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Deploying drones across the US; closing America's dental-care gap; and, Austin teenagers develop civic tech solutions
Government Innovators Network
 
August 10, 2017
 

WHAT'S NEW


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Finland, Finance, and Fintech: How Governments and Organizations Are Helping Refugees

Innovators Insights Blog

Our blog this week discusses the emerging shift to using digital tools to distribute humanitarian aid as cash to refugees. Read more>>

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Call for Innovations and Innovation Award

OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation

The OECD has announced a Call for Innovations and Innovation Award to crowdsource innovative projects and initiatives from governments and government partners around the world. Apply by August 31>>

IN THE NEWS


This City Is the First to Help Pay Off All Employees' Student Loans

As part of an effort to address its recruitment and retention challenges, Memphis, Tennessee, will become the first municipality to provide financial assistance to all of its employees to pay down their student loans. Eligible city workers will receive monthly contributions of $50 towards principal repayment of their federal or private student loans, regardless of whether a degree was obtained. It has been determined that the average Memphis education borrower owes around $31,000. The city will track the participation of the roughly 6,000 eligible city employees to determine whether the incentive fulfills its stated goals of attracting and keeping good workers.

New Zealand Launches ‘End of Life’ Service to Help with Bereavements

New Zealand has launched an End of Life service to assist its citizens in making bereavement plans when a loved one passes away. The government will use predictive services technology to help users address issues such as organizing a funeral and winding up financial and legal affairs. The site will also let users create and share their personalized plan for when they pass away. In addition, the site provides links to relevant funding organizations for financial support when encountering an unexpected life event such as contracting a terminal illness.

Drones on Duty

Public-sector use of drones continues to proliferate in various situations. Michigan state police have used drones to track and capture wanted felons, conduct crash analyses, and initiate fire inspections. University researchers in Arizona are working on the use of drones to more efficiently track tagged wildlife where normal signals from the tags can bounce off topographical features or be obstructed by trees. And, officials in Minnesota are using drones to conduct tricky bridge inspections of hard-to-reach areas.

Austin Uses 'Speed Dating' with Summer Interns to Spur Innovation

Austin, Texas, recently launched a six-week, “speed dating” type of internship that matched a group of motivated high school interns with members of the city government to learn more about the challenges the employees face and to develop tech-based solutions for them. One team of students built a chatbot for the Municipal Court to assist in providing responses to online user queries. Another group created a mobile app that lists the city’s parks and their proximity to the user and another app that tracks the availability of the Parks and Recreation Department loaner equipment. And another group developed a calculator that residents can use to find affordable housing by zip code.

Creating a Home for LGBT Seniors in New York City

New York City is joining a growing number of municipalities in the US that is providing affordable housing targeting older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. LGBT persons often need more assistance as they age because they are more likely to be single, have no children, and to be isolated from their families. It is hoped that the units will allow people to be more comfortable and supported as they grow older. Buildings in the Bronx and in Brooklyn are expected to be open in 2019 and will also serve the homeless population. It is estimated that more than 100,000 New York City residents are LGBT and 65 years or older.

America's Dental-Care Gap Is Wide. How Some States Are Trying to Close It.

To address the growing need for dental care in various areas, a growing number of states are looking to “dental therapists” to provide basic dental care at lower cost to the uninsured or Medicaid recipients. Akin to a nurse practitioner, dental therapists in Minnesota can now perform common procedures such as pulling teeth and filling cavities, leaving more complex tasks to licensed dentists. These dental therapists can help reach underserved populations by fanning out to schools, health clinics, nursing homes, and disadvantaged and rural areas. Maine and Vermont have passed similar laws that license dental therapists, and other states are considering following suit.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Syracuse i-Team: Upgrading Infrastructure on a Limited Budget

Syracuse's i-Team has revamped the city's infrastructure via a suite of complementary nonprofit partnerships and improved cross-departmental data sharing. These steps have allowed Syracuse to predict water main breaks and pavement failures, and then coordinate dig-once infrastructure projects that address both problems.

Tracing Data to Reduce Gun Trafficking

A new initiative of the New York State attorney general seeks to use data to understand gun trafficking patterns and assess the effectiveness of state gun laws. The project, Target on Trafficking: New York Crime Gun Analysis, and an accompanying online interactive Tracing Analytics Platform, provide data to inform local law enforcement about gun crime in their areas and have implications for the future of state and federal gun laws.

BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER


A Smartphone Tool to Help Addicts Recover

ACHESS, a university-developed app, is showing promise in helping people stay on the track to recovery. The initiative was recently a finalist for the Innovations in American Government Award.

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.

 
 
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