LABORATORIES OF DEMOCRACY
CSG selects states' best innovations
State Government News
By Laurie Clewett
November/December 2002
Since 1975, The Council of State Governments has helped states serve their citizens by identifying the country's most innovative state government programs. Based on Louis Brandeis' belief that states are the leaders in government innovation, CSG's Innovations Awards Program recognizes the best, most effective solutions to help states do their jobs. Although states don't have the budget surpluses they had in the 1990s, the tight economy has not kept them from pursuing creative approaches. Necessity is, after all, the mother of invention.
"At a time when states and territories are facing extremely difficult fiscal constraints, innovative ways to perform state-government functions are even more critical," said Dan Sprague, CSG's executive director. "We were delighted with the number and quality of programs submitted this year," he added.
Over 150 programs representing seven categories applied for this year's competition. The categories included Communications and Technology, Infrastructure and Economic Development, Government Operations, Health and Human Services, Human Resources/Education, Natural Resources, and Public Safety/Corrections.
After CSG policy staff reviewed the applications, 45 semifinalists were forwarded to four regional selection committees. From the semifinalists, panels of state officials chose two winners and an alternate to represent their regions. CSG's Innovations Awards Program is the only one in the country that uses state officials to select the winners.
The judges weighed five factors in their decisions: creativity, effectiveness, significance, applicability, and transferability. From the pool of applicants, they chose the most innovative, effective programs that address significant problems faced by many states. In addition, winners provided cost-effective models that other states can replicate relatively easily.
"In a real sense, everyone wins when states vigorously pursue better, more cost-effective ways to provide services to citizens," Sprague said. "In this competitive environment, we want to add a special note of congratulations to the eight winners selected by panels of state officials in our four CSG regions."
CSG is proud to announce the 2002 Innovations Awards Winners from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, and Washington. The finalists will be recognized in December at CSG's Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum in Richmond, Virginia.
Congratulations also to the alternate winners from Pennsylvania, Florida, Kansas, and Utah, as well as to all of this year's applicants, which demonstrated that states truly are laboratories of democracy when it comes to government innovation!
