 |
County programs among Top 50 government innovators
Seven counties from across the United States have made the first cut in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Innovations in Government Awards program —the so-called “Oscars” of government programs.
 The Kennedy School’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation recently announced the 2009 Top 50 Government Innovations. Winnowed from a pool of 600 applicants, the top 50 include the following counties:
Santa Clara County, Calif., Orange and Hillsborough counties, Fla., Hennepin County, Minn. — recognized for two programs — Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Milwaukee County, Wis. and King County, Wash. Two of the programs are former NACo Achievement Award winners (see box below).
“In this climate of economic uncertainty, these Top 50 innovative government programs demonstrate that creativity and innovation can still survive and flourish,” Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program, said in a news release. “Despite strained budgets and diminishing resources, these programs prove that government continues to find solutions to pressing societal challenges.”
The county programs recognized range from health care and criminal justice, to credit crisis relief and green buildings. The Top 50 programs also include 21 cities and towns, one school district, 11 states, eight federal agencies, one tribal government and one regional authority.
Since the awards’ inception in 1985, more than 400 government programs have been recognized and have collectively received more than $20 million in grants to support sharing their best practices.
In addition to encouraging adaptation of these innovations worldwide, award winners provide case studies that are taught in government schools internationally. To date, more than 450 Harvard courses and more 2,250 courses worldwide have incorporated Innovations in American Government case studies.
Finalists of the 2009 Innovations Awards will be announced on May 18, and on May 27 they will make presentations before the national selection committee in Cambridge, Mass., chaired by David Gergen, Kennedy School professor of public service. This event is free and open to the public and will be streamed on the Web.
The 2009 Innovations winners will be announced in September. Applicants for the 2010 Innovations in American Government Awards are encouraged to apply at www.innovationsaward@harvard.edu.
County Programs Vying for Innovation Awards
Online Inmate Information and Jail Visit Reservation
Santa Clara County, Calif.
The Online Inmate Information and Jail Visit Reservation System is an application that allows approved users to look up inmate information and schedule inmate visits via Santa Clara County’s Web site.
Primary Care Access Network
Orange County, Fla.
Primary Care Access Network is a creative governance and implementation model composed of community health care provider agencies that have joined to expand and enhance health care services to uninsured residents throughout Orange County. The program was a 2003 NACo Achievement Award winner.
Senior Zones
Hillsborough County, Fla.
Hillsborough County’s Senior Zone Program works to slow traffic and increase safety for older adult drivers and pedestrians around retirement and assisted-living communities through the use of traffic-calming devices. County News featured the program in a May 17, 2007 story, “Senior Zones calm traffic near retirement communities.”
Early Neutral Evaluation
Hennepin County, Minn.
Early Neutral Evaluation is a collaborative process in Hennepin County that promotes children’s well-being by helping parents reach an early and cooperative settlement in custody and parenting-time disputes. In 2004, the program was recognized with a NACo Achievement Award.
Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program
Hennepin County, Minn.
Hennepin County’s Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program is a network of public and private service providers who have developed highly successful, outcome-focused methods for preventing homelessness for at-risk families and rapidly re-housing homeless families.
Credit Crisis Relief
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Cuyahoga County’s Credit Crisis Relief program combats the devastating impacts of the global credit crisis by providing real, replicable solutions that protect communities, neighborhoods and families. The program offers comprehensive foreclosure prevention services, prevents neighborhood blight and creates a land bank to revitalize neighborhoods. County News featured the land bank program in an article March 6, “Ohio county fights foreclosures with land bank.”
GreenTools Green Building Program
King County, Wash.
GreenTools Green Building Program promotes sustainable built environments by leveraging partnerships with other agencies and organizations and offering voluntary incentives that increase the amount of green building in the county.
Wraparound Milwaukee
Milwaukee County, Wis.
Wraparound Milwaukee is a Milwaukee County community-based system of care which provides comprehensive, highly individualized, family-directed services to youth with serious emotional and mental health needs, and their families.
(Source: Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.)
|
|
|
