Communiqué - Harvard University

IN THIS ISSUE

Dean Ellwood Visits Asia

New Report Assesses Indonesia’sProspects for Success

Student Summer Fellowships

Senior Mayor Policy Advisors DiscussUrban Innovation Strategies

Bright Ideas Recognizes 173Noteworthy Government Programs

Improving Child Well-Being ForumConvenes City Policymakers

China Goes Global Conference

CommuniquéAsh Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation Fall 2010 Volume 7

Over the last ten years, Indonesia has trans-formed from an authoritarian state intothe world’s first majority-Muslim, multi-partydemocracy. The country’s successes andchallenges as a new democracy are thesubject of the Ash Center’s Rajawali Foun-dation Institute for Asia report, “FromReformasi to Institutional Transformation: AStrategic Assessment of Indonesia’sProspects for Growth, Equity, and Demo-cratic Governance.”

Peter Sondakh, founding donor of theRajawali Foundation Institute for Asia, com-missioned the report due to concerns thatIndonesia’s fledgling democracy might befaltering despite general praise of the coun-try’s steady progress. An HKS team led byProfessor Anthony Saich began to exploreIndonesia’s deeper problems of inadequateinfrastructure, inequality, and a stuntedeconomy. The findings of the report led tothe Rajawali Foundation establishing theHarvard Kennedy School Indonesia Programat the Ash Center in order to expand and

strengthen policy research and training inthe country.

“The achievements of Indonesia’s Refor-masi era (1998 to present) are important andlasting,” said Anthony Saich. “But the coun-try must undertake a substantive institutionaltransformation, and it must do so quicklyto make the most of globalization and avoidthe pitfalls of heavy dependence on naturalresources and low-wage manufacturing.”

The report begins with a description ofIndonesia’s current economic and socialconditions. Indonesia’s infrastructure ranks96 out of 133 countries.1 Only 55 percentof roads are paved, and the country stilllacks a cross-Java highway. Low capacityand frequent cargo delivery delays of thenation’s ports have forced many companiesto opt for more efficient neighboring Singa-porean ports for shipments.

The report’s authors argue that spendingon public health and academic achievementhas been similarly inadequate. “At 1.1 per-continued on page 15

An Island Nation with Poor PortsNew Ash Center Report Assesses Indonesia’s Prospects for Success

Dean Ellwood, Anthony Saich, Dean Firmanzah, Trias Kuncahyono, Fritz Simandjuntak, and Peter Sondakh

The Roy and Lila Ash Center for DemocraticGovernance and Innovation advances excel-lence and innovation in governance and pub-lic policy through research, education, andpublic discussion. Three major programs sup-port our mission: the Program on DemocraticGovernance; the Innovations in GovernmentProgram; and the Rajawali FoundationInstitute for Asia. The Ford Foundation is afounding donor of the Center.

the Red River region to introduce Ellwood tothe Vietnamese countryside. Ellwood con-cluded his trip with a visit to China, meetingin Beijing with key alumni and graduates ofthe New World Fellows Program, an execu-tive education and training program for thenext generation of prominent Chinese lead-ers. Ellwood also made additional trips tovisit Tsinghua University and the ChineseAcademy of Governance, where he receivedan honorary professorship. He ended with avisit to the Harvard China Center in Shang-hai where he broadcast a live video feed tothe conference on technology and gover-nance being held at HKS.

2 Communiqué Fall 2010

Dean Ellwood Visits East and Southeast Asia

In mid-September, Dean David Ellwoodwent on a tour of East and Southeast Asia,visiting benefactors and alumni in key pro-grams affiliated with the Ash Center. Ell-wood traveled to Singapore where hesigned a renewal of agreement formalizingfuture collaboration between the Lee KuanYew School of Public Policy and the HKSSingapore Program. He then traveled toIndonesia, where he delivered the publicaddress “Creating Jobs, Reducing Poverty,and Improving the Welfare of the People:Acting in Time on Hard Problems” at thePresidential Palace in Jakarta. Present atthis lecture were both Indonesian PresidentSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice Presi-dent Boediono along with cabinet ministers,heads of various state agencies and com-missions, and representatives from businessand academic communities. In his visit toVietnam, Ellwood met with the leadership ofthe Fulbright Economics Teaching Program(FETP), and saw firsthand how the work ofthis leading center of policy teaching andresearch is impacting public policy in Viet-nam. The Minister of Agriculture, a graduateof the FETP, personally conducted a tour of

In the News

HKS Singapore Program Joins the Ash Center

This summer, the HKSSingapore Program joinedthe Center. Housed withinthe Rajawali FoundationInstitute for Asia andchaired by Kenneth Win-ston, lecturer in ethics, theProgram promotes collab-

oration in research, education, and outreachbetween HKS and the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY)School of Public Policy at the National Uni-versity of Singapore. These activities includejoint research projects, case studies, facultyexchanges, policy conferences, and execu-tive education programs.

