Peace Corps....

Tuesday April 24

Today I attended a briefing on the Peace Corps on main campus. I had quite a few friends consider this and even go. One friend is currently living in Morocco. She is fifty two and has two full grown children. She is a nurse but spoke no French or Arabic when she left let alone any of the local dialects. This is an incredible leap and I frankly don’t know if I have what it takes to commit two years to the great unknown. Away from friends and family and all that I know.

Here is a brief from the website:  

Peace Corps service is a life-defining leadership experience. Since 1961, the Peace Corps has shared with the world America's most precious resource – its people. Volunteers serve in 75 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, South America, Europe, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East. Peace Corps Volunteers live, learn, and work with a community overseas for 27 months, providing technical assistance in six program areas: education, youth and community development, health, business and information and communications technology, agriculture, and environment.

Federal Government anyone?

Wednesday March 14

We had someone come speak to our class from the Presidential Management Fellowship Program. It seems like a really cool program and it has me seriously considering heading back east and back to the federal government. Really made me seriously consider it for a moment. Then I remember that ive done that stuff and I want to be in local government, Here is a brief on the program. Maybe one of you might want to chck it out…

In addition to salary and benefits, the PMF Program gives you a lot in return for your hard work. Your two-year appointment will provide a fast-paced opportunity to gain experience and develop your talents. You will be challenged with opportunities to flourish into a problem solver, strategic thinker and future leader. In addition to working at a single Federal agency, you may have the option to participate in a rotational opportunity at another agency. These rotational opportunities will challenge you even further and give you insight into how other areas of government operate.

While serving as a PMF, you will receive:

160 hours of formal classroom training (on leadership, management, policy and other topics)

Challenging work assignments

Feedback on your work

At least one 4 to 6 month developmental assignment

Potential for accelerated promotions

A certificate of completion, which permits immediate appointment to a position in the competitive or excepted service and carries prestige anywhere you go thereafter

Adios from the Edge of AZ

Sunday April 22

I went to the Mogollon Rim today. It was incredible that it could be so hot in the valley and yet so cool and pleasant up north. No real shock there but it was very refreshing to experience it. Id say this is a good place to end this journal or blog. Heading north through fountain hills and Payson up through the mountains until the cacti become pine trees and the air smelled like cold.  It apparently even snows here (!!). We parked and went for a run. At seven thousand feet it was tough and slow But at the end there was this…Arizona feels more and more like home. 

Private to Public Innovation

Friday April 20

The Center for American Progress has an interesting take on innovation. Its pretty common to suggest that government work like the private sector but less common to suggest this in terms of innovation. Check out what they have to say. Interesting stuff.

www.americanprogress.org

Set up dedicated teams responsible for promoting innovation

Private-sector firms often have a unit or team dedicated to research and development , strategy, or product development. The names of the teams and their precise functions will vary across firms, but they each have one thing in common. They are given the space to think creatively about ways to enhance the firm’s long-term prospects. Public-sector organizations should take similar approach by setting up dedicated teams with responsibility for ensuring that the organization is able to generate and evaluate potentially innovative ideas. 

Interviews

Thursday April 19

Yesterday we got to interview three city managers for our project. The mission of the project is to create a toolkit to encourage local governments to promote civic engagement through trust building and serving citizens. We interviewed a Colorado City Manager and a California Mayor in the first round and a city manager from Wisconsin in the second.

The interview questions are as follows:

1) In today's climate, why is it important to have an engaged community?

2) what role do you think local government should play to promote trust, value, and engagement?

3) in your experience, what do you believe are key elements to creating a culture that actively promotes trust, value, and engagement in your organization?

4) how do positive changes in community engagement come about? Specifically, what is the role of a manager in helping employees to embrace change?

5) how has your community changed as a result of your organizations work to promote trust, value, and engagement?

KCMO!

