The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is gearing up for a significant organizational overhaul. This comes as the authority recently expanded its jurisdiction from 7,257 square kilometers to a sprawling 10,526 square kilometers.
This considerable growth means the urban development body urgently needs a fresh approach to its internal structure, how it operates, and its staffing. The HMDA has even issued a request for proposals, seeking consultants to help with “Organizational Restructuring and Process Optimization.”
Currently, HMDA’s reach extends across 11 districts, 104 mandals, and 1,359 villages, a notable increase from its previous coverage of seven districts, 70 mandals, and 1,032 villages. The core goal of this restructuring is to transform HMDA into a modern, nimble, and truly decentralized planning and development authority that genuinely serves its citizens.
A key aspect of this transformation involves making HMDA more decentralized through the creation of zonal divisions, each led by its own zonal commissioner. This strategic shift will allow the Metropolitan Commissioner to dedicate more focus to overarching strategic planning and policy formulation.
Furthermore, a dedicated Project Management Unit is planned to enhance coordination between different departments. New specialized departments will also be introduced, focusing on crucial areas such as digital governance and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), urban mobility and transit integration, climate resilience and sustainability, and improving public engagement and grievance redressal.
The chosen consultant will begin by thoroughly examining the HMDA’s current organizational chart, departmental hierarchy, staffing levels, and reporting lines. They will also meticulously map out all existing activities and services. To ensure best practices, they will research and analyze the structures of similar metropolitan development authorities both nationally and internationally, looking for effective governance models, e-governance solutions, decentralization frameworks, and other innovative strategies that could be adapted for HMDA.
The consultant’s comprehensive mandate includes engaging with stakeholders, performing detailed process mapping, conducting gap and functional analyses, designing the new organizational structure, and evaluating cadre strength and human resources architecture, among other vital tasks.