The Fund for Our Economic Future has awarded funding to Kent State University to assist local governments in Northeast Ohio in working together more effectively. The funds will be used to carry out a new Call to Action program created by the Fund for Our Economic Future to foster more efficient and effective government collaboration in Northeast Ohio.
"Given the importance of local government to the region's economic well-being, the value of regional cooperation and public sentiment for greater government collaboration, the Call to Action program will provide governmental entities with resources to enhance their services and achieve efficiencies," says Dr. Patricia A. Book, university vice president for regional development.
The goal of the Call to Action government efficiency program is to demonstrate that local governments in Northeast Ohio can work together collaboratively to the benefit of the entire region. The Fund for Our Economic Future has asked that up to $300,000 in funding be provided to support promising collaborative initiatives in Northeast Ohio. The Call to Action program is also expected to yield innovative ideas that can be implemented by other government bodies throughout the region and the state.
The program also seeks to engage citizens in a regional dialogue about the collaborative efforts among local governments in northeast Ohio. Landau Communications, a Northeast Ohio public relations firm, has been hired to help foster citizen engagement by making them aware of the benefits of collaboration and by creating ways for citizens to assist in selecting proposals for funding.
Kent State's Center for Public Administration and Public Policy is providing technical assistance to support the effort and its work is being supplemented by other interested education partners. These partners include Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Oberlin College. The Call to Action program is complementing educational efforts currently being undertaken by the Kent State center, as well as other existing state and regional government collaboration initiatives.
"We are pleased to have an opportunity to work with the Fund for Our Economic Future to assist local governments in providing more efficient and effective services," says Dr. John Hoornbeek, director of the Kent State Center for Public Administration and Public Policy. "This project ties in well with our center's ongoing efforts to improve public sector performance both here in northeast Ohio and throughout the state."
The Fund for Our Economic Future is planning to release a request for proposals in March to solicit collaborative proposals from local governments in Northeast Ohio.