Tuesday April 17

The Alliance for Innovation is hosting their annual Transforming Local Government conference in Kansas City this week. “TLG attracts participation from local governments that are deliberately seeking new and innovative ways to connect people, information and ideas that support their efforts to be the best communities in which to live, work, and prosper. The TLG conference is recognized for its dynamic content that encourages freethinking and fosters unprecedented ideas.  The conference experience is designed to promote team building and a sense of camaraderie.” A tall order. I’m curious to see how this goes. 

CDC Study

Monday April 16

Ive been interested in this CDC study on autism that just came out. Specifically its on autism spectrum disorders. Find it here http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0329_autism_disorder.html. They are estimating that one in eighty-eight kids in the US is “on the spectrum”. The numbers have skyrocketed in minority communities and among boys. This makes me wonder if it’s a matter of more occurrences or just better detection.  It will be interesting to see what sorts of research and new information they come up with as a result of this.  This understanding research and studies ties in with the course work and the alliance stuff as it changes how we see our communities and how communities address the needs of their citizens.

Planning for TLG

Friday April 13

The 2012 annual Alliance for Innovation Transforming Local Government Conference is next week. Its co-hosted by the University of Kansas School of Public Administration, KACM, MCMA, and Kansas City Metro Area Governments. They combine TLG and the Annual Conferences for KACM and MCMA.

This allows participants to check out some of the Alliance’s case studies of innovation.  Conference attendees will examine the ingenuity and creativity of successful government programs. During provocative keynote sessions, attendees will “be inspired to tap into new energy and a sense of reinforced commitment to your work.”

Generating Great Ideas

Monday April 2

Ive been doing some research and wok on generating new ideas. One of these sources the Young Foundation has some great ideas on…generating great ideas. You can find them at www.youngfoundation.org. The piece I likes best was on How to Generate Great Ideas - Unleash the Creative of Agency Staff. Staff in government agencies has enormous potential to be creative, even if the prevailing culture doesn’t encourage it. Frontline workers in particular can have powerful insights on ways to improve the way things are done – but all too often agency leaders do not seek these insights, or if they do, little action follows. Finding ways to really listen to your staff, and encouraging them to generate ideas to improve the ways things are done, is an essential component of an innovation strategy. Here are some examples of organizations that have found ways to harness the talents of their staff. 

Texas Housing Codes

Wednesday March 28

Spent the afternoon researching a request from a city in Texas on single family housing inspections. The city is looking at municipal government inspection programs of single-family structures upon change in water utility and possibly other utilities (i.e.: electrical and gas).  They currently conducts systematic inspections of multi-family dwelling developments that are 5 years old and older with 5 or more dwelling units.  Could they expand inspections to single-family structures to further aide in the preservation of housing stock? They want to include the possibility of such a program in our budget preparation for FY 2012-13.

I found a series of resources on different code procedures across the county. Its all technical stuff but if anyones interested in building codes…

Berkley, CA – Code 12.48.070

http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Berkeley/cgi/NewSmartCompile.pl?code=Berkeley&ext=html&key=336&path=/ca/berkeley/html/Berkeley12/Berkeley1248/Berkeley1248.html

San Jose, CA - Concentrated Code Enforcement Program

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/services4.asp

Urbandale, IA –

http://www.urbandale.org/housing.cfm

American Society of Home Inspectors – this is just generally useful.

http://www.ashi.org/customers/faq.asp

Lancaster, PA – Rental single family units

http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/index.aspx?page=527

Pasadena, CA

http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/permitcenter/pdf/OIPApplication.pdf

Citizen Feedback

Tuesday March 27

Today we discussed the purpose of city governments further. We want to figure out how to help government leaders understand their strengths and share/communicatethose strengths. We’re thinking maybe a citizen academy or some kind, social media, intergovernmental affairs outreach, a distinct budget message. We also are looking at followup and reassessment.

Toolkit materials include checklists, webinars, interviews, case studies, community connection. What kind of rating system do you use to figure out size and cost? Attention grabbing communication is vital too (format, visuals)

Also, what to do with your citizens’ feedback? How do you go about digging yourself out of a public perception hole?

