Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
Encyclopedia
The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, formerly known as the Ash Institute, was established in 2003 and is part of the Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
The Center’s mission is to advance public discussion and public policy research on key issues of democratic governance worldwide, as well as recognize and promote innovations in government that are improving the lives of citizens.
announced a $50 million endowment to Harvard Kennedy School. This endowment was the largest single endowment ever made by the Ford Foundation at that time. Susan Berresford
, then president of the Ford Foundation, explained that the endowment would enable much needed recognition of numerous innovative government programs in the United States
and worldwide.
The grant enabled Harvard Kennedy School to launch the Innovations in American Government Awards in 1985 which recognizes and supports state, local, tribal, and territorial government initiatives. Many past award winners have been replicated around the country including:
. Designed to enhance the Innovations in American Government Awards Program by emphasizing the connection between innovation and democratic governance, the gift created the Ash Center. Roy Ash
’s own experience in the public and private sector made him aptly positioned to set the vision for the new Ash Center. Ash served as a cabinet member
in two U.S. government administrations and is the founder of the modern Office of Management and Budget.
and Vietnam
, as well as other regions is also offered. Its Ford Foundation Mason Fellowship and Roy and Lila Ash Fellowship provides financial support to students studying at the Harvard Kennedy School.
The Program on Democratic Governance includes research on democratic participation, immigration
, and democracy
in the developed and developing world.
The Center now hosts the Seminar Series, bringing distinguished speakers to Harvard Kennedy School throughout the academic year to address critical challenges facing democratic governance. Its Democracy Fellowships program provides financial support for doctoral and postdoctoral students to pursue research related to democratic governance.
The permanently endowed Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia consisting of Asia Programs was established on January 1, 2010 through support from the Rajawali Foundation in Indonesia
. The new Institute is designed to bring together academics and practitioners from around the world to enhance research, teaching, and training on public policy
and governance issues of critical importance in Asia
. The gift also established the HKS Indonesia Program, which promotes research, education, and capacity building in support of democratic governance and institutional development in Indonesia
.
Both the Institute for Asia and the HKS Indonesia Program are housed within the Ash Center. Other Institute for Asia programs include its China Public Policy Program, Vietnam Program, and HKS Singapore Program. The Institute also supports Rajawali Fellows, a host of academics and public practitioners with independent research projects relevant to Asia
. Its annual China Goes Global Conference examines the impact of the internationalization of Chinese firms.
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
The Center’s mission is to advance public discussion and public policy research on key issues of democratic governance worldwide, as well as recognize and promote innovations in government that are improving the lives of citizens.
History
In April 2001, the Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
announced a $50 million endowment to Harvard Kennedy School. This endowment was the largest single endowment ever made by the Ford Foundation at that time. Susan Berresford
Susan Berresford
Susan Vail Berresford is an American foundation executive. She was the president of the Ford Foundation from 1996-2007. Since November 2008 she has worked as a philanthropy consultant out of the offices of The New York Community Trust....
, then president of the Ford Foundation, explained that the endowment would enable much needed recognition of numerous innovative government programs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and worldwide.
The grant enabled Harvard Kennedy School to launch the Innovations in American Government Awards in 1985 which recognizes and supports state, local, tribal, and territorial government initiatives. Many past award winners have been replicated around the country including:
- CitiStat: As a 2004 Innovations in American Government Award winner, CitiStat launched in 1999 as a tool for improving the performance of Baltimore’s city government practices. The tool has quickly become an industry standard for driving down costs and improving citizen engagement initiatives: more than 11 U.S. cities have adopted the CitiStat model including SomerStat of Somerville, MassachusettsSomerville, MassachusettsSomerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
; ProvStat of Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
; and PerformanceStat, Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. - Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative: Created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1995, the initiative has allocated more than $500 million to leverage a total of $9.6 billion in cleanup funds, resulting in the assessment of more than 10,000 sites and the comprehensive development of nearly 200 sites that were previously condemned and vacant due to dangerous contamination. The program was a 2000 Innovations in American Government Award winner.
- Competition and Costing: While Mayor of Indianapolis in the mid-1990s, Stephen GoldsmithStephen GoldsmithStephen "Steve" Goldsmith is the former mayor of Indianapolis and most recently served as the Deputy Mayor of New York City for Operations, stepping down effective August 4, 2011 after a domestic violence arrest. He is also the Daniel Paul Professor of Government at the John F...
spearheaded a program to privatize city services through managed competition, improving efficiencies and cutting unnecessary costs. “As a result of the recognition we received from the Innovations Award, we had more than 3,000 officials from around the country and beyond coming to see how we did it,” said Goldsmith. Mayor Goldsmith went on to serve as the director of the Innovations in Government Program, overseeing the Innovations Awards program. He is now deputy mayor of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Roy and Lila Ash
In 2003, Harvard Kennedy School received a substantial gift from benefactors Roy and Lila AshRoy Ash
Roy L. Ash was the co-founder and president of Litton Industries and director of the Office of Management and Budget during the administrations of U.S...
. Designed to enhance the Innovations in American Government Awards Program by emphasizing the connection between innovation and democratic governance, the gift created the Ash Center. Roy Ash
Roy Ash
Roy L. Ash was the co-founder and president of Litton Industries and director of the Office of Management and Budget during the administrations of U.S...
’s own experience in the public and private sector made him aptly positioned to set the vision for the new Ash Center. Ash served as a cabinet member
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
in two U.S. government administrations and is the founder of the modern Office of Management and Budget.
Endeavors
The Ash Center offers grant funding and internship opportunities for students in the Harvard community. Support for field research in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, as well as other regions is also offered. Its Ford Foundation Mason Fellowship and Roy and Lila Ash Fellowship provides financial support to students studying at the Harvard Kennedy School.
The Study of Democratic Governance
In November 2008, Harvard Kennedy School announced a new initiative with the Ford Foundation to link innovative governance to the world’s major social challenges.The Program on Democratic Governance includes research on democratic participation, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, and democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the developed and developing world.
The Center now hosts the Seminar Series, bringing distinguished speakers to Harvard Kennedy School throughout the academic year to address critical challenges facing democratic governance. Its Democracy Fellowships program provides financial support for doctoral and postdoctoral students to pursue research related to democratic governance.
Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia
Under the leadership of Ash Center Director Anthony Saich, Asia Programs, a school-wide initiative integrating Asia-related activities, joined the Ash Center in July 2008.The permanently endowed Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia consisting of Asia Programs was established on January 1, 2010 through support from the Rajawali Foundation in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The new Institute is designed to bring together academics and practitioners from around the world to enhance research, teaching, and training on public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
and governance issues of critical importance in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The gift also established the HKS Indonesia Program, which promotes research, education, and capacity building in support of democratic governance and institutional development in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Both the Institute for Asia and the HKS Indonesia Program are housed within the Ash Center. Other Institute for Asia programs include its China Public Policy Program, Vietnam Program, and HKS Singapore Program. The Institute also supports Rajawali Fellows, a host of academics and public practitioners with independent research projects relevant to Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Its annual China Goes Global Conference examines the impact of the internationalization of Chinese firms.