City road maps would not be worth the paper they are written on, unless they lead to properly coordinated actions for the common good of everyone in the city. As is said often, the test of the pudding is in the eating; similarly, the true test of any city road map is in its execution.

In taking coordinated actions in pursuit of the city road map, the mantra for improved public governance must continue to hold: "always with the city mayor, never with the city mayor alone." Indeed, as we move from the field of words and into the field of actions, the role of ordinary citizens becomes more essential, crucial and critical. It is they that must act: they have to get very involved; they must participate. They are the ones that carry the flag of the city and for the city: this is what responsible citizens do.

For their initiatives and undertakings to be effective, however, in bringing about the common good in the city, in pursuit of the city road map, ordinary citizens need to reinforce each other through the sectors and groups they belong to. Under ordinary and normal circumstances, no one goes off solo; no one works alone. Everyone works with others in common pursuit of the strategic priorities highlighted by the city road map.

This is where the multi-sectoral coalition comes in. Sectors serve as coordinators of initiatives and undertakings. Through them, certain guidelines are issued. Under their auspices, collaborative networks are spawned, encouraged, supported, and helped to achieve higher levels of effectiveness for the common good in the city. In their name, commitments to deliver certain desired outcomes are made in support of the city road map.

It is through sectors, therefore, and through the coalition of the different sectors in the city that individuals and smaller groups in the city participate and contribute towards the achievement of various targets set in the city road map. Through them, commitments are made; through them, progress is tracked and performance measured against targets. Through them, support mechanisms are made to work such that those who deliver outcomes way in excess of targets get to be properly recognized and rewarded. Correspondingly, those who fail to deliver on their commitments are given the proper advice and assistance as well as meted out the necessary "demerits."

The coalition of all key sectors in the city — the multisectoral coalition — thus becomes an important and increasingly essential vehicle for pursuing the city road map. Every city mayor cannot do with out it. In fact, the city mayor looks upon the multisectoral coalition as the crucial and critical institutional partner, with whom to work very closely and productively, for the monitoring of progress towards the milestones in the city road map. Without such monitoring, progress in pursuit of the city road map can not be measured; and unless it is measured, it can not be managed properly. And unless pursuit of progress is managed properly and systematically, it can not be attained.

It is in this light that a corollary mantra of improved public governance through the PGS becomes very clear: "with a multi-sectoral coalition, the pursuit of progress is institutionalized and secured." Only if within a city, a multi-sectoral coalition has been set up, developed, strengthened and eventually institutionalized would the city road map be effective in bringing the city past its different milestones towards delivering progress and the common good of all in the city.