EfficientGovNow Blog

 Local government matters and deserves our attention.

That is why the backers of EfficientGovNow have retained Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Paynter to help explain to the region the role local government plays in the economic competitiveness. Learn more about Bob.

Bob will be writing stories over the next few months about important issues related to local government efficiency and the various government collaborations that are seeking grant dollars from EfficientGovNow. We hope Bob’s coverage will both enlighten you and motivate you to become more involved in advocating for more efficient, effective local government. Read Bob’s description of the task he is undertaking.

Bob’s work is being supported through a two-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. His coverage is just the first step in an innovative effort to engage residents to offer solutions to local government on how to be more efficient and effective. More information on this effort will be announced this spring and summer.

We hope you will help us share Bob’s stories with others in your community and spread the word that government collaboration is building throughout the region and as a result Northeast Ohio is strengthening its regional economic competitiveness.

Created by the Fund for Our Economic Future, EfficientGovNow is a competitive grant awards program that encourages and accelerates government collaboration and efficiency by providing rounds of funding to government collaboration projects as selected by  YOU, the residents of Northeast Ohio.

The first round of the program, held in early to mid 2009, attracted more than 255 local governmental entities from across the 16-county region to submit proposals to implement a wide array of collaborative projects. Collectively, the projects projected one-time savings of nearly $40 million and anticipated annual savings of more than $22 million. Equally exciting, nearly 13,500 citizens spoke out in support of the ideas.

In early December 2009, the Fund announced a second round EfficientGovNow. Northeast Ohioans – now is your chance to help get this round started.

1. Share your government collaboration and efficiency idea(s).

Comment on this blog post (and others) and tell us what idea(s) you have for how your local government can collaborate and become more efficient. For example, maybe you’ve thought about ways your local government could partner with another to work jointly on a program or project, thus freeing up dollars for opportunities such as fostering business creation or providing college scholarships. There’s no wrong answer – just keep it clean. Who knows, maybe your response will make into the news. So comment with your idea(s) or send us an e-mail at efficientgovnow@futurefundneo.org.

2. Write to a government official, encouraging participation in EfficientGovNow.

Don’t just share your idea(s) with us – encourage your elected official to take action! We’ve created a sample letter for you. Customize and deliver it by e-mail, fax or snail mail. Whatever you do, send it to your government officials soon, as the deadline for officials to tell us of their intent to submit a proposal is February 26, 2010.

3. Share the news with a friend.

Following the announcement of the second round, the editors of the Akron Beacon Journal wrote an editorial endorsing EfficientGovNow. We’re excited to see media speaking up again so quickly. Help spread the word by forwarding the story, or any of our other news coverage, to a friend.

4. Follow EfficientGovNow on Twitter.

We’re social. Tweet your ideas @EfficientGovNow and we’ll not only retweet it, we’ll share your ideas/support to the applicable government officials.

5. Write a letter to the editor.

During the first round, The News-Herald published a letter to the editor supporting EfficientGovNow from the Willowick Planning Commission’s chairman, who asserted that government, just as any business, should continuously strive for improvement and efficiency gains. Send a letter to your local editor with your ideas and/or support.

6. Become a fan of EfficientGovNow on Facebook.

Our fan page will deliver EfficientGovNow updates, opportunities and news straight to your Facebook live news feed.

7. Follow our feeds.

Subscribe to the feeds that meet your interests. EfficientGovNow offers RSS feeds for its news, press releases and blog. Additionally, feeds from the Fund for Our Economic Future and Advance Northeast Ohio may be of interest to you.

8. After February 26, check out the new  EfficientGovNow projects.

In late February, we will be posting abstracts of the collaboration and efficiency projects submitted by Northeast Ohio’s government officials. Visit www.efficientgovnow.org to see who is participating and what ideas elected officials have for making government more efficient through collaboration. Post a comment on the idea(s), let them know what you think.

9. Comment on full project proposals submitted by teams of local government leaders.

Find out all of the details of the ideas submitted to EfficientGovNow after April 19, 2010, when the full project proposals will be posted on www.efficientgovnow.org for public review and comment.

10. Mark your calendar to vote for the best proposals.

The residents of Northeast Ohio will ultimately select which of the collaboration projects will receive funding. Visit www.efficientgovnow.org sometime May 1 – 31 to cast your vote for the best.

The Fund for Our Economic Future is pleased to announce that it will host the second round of the EfficientGovNow competition in 2010. Fund members approved the second round at its quarterly meeting earlier today. Read more in the news release.

Government officials, the public and the media encouraged the Fund to do the competition again. We expect to attract even more government collaboration proposals, and we anticipate that even more of the region’s residents will want a say in which proposals deserve the Fund’s grant money.

