The Ford Foundation gave away $1 million at the State Department last night.
Well, actually, it gave out ten plexiglass cubes. But these mementos, presented to the ten winners of the 1996 Innovations in American Government awards at a ceremony in the State Department's diplomatic reception rooms, will be followed by checks of $100,000 for each award winner.
The Innovations in American Government awards program, co-sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard university, recognizes federal, state and local government initiatives that apply creative solutions to pressing social and economic problems.
"For 10 years, the Innovations Awards have honored government at its best," said Susan V. Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation. "These examples of effective government have produced extraordinary results for Americans. They are helping to restore faith in government's ability to solve tough problems."
Vice President Gore, who arrived at the ceremony after dinner to present the awards, said that the program was, for reinventors, one of the most important events of the year.
Three federal initiatives survived the arduous selection process, in which 1,560 applicants were whittled down to 15 finalists and then evaluated by a national committee led by former Michigan governor William F. Milliken. The federal winners are:
- "Consolidated Planning/Community Connections," a Housing and Urban Development Department program that facilitates citizen participation in community development planning and replaces cumbersome reporting requirements.
- "No Sweat," a program developed by the Wage and Hour division of the Labor Department that works to prevent the exploitation of workers in the garment industry by enlisting the voluntary cooperation of industry leaders, maximizing enforcement efforts and raising public awareness.
- "Consequence Assessment Tools Set," a disaster damage prediction and mapping system created by personnel at the Federal Emergency Management Agency that speeds the delivery of emergency aid to areas devastated by disasters.
Last year was the first year that federal agencies were allowed to apply for Innovations awards. Six federal programs won awards in 1995. The Council for Excellence in Government, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, receives and administers Innovations award funds on behalf of the federal winners. Winners are instructed to spend at least 80 percent of their award money spreading the word about their achievements and encouraging other organizations to duplicate them.
For many at last night's ceremony, dinner was the second celebratory meal in the day. A few hours before the ceremony, the Innovations Awards winners were honored at a luncheon and panel discussion, moderated by NBC news correspondent Gwen Ifill, at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington.
Panelists included: Secretary of Labor Robert Reich; Barbara Roberts, former governor of Oregon; Stephen Goldsmith, mayor of Indianapolis; Howard Safir, commissioner of police for New York city; and Mildred Winter, executive director of the Parents as Teachers National Center.
While the Innovation Awards program celebrates new approaches to problems, the panelists found themselves discussing old issues, such as red tape, the perceived reluctance of the media to cover "good news" stories and public distrust of government.
"How do you go about reinventing, innovating, changing the way you do business if basically people don't trust government?" Iffel asked the panel.
"This nation was built on distrust of government," Secretary Reich responded. "When we have a national crisis-a recession or a war-we tend to trust government a bit more. But when we don't have a national crisis we tend to go back to our normal state -- distrust. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But distinguish that from the particular things that government does. When you talk about sweatshops, or pension protection, or you talk about health and safety on the job, people want government there. It's only when you talk about government in the abstract that then we go back to our normal state of distrust."
Applications are currently being accepted for the 1997 Innovations Awards. Forms can be downloaded from the Innovations web site or obtained by calling the program at 800-722-0074. The entry deadline is Jan. 8.
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