Ash Center Welcomes New HKS IndonesiaProgram Director

Elizabeth Osborn joined the Ash Center asthe new program director of the HKSIndonesia Program in July 2010. She hasworked in Indonesia for approximately halfof the last 17 years and is fluent in theIndonesian language. This experience willhelp her establish the critical linkagesbetween HKS and Indonesia needed to meetthe Program goals of improving research,teaching, and training on public policy andgovernance issues. Most recently, Osbornworked with the U.S. Agency for Internation-al Development (USAID), where shelaunched several new initiatives such as thebasic education governance project, AcehPolytechnic partnership, and a new suite ofprograms in higher education.

Dean Ellwood and Dean Kishore Mahbubani, LKY School

of Public Policy Dean Ellwood at the Fulbright School, Vietnam

Dean Ellwood and Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture

Cao Duc Phat

Peter Sondakh, Dean Ellwood, and Dean Firmanzah

in Indonesia

Saich at the From Reformasi to Institutional

Transformation Book Launch

www.ash.harvard.edu 3

On August 5–7, 2010, the Ash Center, theRockefeller Foundation, and ProfessorAnthony Williams hosted the fourth meetingof the Urban Policy Advisory Group (UPAG).Senior mayoral advisors representing 27of the group’s member cities participated ina thoughtful and candid dialogue centeredaround the transformative capabilitiesof networked governance in three distinctareas: leveraging higher education institu-tions in community development; the role ofphilanthropy in economic development;and labor partnerships for increased publicsector productivity.

The event also included a lunch Q + Asession with Laurel Blatchford, chief of staffto U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment Secretary (and former Innova-tions Award winner) Shaun Donovan.

The conference’s first panel, “AnchorInstitutions and Neighborhood and Work-force Development,” featured panelistsSUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Centerfor Community Partnerships Director IraHarkavy, and Johns Hopkins UniversitySpecial Advisor on Economic DevelopmentAndrew Frank. They discussed the impor-tance of higher education institutional lead-ership in order to establish deep and mean-ingful partnerships with city government.

Creating collaborative networks was alsothe subject of the second panel, “Philan-thropy and Economic Development.” Pan-

elists Teresa Lynch, director of research atthe Initiative for a Competitive Inner City,and Ronald Richard, president of the Cleve-land Foundation, discussed how city-foun-dation partnerships often require a shiftingperspective on how issues are presentedto potential funders. “Foundations are ‘pulloriented,’” said Lynch. “They like to hearideas, and if there is one that matches theirinterests, they will fund it.”

In the concluding panel, “OrganizedLabor and Municipal Budget Reform,” AndyStern of the Service Employees InternationalUnion, Linda Kaboolian of HKS, and MarciaCalicchia of Cornell University addressedparticipants’ frustration working with localpublic sector unions in the current fiscalclimate and the difficulty of creating effec-tive productivity agendas. Panelists encour-aged city representatives to adopt several

In the News

Senior Mayoral Policy Advisors from America’s Largest CitiesDrive Urban Innovation and Networked Governance

overarching best practices to more effec-tively work with unions.

UPAG was founded in 2007 by MayorStephen Goldsmith—now on leave fromHKS as New York City’s deputy mayor foroperations—to encourage the replication ofinnovative, high-impact policy ideas inour nation’s 35 largest urban centers. Partof the Project on Municipal Innovation,UPAG is a joint venture of Living Cities, theAsh Center, and the Rockefeller Foundation.In addition to in-person biannual meetings,the group convenes quarterly webinars andprovides technical assistance to cohortsof cities focused on specific policy areassuch as transit-oriented development andeconomic growth.

Duriya Farooqui, Atlanta Mayor’s Office

Laurel Blatchford, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and

Kirk Lewis, Detroit Mayor’s Office

Mayor Anthony Williams Mayor Stephen Goldsmith


In the News

On September 29, 2010, the Ash Center announced 173 govern-ment programs selected for its newly-created Bright Ideas program.In its inaugural year, Bright Ideas is designed to recognize andshare creative government initiatives around the country with inter-ested public sector, nonprofit, and academic communities.

Bright Ideas seeks to complement the long-standing Innovationsin American Government Awards Program by providing governmentagencies with a collection of new solutions that can be consideredand adopted today. This new program serves to recognize promis-ing government programs and partnerships that government offi-cials, public servants, and others might find useful when faced withtheir own challenges.

This year’s cohort of Bright Ideas was chosen by a team ofexpert evaluators made up of academics, practitioners, and formerpublic servants. Selected from a pool of nearly 600 applicantsincluding smaller-scale pilots, 2010 Bright Ideas address a range ofpressing issues including poverty reduction, environmental conser-vation, and emergency management.

“For over 20 years we have been honoring the country’s mostcreative public sector initiatives through our Innovations in Ameri-can Government Awards Program,” said Anthony Saich, director ofthe Ash Center. “The creation of Bright Ideas was a natural nextstep to shed light on an even greater number of noteworthy pro-grams and practices across our nation and to encourage practition-ers to make these ideas work in their own backyards.”

The 2010 Bright Ideas will be showcased on the Center’s Gov-ernment Innovators Network, an online marketplace of ideas andexamples of government innovation for policymakers and practi-tioners. The inaugural group of Bright Ideas will serve as a corner-stone of a new online community where innovative ideas areproposed, shared, and disseminated. The Ash Center also envisionsthat these Bright Ideas have the potential to become future Innova-tions in American Government winners. The Center will be accept-ing applications and recognizing more Bright Ideas on a rollingbasis throughout the year.

