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| Transparency |
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In an effort to make the legislative process significantly more transparent, the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy at California Polytechnic State University has unveiled Digital Democracy, an online, searchable database of all California Assembly and Senate committee and floor hearings. The tool will offer a "Google-like" search of video archives by keyword, topic, or date and allows the reposting of these video clips on social media networks. By unlocking this data in an easily retrievable format, both citizens and lawmakers can track which issues are actually agreed upon during public debate prior to and during passage of laws.
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| Technology |
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Joining the ranks of innovation labs in other cities around the globe is Mexico City’s Laboratorio para la Ciudad, or LabPLC, a new smart-city project aimed at making life convenient, safer, and healthier for its residents. Among LabPLC’s projects is Traxi, a free smartphone app that allows users to prescreen taxis to make sure they are legitimate. LabPLC has also developed other apps, in partnership with Code for America, to help people find free health clinics and car owners figure out what emissions tests their cars require. The lab also sponsors art installations and rooftop talks from urban experts, and is working to find more ways to engage with the urban poor.
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| Performance Management |
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Observing the nationwide and worldwide trend toward making government more effective, this survey describes changes in the application of randomized controlled trials to evaluate government programs; “pay for success” initiatives in New York, Utah, Massachusetts, and Great Britain; and the use of the widening availability of data to guide the creation of more savvy policy. Combined, these changes help governments deliver service more competently, identify progress where it occurs, and halt programs that are not bearing fruit.
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| Access to Services |
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This survey describes how schoolhouses are becoming community centers, providing services such as family counseling, human services, food stamps, and job skills training to students and local residents year round. Observers note that these “community schools” serve as important community anchors, bolstering the surrounding neighborhood and freeing up teacher and administrator time to focus on academics. New York, Michigan, Ohio, and even members of Congress are funding or proposing to fund the expansion of these programs.
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| Fire Prevention & Response |
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The University of San Diego and the University of Maryland are enlisting big data to better predict the fast-changing directions and conditions of spreading flames as wildfire season gets under way. The universities are developing WIFIRE, a cyber-infrastructure system, which analyzes the progress of a wildfire and where it is likely to move in real-time — helping firefighters to make better decisions and emergency planners to organize evacuations accordingly. The system uses a combination of weather sensors, satellite images, and various computational techniques. The project, part of the National Science Foundation Hazards SEES program, will ultimately be accessible to users via specialized web interfaces and alerts.
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| Social Services |
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A growing number of municipalities are creating secure storage facilities where the homeless can keep necessities and treasured items protected as they go about their day. Besides ensuring that the homeless do not lose what little they have, officials have observed that providing secure storage gives this population the peace of mind to pursue medical check-ups, job interviews, and housing appointments. The availability of these facilities also tends to reduce the number of complaints from residents and businesses regarding unattended property.
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| The Chicago School of Data: Building a Framework for Chicago's Data Ecosystem |
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The city of Chicago is developing a collaborative, more easily-defined framework for its civic innovation scene, one that will help improve its connections across the city and region. The Chicago School of Data is open to any organization or individual in Chicago who uses data in pursuit of successful civic innovation.
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| Taking the Bypass on Transportation Funding |
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Increasingly unable to rely on Washington, states are coming up with new ways to pay for roads. There are several principles for states to keep in mind.
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| An Essential Guide to the 'Stat' Revolution in Government |
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A new book provides a comprehensive picture of the performance-management practice that has taken the public sector by storm. Practitioners can learn from examples and apply the strategy to all levels and sizes of government.
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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