In July, 2009, more than 13,000 residents voted to decide which three proposals deserved the grant dollars from the first iteration of the competition. See the results of the inaugural run of EfficientGovNow.

One change that has been made for the second round of EfficientGovNow is that the Fund has reserved the option to award a fourth grant to a deserving collaboration that doesn’t garner enough votes to land in the top three.

Government officials and residents in smaller communities shared with us their concern that as more residents vote in EfficientGovNow it becomes harder for them to compete for votes with larger communities. The Fund wants to encourage government collaboration across all communities in the 16 counties of Northeast Ohio – large and small. We hope that the prospect of winning an additional grant encourages an increased number of smaller communities to participate in EfficientGovNow.

Governments will be able to download the RFP package for the competition on January 6, 2010. And the public will vote in May to determine the grant recipients. The recipients will be announced in June.

Government collaboration and efficiency can help bring about a stronger economy for Northeast Ohio. Read more in Fund President Brad Whitehead’s op-ed in the 12/4 Akron Beacon Journal.
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Akron Beacon Journal
Op-Ed by Brad Whitehead, president of the Fund for Our Economic Future
http://www.ohio.com/editorial/commentary/78497527.html

 

When labor leader Samuel Gompers was asked what labor wanted, he famously answered, ”More.” When we asked local government leaders and more than 1,000 area residents what they wanted from EfficientGovNow, the answer was the same as Gompers, ”More.”

The Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaboration of philanthropies working to strengthen the region’s economic competitiveness, introduced EfficientGovNow earlier this year to encourage greater government collaborations and engage the public to advocate for change.

We invited local governments to submit proposals to strengthen economic competitiveness through collaboration. We then invited the general public to select which proposals received funding through electronic and mail-in ballots. The fund offered a total of 300,000 philanthropic dollars to fuel as many as three projects.

We were overwhelmed by what happened next: More than 255 local governmental entities submitted proposals to implement a wide array of collaborative projects. Collectively, the projects projected one-time savings of nearly $40 million and anticipated annual savings of more than $22 million. Equally exciting, nearly 15,000 citizens cast votes for change.

The message? Opportunity is everywhere — the payoff is big — and the public wants action.

Plans included shared information systems, combined fire dispatch, joint maintenance depots for public vehicles, economic development zones, and more — not especially glamorous, but just the kind of value that pays for more education, improved services, lower taxes and other moves to make our region more competitive.

The first EfficientGovNow program answered the question of whether opportunities exist to create economic value through government collaboration. Even so, plenty of hard work lies ahead. Further developing, let alone sustaining long-term government efficiency in Northeast Ohio, will require the commitment of many.

In September, the fund began exploring running a second round of the program. We are working with the Kent State University Center for Public Administration and Public Policy to evaluate EfficientGovNow to learn lessons and gather input from participants. We intend to apply these learnings to further initiatives in government collaboration and efficiency.

We recently surveyed Northeast Ohio government officials about the current standing of the projects they submitted to EfficientGovNow, and what they would like to see in a potential second round of the program.

Of the 54 participants:

• 64 percent are moving forward with the projects they submitted to EfficientGovNow.
• Of the 36 respondents whose projects are not moving forward, 75 percent noted a lack of funding as the primary reason.
• 52 percent noted a lack of outside funding is slowing progress of the projects that are currently moving forward.
• 40 percent said the projects they proposed to EfficientGovNow have already yielded benefits to their communities.
• 88 percent want residents to stay aware of and encourage government collaboration efforts.

As fund members evaluate the opportunities, we can be confident that our local governments have the ideas and desire to work together, and that a public voice in the matter will remain.

Want us to do it again? Let us know and give us your ideas for how to run the program at www.efficientgovnow.org.

We’re committed to getting it right. How about you?

The EfficientGovNow award-winning Rollin’ on the River: Mahoning River Corridor Redevelopment Project is making progress toward developing an interactive web site that markets locations available for economic development in the river corridor.

The communities involved in this project, including Lowellville, Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Girard, McDonald, Niles, Warren and Newton Falls, hope to enhance the corridor’s economic competitiveness through the new web site, which will include information on Brownfield sites available for development. The web site will provide comprehensive and interactive site maps/photos and updated information on site characteristics, ownership, zoning, utilities, property taxes, permitting procedures, financial assistance tools, marketing demographics and points of contact. In effect, it will be a one-stop shop for marketing properties in the corridor communities.

On November 4, the City of Youngstown submitted a feasibility report on the initiative to the Ohio Department of Development. The report identifies and profiles sixteen Brownfield project sites involving more than 800 acres for potential economic, recreational and/or environmental enhancement. Also, it identifies eleven infrastructure projects related to those sites, as well as eight environmental/preservation enhancement areas and twelve recreational enhancement projects.

