----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "newsletter-15...@innovations.harvard.edu" <newsletter-15...@innovations.harvard.edu> To: arbieba...@yahoo.com Sent: Fri, June 25, 2010 9:00:31 PM Subject: Innovators Insights | June 25, 2010 ======================================== INNOVATORS INSIGHTS (plain text version) ======================================== June 25, 2010 WHAT'S NEW: MANAGEMENT INSIGHTS FOR PUBLIC MANAGERS =================================================== A <em>Governing.com</em> Series Major Change, Fast Results: Russ Linden asserts that changing the culture of an organization doesn't have to take a decade. NEWS ======================================== E-GOVERNMENT ============ Washington State is being hailed as a model for [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.govtech .com%2Fgt%2Farticles%2F762654 ] governments looking to safeguard their public records, e-mails, and documents in order to fulfill freedom of information and other requests. The Washington Department of Information Services has set up a central data repository into which it transfers agency e-mails, and will soon implement the capability to add more types of documents to the vault. Agencies often have different policies on how long they keep public records. One of the advantages of the system is that the virtual vault will not conflict with these policies; it keeps the documents as long as that policy dictates and deletes them automatically on their expiration date. Participation is also voluntary. Once the documents are secured they can be searched by time period and document type. EMERGENCY RESPONSE ================== To help alleviate overburdened emergency rooms, Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services in Kentucky is screening low-priority calls, such as patients with earaches and stomachaches, and [ http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-01-emsredirect01_ST_N.htm ] diverting them to nurses for a more in-depth conversation that can lead to more appropriate care. Such care may include general health advice or an appointment with another health care provider, not an ambulance trip to the emergency room. Widely used in the United Kingdom and Australia, the program is among the first of its kind in the nation, and can conserve health resources and reduce costs. And, in Utah, the [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sltrib. com%2Fnews%2Fci_15311668 ] Safe-to-Wait Project is curbing unnecessary trips to the emergency department by sending some Medicaid patients letters encouraging them to find a primary care doctor or visit an urgent care clinic, and requiring them to visit a family doctor to get their prescriptions filled if they visit a third time. The project, launched a year ago, has been hailed as a success, reducing non-emergency hospital visits by 55 percent. ENVIRONMENT AND RECREATION ========================== Geocachers, people who have fun by locating hidden caches in urban and rural areas using their GPS devices, [ http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/14/1230434/geocachers-enlisted-in-no xious.html ] have been recruited by Ada County, Idaho, to track down containers that hold education materials on invasive plant species that threaten public health, crops, livestock, and land. The county s Weed, Pest and Mosquito Abatement Department hopes that the geocachers, who often travel through many different natural settings in search of caches, will be able to identify any invasive species they come across and report the coordinates to the department. JUVENILE JUSTICE ================ Based upon the Missouri model, which has helped that state maintain the lowest national rate of juvenile repeat offenders, Washington, D.C., has opened up the [ http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-05-18-offenders_N.htm ] New Beginnings Youth Development Center. The campus-like facility seeks to break the expensive and ineffective cycle of juvenile offense and incarceration by providing a structured program. Classrooms are equipped with new technology, behavior modification is emphasized and physical restraint is used sparingly, and group activities take up much of the youths time. One obstacle in the replication of the Missouri model has been convincing budget makers that cost savings down the line will pay back the high up-front costs of implementing the model. PUBLIC HEALTH ============= To help understand and prevent the incidences of substance abuse, Cambridge, Massachusetts, has [ http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/05/22/in_camb ridge_data_entry_work_can_help_save_lives/ ] enlisted its first responders to enter details about patients with drug problems into a city database originally created to track H1N1 cases. The database, which includes information such as age, overdose history, drug use history, and place where the patient was found, is used to alert officials to trends that can be analyzed when allocating law enforcement and treatment resources. Some of the data has shown that many overdoses come from visitors to Cambridge and that many involve mixing drugs like heroin with prescription medications. GOVERNANCE AND POLITICS ======================= This article examines San Francisco's government structure in which [ http://toledoblade.com/article/20100523/NEWS16/5230309 ] city and county functions are consolidated to more efficiently serve a