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Innovations in American Government Award Program

23 FEDERAL PROGRAMS NAMED SEMIFINALISTS IN GOVERNMENT INNOVATIONS AWARDS PROGRAM

Innovations Awards recognize programs and policies that represent original and effective government efforts. Selected from a pool of 1,540 applicants, the semifinalists include programs to improve the quality of education, develop affordable housing, reduce crime, and preserve the environment.

The 1997 semifinalists include 23 federal, 23 state, 48 county, city and town programs, and 5 special governmental authorities.

"As the Innovations Awards competition enters its second decade, the challenge of providing value to citizens remains undiminished," said Professor Alan Altshuler, director of the Innovations program at the Kennedy School. "These semifinalists demonstrate that government can offer highly creative solutions to important public problems."

In late summer, the field of 99 semifinalists will be narrowed to 25 finalists. The National Selection Committee on Innovations in American Government, chaired by David R. Gergen, editor-at-large, U.S. News & World Report, will then select 10 winning programs, each of which will receive a $100,000 award from the Ford Foundation. The other finalists will each receive $20,000. The winners will be announced in October.

Since the Innovations program began in 1985, the Ford Foundation has made grants totaling $12 million to 105 winners and 75 finalists.

Four criteria are used to evaluate each application:

1. originality of the approach;
2. effectiveness in addressing important problems;
3. value ofservices to clients; and
4. the potential for replication in other jurisdictions.

Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government is a graduate school of public policy dedicated to preparing leaders for service in government and contributing to the solution of important public problems.

The Ford Foundation, established in 1936, is a private, nonprofit institution that serves as a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. A national and international philanthropy with assets of $8 billion, the Foundation has granted more than $8 billion to some 9,000 institutions and 100,000 individuals worldwide. The Foundation maintains headquarters in New York City and has offices in countries in Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and in Russia.

The Innovations in American Government program is on the world wide web at www.ksg.harvard.edu/innovations/ for more information on the program and the semifinalists.

A list of the federal semifinalists in the 1997 Innovations Awards program is attached.

Contact: Trudy Schafer
Innovations in American Government
617-496-6828
- or -
Kathy Mimberg
Manning, Selvage & Lee
202-467-3900

INNOVATIONS IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
FEDERAL SEMIFINALISTS 1997

Innovations in American Government
1997 Semifinalists

GIS Applications to Stormwater Programs Prince George's County, MD

Rebuilding America: Partnership for Investment U.S. Department of Transportation

Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS)
Agriculture Initiative
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Clean Break
State of Illinois

33/50 Program
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trinity River COMMON VISION Program
North Central Texas Council of Governments;

Evaluation of Land Value Study
U.S. Department of Defense

City Sustainability Project
City of Boulder, CO

Shop Smart: Save Resources
City and County of San Francisco, CA

AB 680 Program
State of California

Land Recycling Program
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Waste Disposal Reciprocal Services Agreement City of Phoenix, AZ

Incentives for Quality Train Procurement National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

Community Services

Leveraged Loan Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Mediation Services Program
Jefferson County, CO

Phalen Corridor Initiative
City of St. Paul, MN

Street Vendor Program
New York City, NY

NeighborWorks Full Cycle Lending
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation

Targeted Community Program
City of Wautoma

The Mayor's Housing Partnership
City of Macon, GA

Housing Receivership Program
City of Portland, OR

Community Development Quota Program
State of Alaska

Entrepreneurial Program
U.S. Department of Energy

Human Services

ConnectCare
State of Arkansas

Job Bank Program
City of Minneapolis, MN

The U. Plan: The Massachusetts College
SavingProgram
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