The full feasibility report and various site maps and land use plans can be viewed here.

With the $57,451 EfficientGovNow grant the project has received, hardware and software to design and implement the interactive Rollin’ on the River web site has been ordered and properties and buildings are being identified to be marketed. In addition to those identified in the feasibility report, those behind the Rollin’ on the River: Mahoning River Corridor Redevelopment Project will be working with the Mahoning River Corridor Mayors’ Association to identify and profile other property and building in the corridor communities for inclusion on the site.

For all those who participated in EfficientGovNow, it is exciting to see a winning government collaboration, chosen by the citizens of Northeast Ohio, become a reality. We look forward to more collaborations like this becoming a reality as we near a second round of EfficientGovNow in early 2010.

One of the goals of EfficientGovNow was to develop and discover new ways for governments to collaborate, work more efficiently and cut costs. Although the inaugural run of EfficientGovNow is over (with plans to continue in 2010), the financial problems facing governments continue.

To help generate more ideas and encourage local governments to learn how to more efficiently deal with financial troubles, the Center for Public Administration and Public Policy will be hosting an informal discussion on Thursday, September 24, 2009, at the Kent State University Moulton Hall Ballroom. This will be a great event, and possibly a good way to get government entities thinking about how they can collaborate in the next phase of EfficientGovNow.

Speakers include:

• How Technology Can Help You Save Money
  Brian Kelley, Chief Information Officer of Portage County
• How Elected Officials Can Encourage Civic Dialogue
  Chester Bowling, Ohio State University Extension Community Development
• Management Perspectives on Cost Saving Measures
  Gale Gault, Gale G. Gault and Associates, LLC
• Examples of Intergovernmental Collaborations in Ohio
  Tom Pascarella, Director of Administration, City of Tallmadge

The event will be held from 3-5 p.m. To RSVP, contact Kerry Macomber at kmacomb1@kent.edu or 330-672-7148. A $15 contribution per organization is requested.

What’s next for EfficientGovNow?

A lot of you have asked that question since July and the answer is getting a little clearer after members of the Fund for Our Economic Future met yesterday at Oberlin College.

This was our first Fund meeting since the conclusion of the first EfficientGovNow competition in August. And Fund members were thrilled with the outcomes of the inaugural ANEO Choice Awards that were announced last month. Many of you have encouraged the Fund to do the competition again, and it looks like we’ll be doing just that.

No formal vote was taken by the Fund yesterday because there hasn’t yet been time for the Fund to follow its normal grantmaking process to approve a Round 2 of EfficientGovNow. But the members directed staff and the Fund’s Government Action Team to begin planning the next round. The Fund expects to vote on a Round 2 program in December.

Later this month, voters in EfficientGovNow will receive an e-mail survey asking for their input in helping the Fund design Round 2. We look forward to your ideas on how we can improve this program. When the survey is ready, we’ll highlight it here, as well.

After 31 days of voting and strong “get-out-the-vote” campaigns by the nine finalists, the residents of Northeast Ohio have made their choice and determined the three EfficientGovNow collaboration projects that will receive grants from the Fund for Our Economic Future. 

A total of 13,483 qualified votes were cast during July.  Individuals could vote for up to three projects, with point values assigned for each first, second and third place vote. 

The final results are:

The top three will receive a grant for up to the amount requested in their EfficientGovNow application. The grants will be distributed in stages as each of the three projects achieve specific milestones.

“The response to EfficientGovNow by both local governments and the public demonstrates the region’s support for greater government collaboration and efficiency,” said Dave Abbott, chairman of the Fund for Our Economic Future. “The variety of projects and the public’s enthusiasm shows that opportunities for collaboration and efficiency are everywhere.  The people of Northeast Ohio want to see these collaborations take place and recognize they can make a difference by coming together and supporting change.  They understand that increasing government collaboration and efficiency is important to strengthening our region’s economic competitiveness.”

One of the most encouraging aspects of the EfficientGovNow program has been the way communities, cities and counties rallied to support the various proposals.  “We saw fantastic grass roots campaigns to get out the vote by all of the finalists,” said Abbott. “From canvassers at community events to e-mail outreach and social media campaigns, the finalists used their proposals as a unifying force for residents and our region.”

Fund President Brad Whitehead said that while funding can only be provided to three projects at this time, every one of the groups that submitted an EfficientGovNow proposal is an important initiative that should be pursued.  “We will reach out to the other finalists to find out how we might be able to help move their projects forward.  Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration & Public Policy will be following up with all of the applicants and the Fund will report on their progress to the public,” said Whitehead.

