St. Tammany Parish has numerous relationships with various governmental and non-governmental entities.  These relationships, whether formal or informal, affect the operations of parish government and also impact the operations of the entities with which parish government interacts.

The Intergovernmental Relations Department (IGR) works to maintain and enhance the existing relationships between identified stakeholders and the Parish to make certain they continue to be positive and supportive of local, regional, state, and national cooperative work.  The responsibility of managing, strengthening, and expanding these relationships, as well as continuing to develop additional relationships to promote the Parish’s interests and objectives, is the main function of this department.

As part of the Parish President’s office, the IGR Department works with multiple stakeholders, including Parish and municipal governments and officials, political subdivisions and agencies, as well as other key stakeholders considered to be critical to the success of Parish goals and objectives. The department works with all internal departments, and serves as a liaison to the Parish Council. The IGR director also participates in nongovernmental organizations in order to advance the interests of the Parish in our community.

Through ongoing communication and interaction with our Parish partners, the IGR Department:

• Facilitates mutual understanding
• Promotes cooperation and consensus building
• Reduces or avoids conflict
• Improves problem solving 
• Optimizes opportunities for collaborative work