Nation's Top 10 Innovative Government Programs Named

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WASHINGTON, 14 October 1999 — The nation's top 10 innovative government programs were named today, each winning $100,000 to promote the replication and expansion of their work. The programs range from a tribal government's efforts to rehabilitate spouse abusers to a nationwide network that uses the latest technology to identify and stop the source of food-borne illness. Here are the ten winning programs:

• Continuum of Care, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development—HUD gives communities incentives to collaborate in their efforts to help the homeless become self-sufficient.
• PulseNet, CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—New technology and a network of laboratories help to quickly identify and address sources of food-borne illness.
• Behavioral Health System, County and City of Philadelphia—County and city governments create seamless mental health and substance abuse services, drawing down Medicaid money.
• Cangleska, Inc., Oglala Sioux Tribe, Kyle, SD—Tribal government invokes native mores to rehabilitate spouse abusers and reintroduce them to the community.
• Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program, New York City—Dilapidated and abandoned city-owned housing is purchased, renovated and returned to the tax rolls with city-sponsored financing.
• Electronic Bond Bidding Initiative, Pittsburgh, PA – First-time sale of muni-bonds over the internet proves to increase competition, save money and open the process to women- and minority-owned businesses.
• Rehabilitation Subcode, State of New Jersey—Repair and renovation of existing inner-city buildings are accelerated with the development of special building codes.
• Texas School Performance Review, State of Texas—School performance is enhanced and costs are cut through this district-by-district audit of school practices.
• Toxics Use Reduction Program, Commonwealth of Massachusetts—Toxic waste is reduced and expensive clean-up is avoided through this public-private agreement that made prevention a priority.
• Wisconsin Works, State of Wisconsin – A fundamental change in the system and an exceptional array of services facilitate a transition to work more likely to result in long-term success.

Sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the Kennedy School of Government in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government, the awards are given each year to federal, state, local and tribal initiatives.

"These are only 10 of the many cutting-edge strategies that government employs to improve our daily lives," said Susan Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation. "As these programs are adopted elsewhere, our government continues to become more efficient and more competitive."

Today's selection caps a year-long assessment of 1,600 applicants with the winners graduating through academic, policy and site reviews. The selection of the winners follows presentations by 25 finalists before a prominent group of public policy experts and former government officials. Chaired by David Gergen, editor-at-large of U.S. News and World Report, the selection committee includes former members of Congress, former mayors, scholars and practitioners in public policy.

"This program gives us a refreshing look at the imagination and tenacity of public servants all over the country," said Gergen. "Once again, the Innovations in Government awards has recognized ten great models for the future."

More information on the Innovations in American Government Awards, including the application for the 2000 awards competition, is available at theInnovations in American Government Web siteor by calling 617/495-0558.

Eight "High Honors" Announced in Tribal Governance Awards Ceremony

On October 6, eight American Indian tribal government initiatives were honored in Palm Springs as part of the Honoring Contributions in the Governance of American Indian Nations (Honoring Nations) awards program. This is the inaugural year of the program, which is administered by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, housed at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Honoring Nations is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation. The 16 finalists were chosen by the program's 12-member advisory board, which includes leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

The eight "high honors" recipients are: the Navajo Nation (Window Rock, Ariz.), New and Old Law Together: The Judicial Philosophy of the Navajo Nation; the Nez Perce Tribe (Lapwai, Idaho), Idaho Gray Wolf Recovery Program; the Navajo Nation (Kayenta, Ariz.), Kayenta Township Commission Tax Initiative Economic Development; Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe (Onamia, Minn.), Ojibwe Language Program; Fond du Lac Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians (Cloquet, Minn.), Off-Reservation Indian Foster Care; Jicarilla Apache Tribe (Dulce, N.M.), Wildlife and Fisheries Management Program; Pueblo of Sandia (Bernalillo, N.M.), Water Quality Standards; and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (Gettysburg, S.D.), Pte Hca Ka, Inc.

The eight "high honors" recipients each received a $10,000 monetary award, to be used for sharing their success stories with other Indian nations.

For a list of the eight "honors" recipients and more information about Honoring Nations, contact: Andrew Lee, Executive Director for Programs (617) 496-6632, or e-mail:Andrew_Lee@ksg.harvard.edu. Applications for next year's awards program will be available in January 2000 on theHarvard Project on American Indian Economic Development Web site.

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

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