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Welcome to the redesigned Innovators Insights newsletter from the Government Innovators Network.
Government Innovators Network 
 
April 16, 2015
In This Issue

What's New

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

Better, Faster, Cheaper

 

WHAT'S NEW


Stephen Goldsmith

Data-Smart City Solutions

An Ash Center Project

In this video, Harvard Professor Stephen Goldsmith discusses his book The Responsive City with Microsoft's Adam Hecktman. Watch the video>>

Expanding Horizons report cover

Conservation Webinar

With the Conservation Innovation Forum

Watch our webinar on "Conservation Momentum: Leveraging the Enthusiasm of the National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation." Watch the recording>>

IN THE NEWS


In Bid to Inspire Faith in Senate, Kennedy Institute Has the Floor

The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate has recently opened in Boston to help current and future generations learn about the US government and foster participatory democracy. Funded in part by the federal government, the institute has a full-scale replica of the Senate chamber where visitors can serve as senators-in-training, participating in two-hour expertly guided simulations that include swearing-in, hearings, legislative negotiations, debate, and voting. The institute also includes a museum on Senator Kennedy’s life. Officials hope that the institute will encourage participants to understand the legislative process better and give younger citizens in particular a greater appreciation of tolerating and negotiating with opposing viewpoints.

Crowdfunders Say Solving Rape Cases Is Good for Business

In an unusual move, Detroit is turning to crowdfunding to support the fight to bring justice to the victims of sexual assault. Enough SAID (Sexual Assault in Detroit) is a collaboration between Detroit’s Wayne County prosecutor and other top leaders in the city to advocate for money to rapidly test the backlogs of rape kits (of which over 11,000 were found in a storage unit in 2009) and help fund the prosecution of thousands of rape cases by hiring additional investigators and lawyers. The goal is to raise $10 million for the cause. Detroit is also working on a program that will track rape kits the same way that packages are tracked, following them from the hospital to the lab to the courtroom. Enough SAID raised almost $900,000 in its first month and is now at over $4.5 million.

New NYC Program Aims to Create 5,000 Women Entrepreneurs from Low-Income Neighborhoods

New York City wants to redouble its efforts to create a pathway of career success for thousands of local women who come from underserved communities. The Women Entrepreneurs NYC initiative will offer free training and business services to 5,000 budding female entrepreneurs in the next three years. These services will include loan negotiation workshops, connections to capital, pro-bono legal assistance, and assistance in navigating government resources. The city’s Department of Small Business and private funders are helping to underwrite the program, and officials hope it will become a model for other initiatives across the country.

With new app at Miami-Dade Animal Services, missing-pet owners don’t have to ‘face’ search alone

To help reunite dog owners with their lost pets, Miami-Dade Animal Services has partnered with Finding Rover, a mobile app that uses facial recognition technology. Under the collaboration, Animal Services will upload their database of dogs into the app. Likewise, users can report a lost animal through the app by uploading a photo, which then searches the database of the current inventory of dogs for a match. Good Samaritans who find lost dogs can also snap a picture of the canine and upload it to the site. Animal Services hopes the app will help decrease the number of animals in their confines.

San Quentin inmate-run media earn outside acclaim for insider's look at prison life

Inmates at San Quentin State Prison in California have been involved in the unusual activity of producing radio programs that provide an inside look into prison life for Bay Area listeners on the “outside.” Along with a partner newspaper, the San Quentin News, the prisoner-run media enterprise has received national recognition. Aside from reporting on the nuances on prison life, from the correct way to do a handshake to living as an HIV-positive person in captivity, the newspaper and radio program are also enriched by news and information gathered and sent by volunteer students and organizations. Some observers question the use of resources to help murderers and violent criminals produce and circulate their stories to audiences beyond prison walls, but supporters assert that inmates’ efforts can assist in their rehabilitation by keeping their minds engaged.

L.A. City Council signs off on permit-free curbside gardening

Los Angeles is now allowing its residents to plant fruits and vegetables on median strips of vacant city-owned land between sidewalks and streets. Previously, “guerilla” gardeners needed to obtain a $400 permit to grow the produce or risk a raft of citations. Now, motivated residents can beautify their neighborhoods, as well as gain access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable food, which is not always available in “food desert” areas. The city is still working on revising guidelines regarding acceptable garden characteristics such as how high the plants may grow and how close the plants may grow to the accessible areas of the street or sidewalk.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


White Paper: Regulation, the Internet Way

The arrival of the information age has already delivered amazing new resources and tools, as well as a profound set of new challenges for policymakers and regulators. Nick Grossman proposes a data-first model for establishing trust, safety, and security in his white paper: Regulation, the Internet Way.

BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER


Improving Public Services: The Secrets of Award-Winning Cities

Technology is important, but it doesn't work without the right governance structures and partnerships. Cities that have been recognized for innovations in service delivery have inclusive approaches and an embrace of partnerships that help make new technologies successful.

Government in Your Pocket

Denver is pioneering an innovative website that promises to save taxpayers money while improving service delivery. Pocketgov is showing that the wise application of technology can make a big difference in the way government does business.

ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER


Innovators Insights is the news digest from the Government Innovators Network on the latest in government innovations. This digest is sent out every two weeks and is compiled and written by the editorial staff of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. In each issue, the editorial team identifies top policy and programmatic news that is related to government innovations so that you can stay informed about creative government at its best.

Editor: Jessica Engelman
Researcher & Writer: Brendan St. Amant
Note: The stories in this newsletter link to source articles on other websites and may not be available after a certain length of time.



ABOUT THE ASH CENTER


The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Center. Additional information about the Ash Center is available at http://ash.harvard.edu.

 
 
Copyright © 2014 THE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE