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This week: addressing the gender wage gap in Boston; civil rights police training in Nashville; and submit a nomination for the Innovations in American Government Award
Government Innovators Network 
 
December 3, 2015
In This Issue

What's New

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

WHAT'S NEW


Innovations in American Government Award

Deadline: April 15, 2016

If you know of a creative and effective government initiative that could present a compelling application for the Innovations in American Government Award, we encourage you to submit a nomination. Learn more>>

Better, Faster, Cheaper

In partnership with Governing.com

Nashville's former mayor led his city as a single, networked entity. By building coalitions that represented the whole city, Karl Dean was able to garner the trust necessary to build the coalitions that allowed Nashville to stake a claim as a top-tier city. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


Boston is offering free negotiation classes to every woman who works in the city

Boston has launched a new initiative to help narrow the gender wage gap by offering free salary negotiation workshops for women working and living in Boston. Partnering with the American Association of University Women, the city is offering 10 workshops to help women identify their target salary and benefits, and develop a strategy for asking for raises. Regionally, women make 83 cents for every dollar paid to men. While some observers question the actual impact of more aggressive salary negotiations, organizers stress that women will miss every shot that they do not take.

Another City Turns to Mow-to-Own Program

Memphis, Tennessee, has joined a growing group of municipalities that have established a mow-to-own program to aid in fighting blight. Property owners who mow an adjoining city- or county-owned vacant lot earn a $25 credit for each cut over a three-year period, which goes toward buying it. The city also benefits by reducing its own multimillion-dollar maintenance costs for vacant land and from the added tax revenue once the land passes back into private ownership. Columbus, Ohio; Rockford, Illinois; and New Orleans have similar programs.

Jersey City becomes first city in U.S. to launch community-based 911 response system

Jersey City has become one of the first cities in the US to create a volunteer, community-based emergency response team to get trained individuals on the scene more quickly. Under Community Based Emergency Care, a mobile app deploys the nearest volunteer before an ambulance can arrive at an emergency situation, decreasing response times. Fifty-one community volunteers will begin the program, which is based on a similar one in Israel.

Nashville Program Teaches Law Enforcement About Civil Rights

Nashville, Tennessee, is turning to its own difficult history of racial inequality as part of its training program for new police recruits. Recently, about 60 new officers learned lessons in civil rights history organized in conjunction with the public library, as well as met with current and former civil rights leaders before being assigned to their beats. Officials hope that the trainings lead to more “even-handed” police-work and help restore trust between police and the communities they serve. Other law enforcement agencies are watching closely.

The French City Of Grenoble Wants You To Kill Time With A Short Story

To encourage its citizens to spend less time looking at their phones and more time reading original short stories, Grenoble, France has partnered with publishing company Short Edition to install eight vending machines in public locations that dispense short stories. The free stories are printed on long receipt-like paper and readers can choose from narratives that are one, three, or five minutes long. Officials note that the initiative will provide shared experiences among community members.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Analytics as a Shared Service

A program at the University of Massachusetts-Boston has been helping municipalities and other government entities in the state use data to answer foundational questions and to change their cultures to become more data-driven.

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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