Staff Meeting time

Tuesday March 20

Another staff meeting today. The themes were branding, engagement, followup. We were mainly concerned with assessment of the public mood. What role does government play for its citizens. Is it an emissary for services? How does one communicate these services and what they want out of their government. Should we do a survey, a roundtable??

Ill be interested ot see what we come up with as we move forward.

Coming Home

Monday March 19

This weekend I went back to DC for the Marathon and to see some friends. It was very warm and the race itself SUCKED. It made Sedona look easy and that is saying something. I do love m city though and ive missed it more than I thought I would when I came out here in August. The marathon went all through the city and gave me a great view of all the neighborhoods and places ive been missing. The funky little buildings in every color and late night falafal spots, the neoclassical government buildings, and parks. The monuments and cherry blossoms. And despite the suck I got to see some wonderful friends, see little brother, and visit the sights– earliest spring yet – all in all a wonderful trip.

Day in the Life of a Park Ranger

Wednesday March 14

Today I found an article on an interesting program, “Town of Southern Pines, North Carolina Hosts a Day in the Life of a Park Ranger”. Here is a brief about this program.

“Ages 6-12 enjoyed a quick look at the life of a park ranger and learned the operations and tasks that a park ranger needs to know; behind-the-scenes work, leading and teaching groups about enviromental awareness, now they decide where to develop trails, awareness of the environmental responsibilities and challenges of the job.”

I also really like their mission:

“Southern Pines encourages citizen involvement in planning and guiding Town programs and services. In addition to regular Boards and Commissions, citizens participate in special committees, such as the one which guided the development of the Comprehensive Long-Range Plan.” For more information, please contact Sue Gillis at (910) 692-2463 or visit http://www.southernpines.net/Recreation/Programs.aspx

Shared Services

 Tuesday, March 13

Todays staff meeting covered a lot of interesting ground. The themes as my notes show it are trust, engagement, value. We are discussing our citizen toolkit. Asking ourselves why it is this important, what are some different approaches to this, and what are 5 to 7 best practice examples, interviews, and actual tools (checklists, videos, power points). We also discussed different products to distribute on the Alliance website. Products  like case studies on social entrepreneurship, job generation, *shared services.

Crime Prevention - Cost Benefit Analysis

Mon March 12

Today I did research for a city in Texas on a cost benefit analysis of crime prevention.

It was a data request more than an emerging practices request.  They were looking for number that supported the statement that crime prevention deters crime.  They wanted to say if we spend a% of our time doing crime prevention we will see a decrease in y%.  I found a couple of interesting sources but probably too many. Here is what I found.

British Journal of Criminology – pg. 351 burglary, pg. 353 graffiti

http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/3/345.full.pdf+html?sid=6e86c1b4-8947-4320-b0d5-1facbbc17d52

Urban Institute – pg. 70 murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary

http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_14/03-Roman_Cost.pdf

Other Resources and Strategies:

Crime and Delinquency – Community Activism

http://cad.sagepub.com/content/27/3/405.full.pdf+html

Urban Institute

http://www.urban.org/center/jpc/projects/Policing-and-Crime-Prevention.cfm

Chicago, IL – New Chief of Police strategy

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/04/meet-the-new-boss/8899/

Rutgers University

http://www.policy.rutgers.edu/IRCT/projects/crime.php

Toronto

http://www.ccsd.ca/cpsd/ccsd/policies_municipal.htm

Multiple Canadian Cities

http://www.sciencessociales.uottawa.ca/ipc/eng/programs.asp?topic=municipal

Austin Texas

Sunday Feb 19

Am heading back from Austin today. Got to do the Austin Half marathon and catch up with some friends. Annnnd I got to try a michelada. Delicioso! Austin is a really cool town. My second trip there but first trip in the winter. It is an incredible hip city with just the right combination of old and new, young and hip and established. My favorite thing is that it is clearly a fully functioning city that continues to be both efficient and business-centric while being funky and completely unique. It has a rich arts scene too and a great running community. And some great architecture. If it didn’t get so hot id definitely consider living there.  

