Yearly Archives: 2013

Hawaii Changes Probation Program – Saves Millions – Named One of the Best Innovations of the Year

Swift, certain, consistent and proportionate – that is the motto of the new probation program making waves in Hawaii. The program – called HOPE – has reduced recidivism by 51% and has been recognized by Harvard University’s Ash Center as one of the ‘Top 25 Innovations in Government.” (See the full list of the TopRead… Read more »

Flickr Face Lift Reminiscent of Facebook Layout, Takes a Run at Google

Did anyone else notice that Flickr’s redesign propelled it in the direction of looking exactly like Facebook would look if images were the only content type? I am not denying that Marissa Mayer has brought an incredible amount of fresh ideas and new strategies to reinvigorate Yahoo and at the very least to keep itRead… Read more »

Kittelson’s Corner: My Name Is….

ELGL meet Ben Kittelson, Portland State MPA student and new ELGL project assistant. Ben is part of ELGL’s continuing effort to offer real work experience for those considering a career in local government. We feel this is one of the most important contributions that ELGL can make to the future of government, and the opportunityRead… Read more »

Open Government – The Agenda and Document Management Connection

The topics of open government and transparency have dominated conversation at recent city and county meetings. Like most buzzwords, elected officials and policy thinkers talk about it, but county and city staffs have to figure out how to do it – all while performing the usual tasks of everyday government. One lucky break for theseRead… Read more »

Video–Veterans Help Restore Salmon Habitat

Return and Restore: Veterans Work to Restore Salmon Habitat is a new video that tells the story of Nate and Carolyn, two of the veterans that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has trained to monitor and restore habitat crucial for rebuilding threatened fish populations in Northern California. Many returning veterans have had a hardRead… Read more »

Time Is Money

Benjamin Franklin famously said that “time is money.” But does government know how to implement this maxim seriously? Now there is a new study that shows how they can do it! Last week, President Obama signed a memo directing agencies to modernize their construction permitting and review processes in order to: “advance the goal ofRead… Read more »

3 Ways to Make Compelling Maps

For centuries, civilization has focused on using maps as a form of communication. To lead you down a rabbit hole, I was curious on famous cartographers, and individuals who helped shape modern cartography. Thankfully, Wikipedia provided me with a great list of cartographers, and the work they have done to shape modern cartography. Yet, theRead… Read more »