large population. This is in contrast to counties where duplicative services are administered township by township. San Francisco s mayor has attributed the region s universal healthcare and successful welfare and preschool programs to the structure. Other leaders have hailed the arrangement as ensuring that the debt rating of the county remains strong by providing needed checks and balances on potentially spendthrift legislators, who can be recalled. COLLABORATION ============= The General Services Administration wants to [ http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/u-s-challenges-citizens-to-solve-it s-and-our-problems/ ] enlist citizens to help the government solve its problems. Under the online ChallengePost platform, agencies and the public will post problems, and the public can propose, discuss, and judge suggested solutions. Prizes, determined by individual agencies, will help incentivize public participation. First Lady Michelle Obama and the Agriculture Department are using ChallengePost's platform for the online nutrition campaign, Appsforhealthykids.com. SERVICE DELIVERY ================ In Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) is encouraging anglers to [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michiga n.gov%2Fsom%2F0%2C1607%2C7-192--238312--RSS%2C00.html ] purchase 24-hour fishing licenses through their smartphones. With Mobile Fish, a joint project of the DNRE and the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, anglers can quickly and conveniently start fishing without having to print any material or remember a confirmation number. On the water, conservation officers possess the technology to instantly check these electronic licenses. LEADERSHIP ========== Entrepreneurs that [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.informa tionweek.com%2Fnews%2Fgovernment%2Fleadership%2FshowArticle.jhtml%3Farticl eID%3D224700527 ] create groundbreaking ways to commercialize new technology may win a cool $1 million in the latest X-prize contest sponsored by the Obama administration. The i6 Challenge, from the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, will award prizes to six winners that have the most innovative ideas to market technologies. The contest is part of the administration s broader goal of moving ideas out of the research lab and into the marketplace to help advance the nation s competitive edge. Contestants have until July 15 to submit an application. ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================== LESSONS FROM THE GUSHER IN THE GULF =================================== As the damaged BP oil well continues to spew millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, Stephen Goldsmith examines [ http://www.governing.com/blogs/bfc/lessons-gusher-gulf.html ] four lessons that will challenge officials to rethink how risk is mitigated and regulated. D.C.'S INDEPENDENT CFO YIELDS (UNCOMFORTABLE) BENEFITS ====================================================== An [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.governi ng.com%2Fblogs%2Fbfc%2Fdc-independent-cfo-yields-uncomfortable-benefits.ht ml ] independent municipal CFO can be a strong protector of taxpayer interest. At the same time, they can also be a source of sand in the gears of government. CITIZENS DRIVE CHANGE ===================== [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.governi ng.com%2Fblogs%2Fbfc%2FTransformation-by-Popular-Demand.html ] Government transformation can only happen if there is a strong, constructive demand for change. STATES MOVE TO PRIVATIZE WORKERS' COMPENSATION PROGRAMS ======================================================= In a general streamlining trend, several states are moving to get government out of the [ http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/redir.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.governi ng.com%2Fblogs%2Fbfc%2Fstates-privatize-workers-compensation.html ] workers' compensation insurance business. Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer. NEWSLETTER INFORMATION ======================================== NOTE: The articles in this issue will remain active for approximately 90 days. You were emailed this "Innovators Insights" of the latest government innovations news because you are a registered user of Government Innovators Network who previously asked to receive it. Please feel free to forward this message to colleagues. To unsubscribe, first login to http://innovations.harvard.edu using your email address and password. Once you are logged in, choose "User profile" from the top right corner, then uncheck the box at the bottom labeled "Innovators Insights", and click the "Update Your Profile" button at the bottom of the page. About the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation The Roy and Lila Ash Institute 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 Institute fosters creative and effective government problem-solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. Asia Programs, a school-wide initiative integrating Asia-related activities, joined the Ash Institute in July 2008. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Institute. Additional information about the Ash Institute is available at http://www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu. For more information about the Government Innovators Network, please visit http://www.innovations.harvard.edu.
