KSG Partners with IBM To Encourage Creative Government; $100K To Be Awarded

The Kennedy School of Government’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation is teaming up with IBM to reward what they deem as the world’s most creative approach to the business of government with a prize of $100,000 next fall.

The “IBM Innovations Award in Transforming Government” program will identify government entities throughout the world endeavoring to improve the delivery of public services ranging from education and healthcare to national security.

“We’re looking for the big, profound transformative innovations that are redefining how government operates,” said Jonathan D. Breul, executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Even though the award is sponsored by IBM, the use of technology is not required for the prize. Still, technology is increasingly likely to play an important role in many innovations, said Steven J. Kelman, the Weatherhead professor of public management at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

“Almost any function of government potentially can be made more effective and or less expensive using technology,” Kelman said.

The program is similar to the Ash Institute’s Innovations in American Government Awards Program, now endowed by the Ford Foundation, because it aims to highlight governmental innovations so that they can be adopted by others.

But with its international focus and corporate sponsorship, the IBM-sponsored award remains distinct. Unlike the endowed American government award, it will have to be renewed on an annual basis for the time being, according to the award’s organizers.

The award’s international focus stemmed from lessons learned in the American government award program, said Jayne M. Iafrate, communications manager for the Ash Institute.

“Innovations are happening at all levels of government and we want to make sure that we cast the net as widely as possible,” Iafrate said.