National Guard "Challenge" Program
U.S. Department of Defense

Knowledge Connections
Allegheny County, PA

Mayor's Community Schools Project
City of Buffalo, NY

Pathways to Teaching Program
State of Georgia

Rhode Island Hearing Assessment Program State of Rhode Island

Operation Protect
State of Louisiana

Communities and Schools for Career Success Commonwealth of Massachusetts

James A. Foshay Learning Center
Los Angeles Unified School District, CA

Voluntary Prekindergarten Program
State of Georgia

Safe Port
Key West Housing Authority, FL

School-to-Work Alliance, Inc.
Bend-LaPine School District, OR

Recreating Public Education for Results Commonwealth of Kentucky

MOMS and COPS
City of Aiken, SC

Private Industry Partnership
New York City, NY

Reform of the U.S. Drug Approval Process U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Drawing the Line
Montgomery County, MD

HOPE Program
State of Georgia

The Job Oasis Mobility Project
City of Chicago, IL

Middle College High School
New York City Public Schools, NY

First Source Employment
City of Berkeley, CA

Parkland Health & Hospital System's
Community Oriented Primary Care Program Dallas County Hospital District

Shipyard College
City of Philadelphia, PA

Management and Governance

Creative Health Care Cost Controls
City of Peoria, IL

Gallery 37
City of Chicago, IL

Miami International Airport Reinvention Lab Dade County and federal agencies

Non-Tax Revenue Optimization
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Trash Transformation
City of Kenosha, WI

Texas Performance Review
State of Texas

TeleFile
U.S. Department of the Treasury

Regulation By Negotiation And Consensus Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

USIS, Inc.: Privatization Project
Office of Personnel Management

Battle Creek Directions
City of Battle Creek, MI

FAA's Acquisition & Personnel Reform U.S. Department of Transportation

Milestone Payment System
State of Oklahoma

Office of the Inspector General
City of New York, NY

U.S. Business Advisor Internet WEB Site Small Business Administration

NASA Acquisition Internet Service
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Transforming Government with Quality Practices City of Oxnard, CA

Controlling Claim Costs with Imaging New York City, NY

City Management Academy
City of Sacramento, CA

Fast Lane
U.S. Department of Defense

Defense Information Infrastructure Common Operation Environment
U.S. Department of Defense

Arts in Education Spring Celebration Peoria County, IL

Office of Defense Operations
U.S. Department of Transportation

Protective Services

New Technology For Pedestrian Safety City of Santa Rosa, CA

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy City of Chicago, IL

Safer City Program
City of Redondo Beach, CA

First Offender Prostitution Program
City and County of San Francisco, CA

Children's Centers in New York State's Courts State of New York

Structured Sentencing
State of North Carolina

Secure Electronic Network for Travelers' Rapid Inspection
U.S. Department of Justice

Constituent Services Office
State of Missouri

Green Thumb Fire Prevention Survey Team U.S. Department of Labor

The Children's Museum, Seattle
Experimental Gallery Program
State of Washington

Juvenile Justice Integrated Treatment Network State of Colorado

Community Emergency Response Team
City of Daytona Beach Shores, FL

Disarming the Criminal
U.S. Department of the Treasury

State Court Interpreter Certification Consortium
States of Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, Washington

Project Insight
Yakima County, WA

Operation Cease Fire
City of Boston, MA

Social Services

Accessibility Data Management System U.S. Department of the Interior

Healthy Start
State of Hawaii

The Richmond Welfare to Work Initiative City of Richmond, VA

The Growing Experience
Los Angeles County, CA

Parent-Hiring Program
Chicago Public Schools, IL

Decategorized Human Service Delivery Program Tioga County, PA

The Preventive Service Initiative
City of Berkeley, CA

Mentoring Model: Changing Child Welfare State of Florida

Edwin Gould Academy: New Approach to Foster Care Ramapo Union Free School District, NY

Building Systems, Not Institutions
Fond du Lac County, WI

Office of the Public Advocate/C-PLAN Child Planning and Advocacy Now
New York City, NY

Grandparent Resource Center
New York City, NY

The Children's Fund Planning with Internet City and County of San Francisco, CA