On Saturday I did the innaugural Phoenix Half Marathon in Mesa. Its all downhill. Well almost all. I felt a little like my legs were going to fall off but it was good fun and super fast. Almost everyone in my running group placed in their age group or overall.

In general, I have always thought running was a good way to get to know a new place. Anyone who knows me is likely sick of hearing about running. But yeah, some of my favorite places are favorites because i saw them on foot. Sedona and Paris are the current favorites. DC is the home away from home but running to the red mountain on a cold morning comes close to all of these.

It is such a very cool way to see a city or town and to meet the people in that community. You very literally see where the roads are good or bad, where trees are needed, where snow is never shovelled, and what is where. You get to know the character of each neighborhood and as I like to run in the mornings, you see the real residents doing what they really do. What are the popular bus routes or metro stops? Where do people stop to get their coffee or dry cleaning? Do people here have kids and dogs? do they carpool? are they not doing much of anything in the am?? Are they blue collar or white? Sounds pretty yuppy but then i suppose DC really was and running is in general. You get the idea tho.

In this picture the Mayor if Mesa is giving us our plaques. I sort of wanted to nerd out and tell him about the urban management stuff i was studying. Once again, running is somehow city-centric. Who knew?

A Playground Anywhere

When we think about citizen engagement we don't usually think of it as "fun". I usually imagine angry citizens at a town hall or congress on your corner event. Or some of the wonderful people who thoug office sit ins were the best use of their tax dollars paying our salaries for jobs we couldn't do thanks to their "engagement". I digress. In Tampa, FL one group has come up with a fun way to engage citizens and join a community together. To me it underlines the point that community and involvement isn't just about expressing dissatisfaction, it's about enjoying ones place and neighbors. It's a short article. Enjoy! GOOD Maker Finalist: Swings Tampa Bay Puts a Whimsical Spin on Community Building GOOD | FEBRUARY 27, 2012 http://pulse.me/s/6nV5x

Comida

I am on the hunt for good Mexican food in the Phoenix area. I went to el barrio on 16th street over the weekend. A few people recommended this to me and while it was good it wasn't great. Excellent tequilas, decent food, terrible device. In a pla with so much Mexican heritage,where is all the good Mexican food?? Chicago and dc both trump what I've had out here. I suspect I'm missing the good stuff. Thoughts??

We have settled on a "class project" for our fellow group at the Alliance. And we had a very interesting discussion around it. We presented it as assisting cities with marketing themselves. The idea is to create a toolkit of resources that enable cities to tout their achievements with their constituencies. This launched a discussion about the difference between marketing and citizen engagement. To our grownup colleagues marketing is a rather nefarious thing. The idea that marketing is the selling of something false to an unsuspecting public. Whereas, they felt, citizen engagement was bringing people into something real and good. It was interesting because to us, "youngins", they are one in the same. Marketing or pr or whatever you call it is a necessary thing. It is not just important for governments to do a ing well but to tell the world that they doing it. To take credit for what they're doing well. In this media market that is a vital part of doing the job. Doing it publicly. Nothing negative about that but it was interesting to see the difference in perspective and the generational opinions on media and marketing. Food for thought.