“We hope that through the response to EfficientGovNow, the momentum is in place to further accelerate government collaboration and efficiency efforts throughout the region,” he said.  “The public is excited about these initiatives and with increased awareness comes the expectation that more collaborations will take place.”  He encourages residents to follow the progress of the EfficientGovNow recipients on the program’s Web site, www.EfficientGovNow.org.

The Fund for Our Economic Future launched EfficientGovNow to bring greater attention to and engage the public on the issue of government collaboration and efficiency, reward efficient government and celebrate the public officials who are collaborating to increase the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio. 

EfficientGovNow by the Numbers:

·    65 abstracts submitted (goal of 15)

·    294 unique governmental entities partnering

·    14 of 16 counties represented

·    45 partnerships invited to submit full proposal

·    39 proposals met full EfficientGovNow criteria

·    9 finalists selected

·    13,483 qualified votes accepted

The Fund also engaged partners at colleges and universities across the region to provide guidance and assistance to the governmental entities submitting proposals.  Kent State University is serving as the fiscal sponsor for the program.  Working on EfficientGovNow are representatives from Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration & Public Policy, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University’s Center for Leadership Development, Lorain County Community College Public Service Institute and Oberlin College. 

In addition to the qualified votes cast, 2,058 incomplete ballots were submitted and not counted.

ABOUT THE FUND FOR OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE
The Fund for Our Economic Future (www.futurefundneo.org) is a collaboration of more than 100 foundations, organizations and philanthropists from across Northeast Ohio that strengthens the region’s economic competitiveness through grantmaking, public engagement and research. The Fund works with its partners to implement and support regional initiatives that address the priorities of Advance Northeast Ohio (www.advancenortheastohio.org), the region’s economic action plan.

Last winter when the Fund for Our Economic Future was shaping the EfficientGovNow program, we spent a lot of time discussing that while the government collaboration projects would be important, what we also were hoping to see a change in the culture of government in Northeast Ohio. Too often our local governments are at odds with each other rather than partners in progress.

As we get ready to announce at 11 a.m. the three projects that will receive grant money from the Fund, this is a good time to take a look at how we did on that second goal. Here’s what Tony Paglia, vice president of government affairs for the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, told us recently about the effect EfficientGovNow has had the communities in the Mahoning Valley:

Win or lose we did our best and showed the rest of Northeast Ohio that the Valley is organized, focused and working as one. The “collaboration” and unified efforts were incredible. Thanks for putting this all together. It has helped to move our area in the right direction. We’re a more united Valley than we’ve ever been before and this collaboration experience will affect the region for a long time to come.

We’ve heard similar comments from across the region. I believe EfficientGovNow has helped the region take another step in its progress toward a more vibrant economic future. And I look forward to continuing to work with Tony and others across the region to encourage more government collaboration and efficiency.

13,600 ballots cast; Opportunity for Northeast Ohioans to vote for EfficientGovNow finalists ends July 31

The EfficientGovNow leader board continues to change as tomorrow’s midnight voting deadline looms.

The Westshore Regional Fire District Project has moved into to the first place ranking by a slim margin, followed by two strongly supported Mahoning Valley projects.

More than 13,600 Northeast Ohioans have cast ballots so far. And, as of the last count, only a few hundred votes separate the majority of finalists. That means the rankings are changing on an hourly, rather than daily, basis.

The current standings of the nine EfficientGovNow finalists are:

• Westshore Regional Fire District Project (Cuyahoga and Lorain counties)                 
• Mahoning River Corridor Web site: “Rollin’ on the River”                                   
• Mahoning / Youngstown Regional Information System (MYRIS)                         
• “Sustain a Greener Ohio” A collaboration to map the Storm Water Conveyance System in Stark County                                   
• Rittman and Orrville Schools Administrative Compact                            
• Master Plan for the Western Reserve Joint Economic Development Zone of the Cities of Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson and Stow                              
• Creating Efficiencies and Cost-Savings through Consolidation of Public Health Services in Summit County                                   
• City/Township/School District Fleet Management Collaboration Project (New Russia, Oberlin)                               
• Combined Dispatch to Use New Technology to Save Lives and Money (Ashland County)                            

The opportunity to cast an EfficientGovNow ballot ends at 11:59 p.m. on July 31.

Before the deadline, Northeast Ohioans looking to participate must:

• Vote at www.efficientgovnow.org/vote
• Postmark print ballots by July 31
• Call 877-771-5206

The top three vote-getters, which will be announced in early August, will share as much as $300,000 total in grant money from the Fund for Our Economic Future, which organized the program to promote government efficiency and collaboration. Details on the nine competing projects can be viewed at www.efficientgovnow.org.