments adapt as a means of institutional survival. An entity created to tackle specific problems may experience a subtle yet significant shift in mission over time—from an issue-centered mission (guided primarily by the problems identified in its enabling statutes) to an operations-centered mission (guided by the broad powers conferred in those same statutes). These shifts can have real ramifications for government administration. They can impede an entity’s ability to respond to crises, defend its foundational purpose, and promote and wield its institutional power.

Framed against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread societal dislocations and housing challenges it has caused, this Essay makes an initial attempt to consider how mission creep may apply in the local governance context. Through three case studies drawn from the field of housing and community development, the Essay examines the causes and pitfalls of local mission creep and concludes by advocating for collaborative governance, institutional introspection, and performance audits as a way to combat them.

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