Bright Ideas is an initiative of the Ash Center’s Innovations inGovernment Program, which spotlights exemplary models of gov-ernment innovation and advances efforts to address the nation’smost pressing public concerns. Throughout its history, the Programhas generated a wealth of research based on award-winninggovernment innovations and the study of how innovation occurs.

3D-4D-BIM Program for the Public Sector Owner U.S. General ServicesAdministration

511 New York State of New YorkAdoption Home Recruitment State of AlabamaAdvantage Custom Search Engine U.S. General Services AdministrationAffordable Housing Initiative Cook County, ILAlliance for Homeownership Preservation St. Louis City, MOAlternative Diploma Program State of MarylandAspiring Scholars Matching Grant Program State of ArkansasAttorney Emeritus Program New York State Unified Court SystemAxcess Ontario Fiber Ring Initiative Ontario County, NYBeacon Hill Village City of BostonBehavioral Health’s Community Crisis Services San Bernardino County, CABuilding Everyone’s Skills for Tomorrow City of Fresno, CABuilding School Success One Relationship At A Time Sacramento City

Unified School District, CACapital Area Michigan Works! Employer Councils State of MichiganCapital Area Teen Court Wake County, NCCapital Improvement Projects Acceleration Program City of Sunnyvale, CACardiac Cath Lab Field Activation North Richland Hills, TXCareer Centers in Prison Initiative State of IowaChange Management/Internal Consulting Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaChauffer and Designated Driver Program Santa Fe County, NMChildren’s Crisis Intervention Training Bexar County, TXCivic Education Program State of OhioClaim It Texas State of TexasClear Alley Program City of Seattle, WAClear the Air Challenge Salt Lake City, UTCollaborative Delivery of Human Services City of Rockford, ILCommunities for a Lifetime State of FloridaConcrete Program City of Darien, ILConservation Landscape Initiative Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaConsortium of North East States and Tribes State of VermontCouncil for Unity Suffolk County, NYCreative Economy Tax Increment Financing City of Portland, MECredit for Success - Bank Consortium County of Ulster, NYCredits for Caring Scholarship Program Suffolk County, NY

Bright Ideas Recognizes Innovative GovernmentProgramsSelects 173 Noteworthy Government Programs

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BRIGHT IDEAS


In the News

Crime and Disorder at Motels City of Chula Vista, CACrutcho Park Acquisition Project Oklahoma County, OKCurley School Project Pima County, AZCut It Out Cambridge City of Cambridge, MACuyamaca Rancho State Park Reforestation: Carbon Financing State of

CaliforniaDebit Cards and ATMs for Community Custody Inmates State of NebraskaDeceased Veterans Document Historical Program Climax Township, MIDepartment of Motor Vehicles Outreach U.S. Department of Homeland

SecurityDevelopment Process Wizard City of Philadelphia, PADeweyless Libraries Maricopa County, AZDigital Inclusion Program City of Riverside, CADislocated Worker Tuition Waiver Program Allegheny County, PADowntown Improvement Program City of Bryan, TXDriver Empathy Office of the Chief District Court Judge for Orange and

Chatham Counties, NCEarnings from Energy Program Commonwealth of MassachusettsEgrants Comprehensive Grants Management System State of WisconsinElection Reporting System Maricopa County, AZElectronic Arrest Affidavit Pinellas County, FLElectronic Bench Warrants State of HawaiiElectronic Commercial Drivers License Testing State of West VirginiaElectronic Traffic Tickets State of IndianaElm Street Program Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaEnvironmental Justice Enforcement Initiative State of CaliforniaEstes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership Town of Estes Park, COFaith-Based Organization Disaster Initiative State of MissouriFamily Violence Reduction Project City of West Columbia, SCFathering Court Initiative District of ColumbiaFleet Share City of Houston, TXFlexible Rebate Incentive Program City of Boulder, COFluLine State of MinnesotaFocus Program State of MississippiForest Carbon Credit Program Rockland County, NYFreedom from Fire City of Philadelphia, PAFugitive Safe Surrender U.S. Department of Justice

Gateway Strategic Development Plan City of Mesa, AZGlobe Tool Lending Library City of Globe, AZGrandma Cop Child Safety Program City of Lincoln, CAGreen Energy through Landfill Waste City of Dallas, TXGreen Jobs Cabinet State of New MexicoGreen Partnership City of Seattle, WAGreenChill Partnership U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHealth Careers for Youth King County, WAHealth Information Exchange State of South CarolinaHealthy Howard Health Plan Howard County, MDHelping Every Living Person Curriculum State of WashingtonHiland Mountain Correctional Center Inmate String Orchestra State of

