Jump to navigation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


"Basic income" pilot in San Francisco; undercover police work to improve road safety in London; and, new platform for operational excellence in government

Government Innovators Network 

 
March 16, 2017
In This Issue

What's New

In the News

Data-Smart City Solutions

Harvard’s Ash Center Announces New Platform for Efficiency in the Public Sector

Powered by the Government Innovators Network

The Operational Excellence in Government project, supported by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and conducted in partnership with United States Common Sense, focuses on the very best state and local approaches to operational effectiveness.The project surveyed thousands of recommendations from over 200 reports and identified the 30 best studies, and then highlighted and analyzed trends and challenges across jurisdictions.

By pinpointing opportunities for cost savings, recommending proven efficiencies, and providing implementation guidance, the Operational Excellence project positions itself as a central resource for public-sector excellence. The project will help transform how state and local governments collaborate and implement best practices to achieve efficiency improvements.

Visit the Operational Excellence project>>

 

WHAT'S NEW


graphic with binary code

Tech and Innovation in Financial Services

Innovators Insights Blog

This post explores the opportunities and challenges for regulators and policymakers as they explore the potential of new technologies to transform financial services for the better. But it’s not only customers who stand to benefit. Regulators are increasingly exploring new ways to leverage technology to enable them to supervise the financial sector more efficiently and effectively. Read more>>

skyline graphic

Kick-Starting Data-Driven Government

Better, Faster, Cheaper

The Analytics Kick Start service of the Johns Hopkins Center for Government Excellence (GovEx) identifies cities ready to complete an advanced analytics project and sustain an analytics program. GovEx criteria for evaluating the viability of advanced projects include the presence of a clear challenge for which analysis can add value, enthusiasm from top officials, a quality data infrastructure, and a plan for scale. Read more>>

IN THE NEWS


In Social Media Age, Young Cops Get Trained For Real-Life Conversation

Spokane, Washington’s Sherriff’s Office is bolstering the communication skills of newly hired deputies by training them on how to engage with strangers. The training teaches new recruits how to use body language and practice “reading” strangers before making contact — important policing skills. Practice sessions are conducted in a mall where trainers observe and critique those interactions. While police administrators and trainers have noticed that the advent of digital social interactions may have weakened millennial’s interpersonal skills, they have also noted that this issue applies to all generations. Spokane officials based this training on the Pentagon’s research on strengthening conversational skills of soldiers and Marines.

Washington State Leads in Evidence-Based Policymaking

Since 1983, the state of Washington has used evidence-based policymaking to understand and implement the programs that work to achieve social policy goals. Its state legislature has embraced this approach, for example, by requiring that health services funding be available only to those programs that are evidence- or research-based. These programs have a proven record of being effective through rigorous and objective research studies. Washington state has used evidence-based policymaking to great success in the areas of child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, and children’s mental health.

Ambulances to Jam Car Radios in Sweden

Stockholm has begun testing a new system that warns drivers about oncoming ambulances and firetrucks through their onboard devices. Working through car radios, with the ability to interrupt CDs, and Bluetooth-connecting devices, the technology will issue a warning to drivers to give way to approaching emergency vehicles. Having at least a 10–15 second warning would facilitate first responders' accessibility and improve road safety for other drivers. The city is testing the system in a limited number of vehicles and plans to expand across the country later this year.

San Francisco Working on Pilot Basic Income Program

San Francisco is joining a growing number of government units experimenting with “basic income” to assure that its residents can pay for daily essentials. San Francisco will focus its pilot on families with children, and will used evidence-based research to compare those children in families that are receiving basic income with children in families receiving other social services. As automation and artificial intelligence disrupt industries and economies, national and international policymakers are taking a close look at the effectiveness of measures such as basic income to strengthen the social safety net and to prevent those in need from slipping further into poverty. Similar programs are being tested in Oakland, California; Finland; and parts of India.

London Police Will Pose as Cyclists to Catch Unsafe Drivers

To catch those who drive unsafely next to bicyclists, London’s Metropolitan Police will pose as normal bike riders to monitor and reprimand unsafe driver behavior. The police are targeting “close passing,” whereby drivers go past bicyclists at a distance of less than 5 feet. While the police aim to inform drivers rather than to punish them — including by providing offenders with a 15-minute roadside training session, they can make arrests when necessary. Law enforcement officials also hope that public awareness of the program will have a widespread deterrent effect, creating a safer environment for riders and encouraging more residents to use this mode of transportation.

DATA-SMART CITY SOLUTIONS


Can Algorithms Predict House Fires?

This post examines cities’ efforts to use algorithms in order to predict those buildings most likely of having a house fire. The writer conducted his own analysis to rank buildings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, based on fire risk. By updating listings of commercial properties and integrating data such as floor size, land area, and number of units, cities can predict fires with much more accuracy than the business-as-usual approach.

Analytics Tools Could Be the Key to Effective Message-Driven Nudging

Combining Internet of Things (IoT) systems with insights from behavioral science has the potential to promote preferable behaviors by citizens. By integrating real-time data from IoT sensors into messaging systems, cities can provide residents with up-to-date information that may affect their behavior; for instance, offering traffic data may encourage them to take public transit.

 

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 © 2017 THE PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE