Speaking the Same Language: How Cities Build Cross-Department Collaboration

One of the biggest hurdles in managing multi-departmental city projects is that different departments often speak different "languages." Public works might refer to timelines in terms of construction phases, while finance talks in fiscal quarters, and IT thinks in terms of sprints or rollouts. To keep everyone aligned, leadership should invest time early in the project to establish a shared vocabulary. This doesn't mean standardizing every term but rather agreeing on what key terms mean for the purpose of the project. A shared glossary or a simple onboarding guide specific to the project can go a long way in clearing up confusion before it starts.

For example, the City of Portland, Oregon, created a cross-departmental project glossary during their Smart City PDX initiative, which helped various teams align on data governance, privacy, and technology goals. This simple tool helped reduce redundant meetings and ensured that documents and updates were easier for all departments to digest and act upon¹. Creating a shared language also encourages trust between departments, which is often more important than just technical alignment.

Embedding Communication Routines into Project Management

Consistency in communication is just as important as clarity. One effective strategy is to embed communication routines into the project schedule itself. This could include weekly cross-departmental stand-up meetings, monthly milestone reviews, or bi-monthly steering committee check-ins. The City of Boston’s Public Works Department, during their Complete Streets initiative, used structured weekly updates shared via a central dashboard, which significantly improved coordination among transportation, utilities, and community engagement teams².

Establishing these routines helps ensure that updates are not dependent on one department reaching out to another reactively. Instead, it creates a rhythm where all departments expect to touch base and share progress or concerns. To make these meetings productive, keep them short, use a consistent agenda, and rotate facilitation responsibilities so everyone remains involved. This also helps reinforce that the project is a collective responsibility, not the domain of a single lead department.

Using Tools that Encourage Cross-Team Visibility

Technology can be your ally, but only if it's used in a way that promotes visibility without overwhelming staff. Project management platforms like Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Planner are useful, but even shared Google Sheets or simple dashboards can be effective if they're well-structured. The key is to ensure that all departments have access to the same information and that updates are made in real time or on a predictable schedule.

For example, in San Diego's stormwater infrastructure improvements, departments used a shared tracking sheet with color-coded stat