Alaskahomeworkalabama.org State of AlabamaIdea Factory U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityIDOT ARRA Quality Management System State of IllinoisImmigrant Resources Center City of Littleton, COIncubator Program City of San Jose, CAInner-City Residential Enterprise Zone City of Hopkinsville, KYInterdistrict Cooperative Grant Program State of ConnecticutInterim Cargo Solution U.S. Department of TransportationInvasive Species Threat Campaign U.S. Department of AgricultureJail Collaborative Allegheny County, PAJoint-Use Library City of Casa Grande, AZKitchen Fire Safety Orange County, FLLanguage Assessment and Training Program City of New York, NYLeaders in Export Trade Program Commonwealth of VirginiaLease Search State of AlabamaLegacy Project: Partnering for Our Sustainable Vision City of Burlington, VTLegislative Information Management System Web Portal Johnson County, KSLibrary Without Walls Orange County Library District, FLLife Sciences Initiative Commonwealth of MassachusettsLifecycle Building Challenge U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLiquor Compliancy Online State of Rhode IslandMake a Difference: Busting the Drought Walnut Valley School District, CAManor Labs City of Manor, TXMeet the Lender City of Austin, TX

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In the News

Military Welcome Home Initiative State of WisconsinModel Plan Review Program State of FloridaNASBLA BOAT Program United States Coast GuardNeighborhood Place Louisville Metro Government, KYNo Child Left Inside State of ConnecticutOffender Kiosks State of MissouriOffice of Financial Education Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaOlder Adult Injury Prevention Program City and County of Broomfield,

ColoradoOn the Fence City of Chattanooga, TNOn The Road Together: Safe Teen Driving Circles City of River Falls, WIOnline Voter Registration State of ArizonaParks Capital Grants Program City of San Jose, CAPerformance Institute City of Casa Grande, AZPermanency Roundtable State of GeorgiaPoet Laureate Initiative Erie County, PAPoint of Engagement Los Angeles County, CAPortland SmartTrips City of Portland, ORPorts Technology Advancement Program City of Los Angeles,CAPoverty Reduction Collaboratives State of ConnecticutProject Conserve City of Elk River, MNProtecting Citizens Personal Health Information State of WyomingProtocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health

State of FloridaPublic Sector Collaborative Training City of Englewood, COPublic Spaces Collaborative City of Philadelphia, PARailroad Flatcar Bridges Buchanan County, IAReal Connections State of Rhode IslandRedemption, Inc. City of New York, NYRegional Cluster Study Spurs Growth Polk County, FLRestorative Justice Community Action Minneapolis, MNSafe Needle Collection and Disposal Boone County, INSingle Side Trash Pick-Up City of Kokomo, INSpace of Her Own City of Alexandria, VASTAR-Laboratory Interactive Training Environment U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services

Start with a Story Project Alameda County, CAStep Up 2 Green Monterey County, CAStop, Drop, & Go TV Recycling City of Dallas, TXStrategic Investment Initiative City of Cleveland, OHStreetSafe Boston City of BostonSunWise Program U.S. Environmental Protection AgencySustainable Prisons Project State of WashingtonTeen Center Village of Niles, ILText to 9-1-1 Project Black Hawk County, IAThe Cotillion Program City of Newark, NJThe Learning Bridge Burlington County, NJThe Library Partnership Alachua County Library District, FLTown Helps Project Town of Prescott Valley, AZTraders to Teachers State of New JerseyTransformation Initiative State of OregonTransformative Response to High Fuel Costs Polk County, FLTribal Development Division Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, MNTrip Resource & Incentive Program City of Redmond, WATuition Guarantee Program State of MississippiUrban Fringe Development Area Plan Missoula County, MTURx Your Pharmacy Plan State of MontanaVegetable Oil Exchange Montgomery County, MDVirginia Interoperability Picture for Emergency Response

Commonwealth of VirginiaVirtual Parking Management State of CaliforniaVirtual Supermarket City of Baltimore, MDWarrior Adventure Quest U.S. Department of DefenseWaste Land to Sports Complex City of Oneida, TNWestside Subway Public Participation Program Los Angeles County, CAYouth Development Programs City of La Mirada, CAYouth Leadership Academy City of Asheville, NCYouth Services Center City and County of Honolulu, HIYouthful Offender Apprenticeship Training Program State of KansasYouth-Police Unity Project City of Rochester, NYZoning Hearings Automation Miami-Dade County, FloridaZotWheels Bikeshare University of California

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BRIGHT IDEAS


In the News

Held October 6–8, 2010, the fourth annualChina Goes Global conference broughttogether academics, business leaders, andpublic officials from around the world aspart of the Ash Center’s efforts to advanceanalytical research and the overall stateof knowledge about China’s growing role inthe world economy. During this year’sconference, over 100 academics convenedto present original research on a host ofissues including:• Social, political, and economic influences

of China’s globalization;• The effects of China’s globalization on

the business environment of firms indeveloped and emerging countries;

• The role of the U.S. and China as eco-nomic, political, and business leaders inthe 21st century;

• Factors associated with China’s emerg-ing global economic prowess; and

• Western political and economic modelsand theories that explain China’s currenttrajectory.

“The rise of China’s economy and theincreasing global reach of its companies aredrawing worldwide attention,” said AnthonySaich, director of the Ash Center. “China isnow a major economic actor and govern-ments, companies, and many academicsare looking to see how its policies willunfold and how they will affect the globaleconomic recovery. We were pleased toconvene such a prestigious group of schol-ars to discuss the implications of China’sgrowing profile on the world’s stage.”

