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| Health & Social Services |
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The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is engaging former homeless veterans to help get fellow veterans off the streets in Boston. Officials hope that by leveraging these shared experiences, the program will be able to move more veterans into housing more quickly and with the necessary support in place to help keep them there. The VA is considering doubling the size of the team of veterans in the coming year.
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| Environment |
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The Western Governors’ Association has unveiled an online planning tool that makes wildlife information available to the public through an easily accessible and user-friendly map interface. With the Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool, or CHAT, governors in 16 states seek to help both businesses and conservationists identify areas where impact from development will be less acute. The database, which took five years to create, provides colorful GIS maps displaying wildlife habitat, wetlands, and other valuable natural resources; areas are also graded by states from most to least crucial.
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| Collaboration |
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In Minnesota, the cities of Coon Rapids and Brooklyn Park share staff expertise and training in nontraditional ways to save money and develop internal talent. Under Cities Unlimited, both towns use each other as resources in lieu of hiring outside consultants. For example, Brooklyn Park has helped Coon Rapids create an employee innovation team and Coon Rapids has helped Brooklyn Park improve its performance measurement program. Both cities have also sent staff to each other’s training programs. Cities Unlimited, which may expand to include more cities, recently won a local government innovation award from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
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| Courts & Legal Services |
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In New York City, low-income immigrants facing deportation can now take advantage of court-appointed counsel. Funded by a $500,000 investment from the City Council, the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project provides counsel to noncitizens, such as green card holders, refugees, victims of trafficking, and those living in the country illegally. Organizers say that involving lawyers could not only help some immigrants avoid unnecessary deportations but also ensure that immigration proceedings in general proceed more efficiently.
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| Public Health |
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Chicago is turning to predictive analytics to control its rampant rodent population. Through analysis of 311 service requests and other historical knowledge about area rodent infestations, the city can dispatch pest control crews to begin baiting and preventing rodent colony growth before it becomes a public health threat. The 10-week pilot is being funded by a grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge.
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| Public Infrastructure |
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Polk County, Wisconsin, has turned to a byproduct of its unofficial state food, cheese, to treat icy roads and keep drivers safe. County road officials note that the organics in cheese brines keep the brines from freezing at lower temperatures and has led to tens of thousands in savings for the county. At the same time, cheese factories are saving money by not having to pay fees to dispose of the brine. Other cities and media outlets are taking notice.
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| Distressed Cities and the Lessons of California |
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A new study finds reasons to be optimistic about municipal finances. The relatively good news comes with one major caveat, however: none of this applies if you happen to live in California.
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| Government in the Cloud: Minimizing the Risks |
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Government leaders are finding they can lower their information technology costs and expand services while improving performance and security through cloud-based solutions. A new report provides a checklist of a dozen issues that need to be addressed when governments contract for cloud-computing services.
Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
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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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