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Nominations due tomorrow, January 12, for the Innovations in American Government Award!
Government Innovators Network
 
January 11, 2018
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Innovations Award Seeks Nominations for
Public-Sector Programs
Improving Economic and Social Mobility

 

NOMINATIONS DUE TOMORROW, JANUARY 12!

 

Harvard Kennedy School's Innovations in American Government Awards are heralded as the premier public-sector honors in the nation and are given to programs that serve as examples of creative and effective government at its best. The $50,000 top prize is open to programs at all levels of government—federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial—from within the United States. Top finalists will also receive monetary grants. Learn more>>

WHAT'S NEW


book cover for A New City O/S

New Book Presents Vision for Remaking City Government

By Stephen Goldsmith and Neil Kleiman

In A New City O/S: The Power of Open, Collaborative, and Distributed Governance, the authors suggest building on the giant leaps that have been made in technology, social engagement, and big data to create a new model for cities that allows public officials to mobilize new resources, surface ideas from unconventional sources, and arm city employees with the information they need to become preemptive problem-solvers. Read more>>

city traffic

Call for Proposals from Governments and Health Care Organizations

J-PAL North America at MIT

J-PAL North America, a research center in the MIT Department of Economics, has announced two calls for proposals designed to help policymakers better fight poverty. The competitions invite state and local governments and health care organizations to apply for support answering their priority policy questions using randomized evaluations. Learn more>>

IN THE NEWS


Los Angeles Launches Paid Training Program for High School Grads Who Want to Be Cops

With “Pledge to Patrol,” Los Angeles expects to recruit a more diverse and experienced crop of police officers by allowing young adults to work in the Los Angeles Police Department before they are old enough to join the Police Academy. Under the program, participants will spend up to 20 hours a week working in civilian roles, including assisting the watch commander, working at the front desk and taking down crime reports, performing minor evidence collection, entering and retrieving data, and observing and assisting with patrol functions. The paid positions will also allow the young women and men, typically high school graduates, to continue their higher education at the same time. The mayor’s Innovation Team designed the program with the LAPD and the city’s personnel department.

Cybersecurity Quest Sends States to Vets, Students and Women

States are creating different ways to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities in an era in which hackers and cybercriminals are increasing their focus on government networks. Virginia is looking to veterans through a pilot program that will provide them with free training and assistance in attaining cybersecurity industry certification and Colorado is setting up a nine-month paid internship at the state technology department for service members leaving the military. Several states are partnering with private industry to provide cyber skills to high school and college students, with top performers having the chance to earn scholarships. Other states are working on mentoring for young women to give them the skills and support to pursue a cybersecurity career.

A UK City Is Using Competition to Train the Next Generation to Save Energy

In the UK, the city of Bath and Bath: Hacked, a civic tech volunteer group, have created Energy Sparks, an app and platform for local schools to help them visualize their energy usage in near real time and compete with other schools in the gamification of saving energy. Schools reduced their energy consumption by 30 percent in some cases when the project was first trialed, and the goal is to expand the program to all local schools in the area. The platform is also integrated into lesson planning, allowing students and teachers to identify areas of energy waste and conceive of different means to combat it.

For Computers That Are Fair, New York City Forms Algorithm Task Force

As computer analytics continue to spread throughout government service delivery, New York City has passed legislation mandating the formation of a task force to monitor the fairness of algorithms used by municipal agencies. The task force, to be comprised of experts in automated systems and representatives of groups affected by these systems, will examine their use and make recommendations on how to improve accountability and transparency and to avoid bias. A flawed algorithm can lead to consequences such as someone being denied a rightful public benefit or remaining in jail for too long.

Boston Medical Center Launches Community Investment

Recognizing that stable housing has a significant influence on health, Massachusetts’s Boston Medical Center is investing $6.5 million over five years in affordable housing projects in areas where a large percentage of its patients live in an effort to improve community and patient health. The hospital initiative, which will also track how housing security can reduce medical costs, is partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission in the effort. Hospital data shows that 25 percent of admitted patients are homeless and one in three families have insecure housing or are in danger of eviction. Officials note that insecure housing has been tied to asthma, lead exposure, and depression, and can put patients in the position of having to choose between paying for medication or rent.

San Francisco Approves ‘Surge’ Pricing to Lower and Raise Parking Meter Costs

San Francisco is set to apply “surge pricing” on its 28,000 parking meters based on demand. The move, akin to the pricing used by some ride-sharing companies, will change the hourly rate of parking spots depending on time of day and location, down to the nearest block. Officials note that demand pricing is will be revenue neutral, with the main purpose being to get people into empty parking spaces as quickly as possible. Hourly parking rates will be reviewed, and possibly raised or lowered in 25-cent increments depending upon usage every three months.

Drones to Tackle Traffic and Deliver Medical Supplies in UK Cities

In the United Kingdom, five towns and cities will be chosen to work with engineers and planners to become testing areas for civilian drones to deliver medical supplies, and assist with emergency services and traffic monitoring, among other possibilities. The Flying High Challenge is being unveiled as the Department of Transport looks to increase drone safety regulations to prevent accidents and protect privacy.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


A Guide to Chicago’s Array of Things Initiative

This comprehensive overview of Chicago’s Array of Things (AoT) initiative describes the urban sensing project’s origins, global influence, and future plans. AoT is a network of sensors distributed across the urban landscape that gathers real-time data on Chicago’s environmental surroundings and urban activity, giving policymakers fine-grained information with which to make decisions.

BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER


Bringing the Power of Lean to Education

The Des Moines, Iowa, school district has embraced the continuous improvement approach. It's making a lot of progress toward eliminating wasteful practices and transforming performance.

The Connected Street of the Future

New York City's CTO, Miguel Gamiño, has a vision for how technology can make our lives better.

HONORING NATIONS AWARDS


Applications Due January 24 for the 2018 Honoring Nations Awards!

The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development offers the distinguished Honoring Nations Awards for outstanding and innovative tribal programs across Indian Country. The Honoring Nations Awards identify programs that are rebuilding their local communities and highlighting the vibrancy of American Indian nations. The 2018 Honoring Nations awardees will receive a monetary grant to share their stories of success: $2000 for honors and $5000 for high honors. Awardees will also be featured in case profiles, nation-building curricula, on Google platforms, and through world-class exhibits showcased at the Smithsonian Institution. Learn more and apply by January 24>>

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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