China Goes Global was co-sponsored bythe Ash Center, Harvard Kennedy School;the Center for International Business Educa-tion and Research, Georgia Institute of Tech-nology; the Crummer Graduate School ofBusiness and Rollins China Center, RollinsCollege; and the University of Potsdam, Ger-many. The conference was part of a largerinitiative sponsored by the Alexander vonHumboldt Foundation to encourage multidis-ciplinary and transnational research on theChinese economy and its enterprises.

China Goes Global ConferenceExplores Social, Political, and Economic Implications of China’s Globalization

Marc Fetscherin with John R. McIntyre, Julian Chang, Christoph Lattemann, and Ilan Alon

Xiaohua Yang, University of San Francisco Paul Ross, Alcatel-Lucent

Tonia Warnecke of Rollins College speaks at China Goes Global conference

Event Snapshots


Examining China’s New Policy ClimateJuly 2010In recent months, Chinese economic planners have been engaged ina balancing act of deflating asset bubbles and controlling inflationwithout dampening growth excessively. In her presentation at the AshCenter in July, Jing Ulrich, J.P. Morgan’s managing director and chair-man of China Equities and Commodities, examined the implicationsof three key shifts that are occurring in the Chinese economy: theshift from an ultra-expansionary policy stance toward a tighteningbias; recent policy changes in the all-important property sector; andthe long-term shift from an investment-driven economy to one that ispropelled by private consumption. Ulrich was ranked one of FortuneMagazine’s 50 Most Powerful Global Businesswomen in 2009. Thisevent was co-sponsored by Harvard University Asia Center.

The Power of Social Innovation Webinar SeriesSummer 2010This summer, the Center’s Innovations in Government Programlaunched the Power of Social Innovation Webinar Series. Eachwebinar of the series featured an exclusive conversation, moderat-ed by Harvard faculty, with leading social innovators—a new breedof entrepreneurial reformers working to ignite policy change anddrive results in a range of areas including health care, education,and social services. The five webinars in this ongoing seriesexplored, for example, methods for overcoming the barriers inherentto designing and scaling innovation in social services. Each webinaralso highlighted practical strategies that public officials and othercivic leaders can employ to create an environment fertile for innova-tion in their communities. Recordings of this summer’s webinars areavailable on the Center’s Government Innovators Network(www.innovations.harvard.edu/xchat.html):• “Igniting Change in Juvenile Justice”• “The Mandate and Caution of Engaging the Government”• “The Role of Procurement in Social Innovation Funding”• “Engaging the Citizen as Co-Producer of Social Good”• “Mobilization and Member-Based Organizations for Social Change”

Vietnam Policy UpdateSeptember 2010The Vietnam Program engaged a select group of provincial andnational-level policymakers in policy dialogue through its VietnamPolicy Update (VPU) program held in partnership with the Lee KuanYew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.Vietnam faces a range of complex policy challenges in an interna-tional context fraught with uncertainty. Against this backdrop, Viet-namese policymakers are preparing the country’s developmentstrategy for the next ten years, which will be debated and adoptedat the Party Congress in 2011. Over three days, VPU engaged theparticipants in a structured discussion with leading Vietnamese andinternational experts on a range of issues related to Vietnam’ssocioeconomic development. Key topics included regional develop-ment strategies in an international context, geopolitical develop-

Jing Ulrich, J.P. Morgan

Social Innovation Webinar Series

Vietnam Policy Update Participants

Event Snapshots


ments in East and Southeast Asia, the regional and global econom-ic outlook, an analysis of Vietnam’s competitiveness and economy,and infrastructure challenges.

Democracy SeminarsFall 2010The Democracy Seminar Series brings distinguished speakers toHarvard Kennedy School for the academic year to address criticalchallenges facing democratic governance. During the fall semester,the Ash Center hosted seven seminars on issues related to demo-cratic participation and civic engagement; immigration in the U.S.;and democratic challenges in formerly authoritarian regimes. Semi-nars included:• “Moving Away from Liberal Democracy: Participation, Represen-

tation, & Political Experimentalism in Brazil,” Thamy Pogrebin-schi, State University of Rio de Janeiro

• “Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes After the ColdWar,” Lucan Way, University of Toronto

• “Rx Democracy: Innovations at the Intersection of Health Care,Democracy, and Civic Engagement,” Rishi Manchanda, MDMPH, Rx Democracy

• “Immigrant Inclusion: Governance Dilemmas Then, Now, and inthe Next Two Decades,” Demetrios Papademetriou, MigrationPolicy Institute

• “The Korean State: How South Korea Lifted Itself Out of Povertyand Dictatorship to Affluence and Democracy,” Stein Ringen,University of Oxford

• “Immigration and Democracy, from Know-Nothings to KoranBurning: Facing the Challenge of Demographic Change,” Jack A.Goldstone, George Mason University

• “The Cracked Bell: America and the Afflictions of Liberty,”Tristram Riley-Smith

Archon Fung and Rishi Manchanda

Thamy Pogrebinschi

Tarek Masoud and Lucan Way

Demetrios Papademetriou


In the News

One in six children is now raised in poverty—a rate that the Annie E. Casey Foundationreports has increased by over one millionsince 2000, an 18 percent rise. Experts esti-mate that over 40 percent of children in theUnited States are now born into single-par-ent households. Before the age of eight,those children will witness their mothers inat least three separate relationships andtheir fathers in five.

“America’s families are really in crisisnow,” said Julie Wilson, director of the Mal-colm Wiener Center for Social Policy,speaking to city policymakers and welfareagents at the Improving Child Well-BeingForum: What Cities Can Do event. “And it iswithin this environment that we are countingon you to innovate in our cities.”

The Improving Child Well-Being Forumwas held on August 5, 2010, and convenedover 100 city and child welfare practitionersand policymakers to examine innovativemunicipal programs and policies that areaiding young children and their families.

Panelists included 2009 Innovations inAmerican Government Award winner Wrap-around Milwaukee, a consolidated socialservice program that has cut the cost oftreatment of needy youth in half withnotably improved clinical outcomes, andMaine’s Cutler Institute of Health and SocialPolicy, which created youth leadershipteams of kids that have aged out of fostercare. As a result of their work, legislationwas passed to allow foster kids to visit withtheir siblings, sadly a rare occurrence beforethe bill.

The event was made up of three interac-tive panel discussions moderated by Wil-son. Discussions addressed successful andinnovative models for keeping kids in thehome instead of foster care and juveniledelinquency facilities, and creative solutions

for encouraging youth to be involved indecision making and civic opportunities.The final panel included Stephen Goldsmith,the Center’s Innovations in Governmentdirector, who shared his personal experi-ences while mayor of Indianapolis consoli-dating and improving synergies acrosstreatment agencies by working more effec-tively with unions.

Much of the day’s discussion centered onthe importance of community-based care,whereby case workers share the responsibil-ity of a child’s treatment with parents. “Ispend a lot of time on the street blowingbubbles with kids,” said Roberta Lipsman,coordinator of Community Partnerships forProtecting Children in Portland. “You need tospend time building relationships with theneighborhoods you serve.”

Michael Bock, a youth leader of 2005Innovations in American Government winnerYouth Civic Engagement in Hampton,Virginia, gave his own perspective on theimportance of encouraging meaningful

One Million More Children Live in Poverty Since 2000: What Can Cities Do?Improving Child Well-Being Forum Convenes City Policymakers

“I spend a lot of time on the street blowing bub-bles with kids,” said Roberta Lipsman, coordinatorof Community Partnerships for Protecting Childrenin Portland. “You need to spend time building rela-tionships with the neighborhoods you serve.”

continued on page 15

Julie Wilson, Harvard Kennedy School

Brent Schondelmeyer, Local Investment Commission

Cassandra Miller, Neighborhood Place

in e-government, we create streets for peo-ple to participate in 24/7. There’s less messand real change happens.”

Indonesia Summer Research GranteeJessie Cronan, HKS MPP ‘11, spent hersummer research grant working on womenempowerment issues in Aceh, located in theisland of Sumatra in Indonesia. She sup-ported the efforts of LINA, the Acehwomen’s league, which was founded toempower women to participate more active-ly in the political, economic, and social lifeof the region in the aftermath of over 30years of bloody conflict. Cronan worked ona variety of LINA’s programs in the regionincluding assisting with prenatal screenings,supporting staff at LINA’s preschools, andhelping with a conference on UN resolution1325, which articulates the importance ofincluding women in all aspects of the peaceand reconstruction process. She also craft-ed organizational materials for futurefundraising efforts.

“My summer internship in Indonesia feltlike four years of college condensed intoone summer,” said Cronan. “I got a crashcourse in organizational development andreally learned how to enhance women’spolitical participation.”


Research Brief

This summer, students at both HarvardKennedy School and throughout theUniversity rolled up their sleeves and got towork, supporting unique education, govern-ment, and service initiatives around theworld as Summer Fellows in Innovation orthrough Indonesia summer research grants.To learn more about the Ash Center’sresources and fellowships for students,please visit www.ash.harvard.edu/students.

In FocusSummer Fellow in InnovationAlejandra Vallejos Morales, HKS MPA ‘11,explored data transparency in governmentthis summer, offering research support toWashington, D.C.’s Office of the ChiefTechnology Officer. The Office’s Data FeedsProgram is the nation’s first government ini-tiative to make virtually all current city gov-ernment data available to citizens. QuotingLouis Brandeis’ famous adage, “Sunlight issaid to be the best of disinfectants,”Morales explained that while the programhas exposed data performance to publiccriticism, such transparency has created anenvironment of self-improvement andaccountability for civic offices. “In LatinAmerica where I’m from, people come tothe streets to complain,” said Morales. “But

Indonesia Summer Research GranteesWidharmika Agung, HKS MPP/ID 2010Jessie Cronan, HKS MPP 2011Aryo Danusiri, Doctoral Candidate in

Anthropology, Harvard CollegePanji Hadisoemarto, Doctoral Candidate

in Science, Harvard School ofPublic Health

Jung Paik, HKS MPA and MBA 2010Jaeson Plon, MTS 2011, Harvard Divinity

SchoolAnna Ruman, AB 2010, Harvard College

What Did You Do This Summer?Ash Summer Fellows Work on Innovative Projects Around the World

