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Growth and taxes: Can Alaska's local option sales tax system prove a model for Montana?

Lewis Kendall

June 17, 2018 |

Bozeman Daily Chronicle |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Juneau, Alaska

In Alaska, there is no statewide sales tax. Instead, individual municipalities vote on and control their own levies. In the capital city of Juneau, sales tax revenue covers about half of the city’s annual budget with more than 17 percent coming from the pockets of tourists. This system could make sense for Montana as well.

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'The Daddy quota': how Quebec got men to take parental leave

Mireille Silcoff

June 15, 2018 |

The Guardian |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Quebec

Influenced by Scandavian countries, the province of Quebec created its own paid paternity leave program, which offers 70-75% paid leave. The program is aimed at dad’s, who have traditionally faced stigma and judgement for accepting paternity leave. Quebec offers “five weeks of “use-it-or-lose-it” benefits, for fathers and non-biological mothers in lesbian couples.” The program has been an instant hit: “Over 80% of Quebec fathers take their paternity leave.”

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Latin America is fighting corruption by opening up government data

Anoush Darabi

June 11, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Argentina, Buenos Aires

Reduce corruption by making public data accessible and transparent. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, information about public works projects is available online, so excess spending is hard to hide. Meanwhile in Brazil, an observatory analyzes government expenditures and investigates suspicious transactions. Credit card expenditure fell by 25 percent after the data was published.

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How Denmark lost its MindLab: the inside story

Jennifer Guay

June 05, 2018 |

Apolitical |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Denmark

Denmark’s MindLab pushed experimentation and innovation in government for more than 16 years, inspiring imitators around the world. Now shut down, the innovation lab fell victim to a swift shift in political priorities, say former directors. Digital transformation of the civil service is now the focus.

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It's time to step away from the shiny object

Sara Hudson

June 04, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Anchorage, Alaska

By focusing on redefining a problem and finding a human-centered solution, government agencies can make more sustainable change than by merely using a temporary technology fix. In Anchorage, civil servants used behavioral design to redesign a debt collection letter. Though not so glamorous, this solution saved the government money, increased the rate of people who pay debts on time, and pushed the government to reassess their processes to better serve residents.

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A Blueprint for Human-Centered Change

Zack Quaintance

June 01, 2018 |

Government Technology |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In Michigan, private design firm Civilla successfully pitched a human-centered redesign of the state's unwieldy and redundant public benefits form. By highlighting and emphasizing the experience that applicants had with the old firm, Civilla convinced the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to make a change, and the new form is now 22% more likely to be completed.

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Environmental impact bonds can help cities invest in green infrastructure

Laurie Mazur

May 25, 2018 |

Ensia |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

Environmental impact bonds (EIBs) are a relatively new form of financing that combine private investment with government funding in a “pay for success” model. They are different than municipal bonds in that they are intended as a more experimental approach: for instance, Washington, D.C. started using EIBs to test green infrastructure and evaluate the results. Though all current EIBs are too early-stage to show formal evaluations, they are helping promote sustainability initiatives in D.C., Baltimore, and Atlanta.

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London's Big Push for Better Design

Feargus O'Sullivan

May 23, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Public Practice is the name of a new London social enterprise that is placing top urban planners in local government authorities. The program aims to incorporate skilled urban planners in essential city tasks: building affordable housing, developing better infrastructure, and improving city spaces. Though only in its first year, the program hopes to continue to help “London build more inclusive spaces.”

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Games in government: How to get public servants excited about work

Jennifer Guay

May 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Games can help government employees feel more engaged in their work. The United Kingdom’s Department of Work and Pensions uses a game called Idea Street to encourage innovation, and the City of Louisville, Kentucky, awards digital badges for creativity and collaborations. Sustaining staff interest in games can be a challenge. It helps to have clear rules and to align games with the top motivations of employees.

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Cities are crowdfunding more. But is it fair to ask the people to pay?

Anoush Darabi

May 08, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Brighton and Hove

Governments in the United Kingdom, the United States, and elsewhere use crowdfunded donations to restore historic areas and fund new developments. The approach can build democratic participation and community cohesion while plugging budgetary holes from falling tax revenue.

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