Sedona 2012

Last week the "marvins" hit the road for the ACMA winter conference in Sedona. Just two hours north on route 17 Sedona is the coolest thing I've seen out here. Liked it so much I took my parents there this weekend. The painters lved it. Any who, every year the ACMA hosts two conferences. A summer in Tucson and a winter in Sedona. For those of you not familiar with the ACMA they describe themselves as... "The Arizona City/County Management Association was established in 1954. It is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge and ability of city, town, and county managers, as well as other local government administrators and to strengthen the quality of local government in the State of Arizona through professional management, education, training, and the mutual exchange of information. The ACMA cooperates with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, the International City/County Management Association, various public institutions of higher learning in Arizona, and other organizations dedicated to supporting and promoting local government management. The organization was incorporated in 1998. It currently has approximately 280 members and is staffed by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. The conferences bring together members for awards, new appointments, seminars on various relevant issues, and networking in general. As a newb to the field, chatting with city managers was very helpful. They seem like a fun and passionate group and I feel like I picked the right careeer.... Hmmm a bold assertion perhaps :-P Heres a sample of what the conference covered: Optional Activity: Chair Yoga with Helen Ernster 7:00am - 8:00am ICMA Practice Area: 18 Join us for an ACMA first – chair yoga! There are no yoga mats or special attire required for this session. This early-morning activity will teach you breathing and stretching exercises, balancing poses and relaxation, all from the comfort of your conference session chair. Stress relief, increased flexibility, coordination and focus are just a sampling of the benefits you will receive from this complimentary activity. Please indicate your interest to info@azmanagement.org. Breakfast Roundtable - Continuing Education Roundtable 8:00am - 9:00am ICMA Practice Area: 18 Continuing education helps public managers to be more effective in their current positions and to be better prepared for future roles with increasing responsibilities. Come learn about educational opportunities available to members and associate members, including the ICMA Credentialed Manager, the ICMA Emerging Leaders, and the ASU Certified Public Manager programs. Program administrators will answer questions about the logistics of the programs while ACMA members will discuss how participating in the program has helped in their careers. Communicating Effectively with your Council 9:00am - 10:30am ICMA Practice Areas: 2, 8, 14, 17 All of us strive to enhance positive working relationships with our councils. Working towards successful council- staff communication is critical during these changing times. Some of the topics to be explored in this session include: communicating with council; coaching new council members, developing council strategic Initiatives; as well as guiding and informing council in the budget process. ICMA 2012 Update 10:45am - 11:50am As the cities, towns and counties in Arizona gear up to host the 98th Annual ICMA Conference from October 7-10, 2012, this session will provide members an update on plans for the conference, as well as information on how they may become involved in conference planning activities. Annual Business Meeting and Lunch 12:00pm - 1:15pm Nonfatal Attraction - Bringing Businesses to Arizona 1:30pm - 3:00pm ICMA Practice Areas: 3, 6, 13 This session will focus on strategies for recruiting and attracting new businesses to Arizona. An economic development professional will speak to us regarding recruitment from California. A local economic development director will discuss how their city has succeeded in recruiting firms to their city, and will have a major firm's site selector discuss why they chose to move to Arizona. Each presenter will also address the changing climate of economic development in Arizona, particularly in relation to how the changes at the Arizona Commerce Authority affect the way cities do economic development work. Ask the Experts Part IV: Crisis Management 3:15pm - 5:00pm ICMA Practice Areas: 1, 3, 4, 16 Crisis, emergency and disaster: these words make you think, "What would we do?" We will be talking to some of our experts about how to manage our cities, towns, and counties during a crisis. This will be a facilitated dialogue that provides an opportunity to ask questions and share your own experiences. Reception 6:00pm - 7:00pm Dinner and Recognition Banquet 7:00pm - 9:00pm

The beginning middle

My name is Emma and I moved to Arizona from Washington DC in August. The heat and details of the move took up a good deal of mental space for a while but now that im settled and into my second semester and second season i can reflect on my workplace.

I work, along with two others, as a management intern or fellow at the Alliance for Innovation. The Alliance is a think tank of sorts connecting "progressive governments and partners committed to transforming local government by accelerating the development and dissemination of innovations."

The group is based in downtown Phoenix and seeks to find and disseminate  innovative practices in local government. Their mission includes "promoting excellence in local government and build a community of practice in local government innovation."

I am looking forward to this next semester and the work ill be doing with the Alliance. The office is small and "nimble" and an excellent opportunity for researching best practices in local government and familiarizing myself with what is happening not just locally in Arizona but across the country.