Jessie Cronan with colleagues from LINA, the Aceh Women’s League Widharmika Agung at a rural school in Indonesia

D.C.’s Data Feeds Program

Innovation Summer FellowsHarini Angara, M.Ed. Candidate, Harvard

Graduate School of EducationLindsay Berger, HKS MPP 2011Thackston Lundy, HKS MPP 2011Alejandra Vallejos Morales, HKS MPA 2011Jim Secreto, HKS MPP 2011 and

Georgetown Law SchoolRebecca Strauss, HKS MPP 2011Tai Steven Sunnanon, HKS MPP 2001 and

Doctoral Candidate, Harvard GraduateSchool of Education

For the 2010-2011 academic year, the Ash Center welcomed itsinaugural Democracy Fellow, five Ford Foundation Mason Fellows,two Roy and Lila Ash Fellows in Democracy, and 18 Rajawali Foun-dation Institute for Asia Fellows. Graduate and post-doctoral stu-dents along with business and government officials will undertakeresearch broadly related to innovation and democratic governanceduring the school year. The Center provides ongoing academicguidance and logistical support, connecting fellows with pertinentfaculty and programs to enrich their research and their academicexperiences while at HKS.

“We are pleased to welcome such an impressive group of aca-demics, business executives, and government officials to the AshCenter this year,” said Anthony Saich, director of the Ash Center.“From low carbon policies in China to social justice in West Africa,the research this year’s fellows will explore is as diverse as theexperiences they bring to the Center. We look forward to supportingthem during their academic careers at the Kennedy School, andbuilding upon their creative scholarship to foster more dialogueabout democratic governance and innovation.”

Democracy FellowshipIn its inaugural year, the Democracy Fellowship is designed to sup-port doctoral and post-doctoral students with scholarship focusedon democratic governance that provides practical guidance to solv-ing urgent social problems. This year, the Center welcomes Quinton


Research Brief

Mayne as the Center’s first Democracy Fellow. Mayne holds a Ph.D.from Princeton University and comes to the Center from the Euro-pean University Institute where he was a Max Weber Fellow. As aDemocracy Fellow, Mayne will study the impact of institutionalreform on democratic performance as it relates to deliberative andparticipatory mechanisms. His research will consider how suchinnovations improve the integration of racial, ethnic, and religiousminorities in government and make elected politicians moreaccountable to such groups.

Ford Foundation Mason FellowshipThe Ford Foundation Mason Fellowship recognizes individuals whohave a strong commitment to the principles of democratic gover-nance and public service and a capacity to innovate and implementcreative approaches to social and economic development. Suchscholarships support mid-career professionals from some of thepoorest nations in the world to attend Harvard Kennedy School foran intensive one-year master’s degree in public administration.The following students were selected as Ford Foundation MasonFellows for the 2010-2011 academic year:

Abid, Sadaffe, Ford Mason Fellow ‘11, was formerly the CEO of themicrofinance organization KASHF, and was responsible for leadingthe company’s growth from 70,000 to 300,000 clients.

Ash Center Welcomes New FellowsRoy and Lila Ash, Ford Foundation Mason, Democracy, and Rajawali Fellows to Study Democratic Governance and InnovationDuring School Year

Fellows Focus

Rajawali Fellows at Harvard Faculty Club ceremony


Research Brief

Gonda, Violet, Ford Mason Fellow ‘11, has been a Zimbabwean radiojournalist forced to broadcast to her country from exile in Londonbecause of media restrictions.Jusu, Sahr, Ford Mason Fellow ‘11, is the former head of the PublicDebt Management Unit of the Sierra Leone Ministry of Finance.Lafortune, Elie, Ford Mason Fellow ‘11, most recently served as thedeputy chief of party for a 47 million multi-year USAID-funded finan-cial sector development project in Haiti called HIFIVE.Sarabi, Humayun, Ford Mason Fellow ‘11, served as the senior man-ager for the Act Now Children’s Fund (ANCF) in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Roy and Lila Ash FellowshipThe Roy and Lila Ash Fellowship in Democracy is awarded annuallyto students who demonstrate a strong interest in the overarchingquestions of democratic governance, a capacity for leadership, acommitment to research and inquiry, and a dedication to work forimprovements that advance social justice and serve citizens of allcountries and nationalities. The following students were selected asthis year’s Roy and Lila Ash Fellows in Democracy:

González, Inez, MCP ‘11, comes to the Center from the National HispanicMedia Coalition where she served as vice president of media policy.Pearce, Caroline, MCP ‘11, most recently served as the West Africaregional advocacy coordinator for Oxfam.

Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia FellowsThis year’s cohort of Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia Fellowsis made up of academics, government officials, and business exec-utives from across Asia. While at the Center, Rajawali Fellows willpursue independent research projects on a range of issues. Now inits tenth year, the Rajawali Fellowship is instrumental in leveragingthe considerable talent of academics and practitioners from aroundthe world to generate and disseminate research around importantpolicy areas in Asia. This year’s Rajawali Fellows and their respec-tive research topics include:

Azuma, Yoshiaki, Deputy Chief Representative, Bank of Japan, willstudy the impact of Chinese local government investments.Bai, Ping, Ministry of Justice, will study U.S. recognition andenforcement of foreign judgments along with public and privateinternational law.Fu, Ziying, Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Commerce, will studythe impact of international development assistance, both govern-mental and market-driven, on the least developed countries with astrong focus towards improving old funding mechanisms and identi-fying new ones.Gan, Lin, Vice Governor of Hunan Province, will study the role of localgovernments in promoting investment and economic development.Guan, Cheng Hua, Ph.D. candidate at China University of Political Sci-

Gan, LinAzuma, Yoshiaki Bai, Ping Fu, Ziying

Lan, Yuxin Lee, Kun ChangJiang, XueGuan, Cheng Hua


Research Brief

Fellows Focus

ence and Law, will study the impact of urbanization on the suburbsas well as how to govern such areas as they urbanize.Jiang, Xue, Ph.D. candidate at Dalian University of Technology, willstudy the development of research universities in the U.S. and therespective roles of universities in the U.S. and China.Ju, Lixin, Economics Professor at the Shanghai Administration Insti-tute, will research changes in the U.S. economy since the 2008financial crisis.Lan, Yuxin, Ph.D. candidate at Tsinghua University, will study INGOs inthe global climate including their roles and mechanisms of influence.Lee, Huay Leng, Senior Executive Editor of Singapore Press Holdings,will study the political, economic, and military relationships betweenSingapore and China.Lee, Kun Chang, Professor of South Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University, willstudy the relationship between creativity and corporate performance.Li, Haiming, Ph.D. candidate at the School of Public Policy and Man-agement at Tsinghua University, will research proposals for out-sourcing social security.Li, Xiaopeng, Visiting Scholar of the Department of Land Economy atthe University of Cambridge, will research the relationship betweenproperty and tax reform and speculation in the real estate market.Li, Xinjuan, Associate Professor at Henan Polytechnic University anda Ph.D. candidate in Safety Management at the China Institute ofMining and Technology, will research similarities and differences incrisis management in the public and private sectors.

Yao, Ning, Ph.D. candidate at Tsinghua University, will study oil pricefluctuation as a function of U.S.-China cooperation.Yao, Yao, Ph.D. candidate at Tsinghua University, will study softpower and U.S. communications.Zhang, Lansong of the World Bank in Beijing, will study the conceptof an urban-rural integrated pension system to address economicinequalities between urban and rural areas.Zhang, Xiaomeng, Ph.D. candidate at Tsinghua University, will studycivil society, social enterprises, and philanthropy, including their for-mation, evolution, and influences.Zhao, Erdong, Senior Lecturer at North China Electric Power Universi-ty, will study low carbon politics in China and international influ-ences on the developmental route.

Li, Haiming

Zhang, LansongYao, Yao Zhang, Xiaomeng Zhao, Erdong

Yao, NingMayne, QuintonLi, XinjuanLi, Xiaopeng


cent of GDP, Indonesia spends less on pub-lic health than any country in the region.”Current academic curricula lack a strongfocus on science and technology, reflectedin the country’s R & D spending of only 0.05percent of GDP.

Because it exports non-value added nat-ural resources while importing finishedgoods it could produce domestically,Indonesia is currently in a trade deficit withChina. This heavy reliance on commodi-ties—including palm oil, copper, and nick-el—makes the country more susceptible toprice fluctuations that lead to an overvaluedexchange rate which depresses more long-term employment.

The report argues that deep-seated cor-ruption is at the heart of the country’s eco-nomic and social challenges. Recentdecentralization of central to regionalauthorities has fragmented power, makingaccountability difficult. “We used to haveone dictator,” said David Dapice, Centereconomist and one of the report’s authors.“Now we have hundreds of dictatorsbecause every little county head thinks ofhimself as a Suharto.”

The report’s authors recommend severalmeasures for moving Indonesia away fromits legacy of corruption. As the country’selectoral processes are often corrupt andvary across the country, the authors pro-pose exploring changes to the models bywhich politicians are elected. Electoralreform could reduce some of the complexi-ties in elections and incentivize politicians toact more in the public interest.

To ensure longer-term prospects for eco-nomic growth, Indonesia could benefit fromattracting foreign investment to the region.

continued from cover

Research Brief

continued from page 10China’s adoption of international standardsof accountability and transparency hasdrawn foreign interest to the region; by fol-lowing China’s example, Indonesia couldhalt ineffective practices influenced bydomestic interests.

With over half of the country’s popula-tion living just above the poverty rate,Indonesia has a small middle class by com-parison to other countries. Indonesia couldpromote a more entrepreneurial economyby expanding access to public educationand social services including better creditand bankruptcy protection to strengthenthis “missing middle.”

Other recommendations include encour-aging Indonesia to create inter-governmen-tal bodies to oversee decentralization andchanneling public dissatisfaction with cor-ruption into larger NGO watchdog groups,which would in turn give people more of astake in their democracy’s ongoing stability.

According to the report, “Indonesia ischanging, but most of the dynamiceconomies of East Asia are changingfaster....Our main motivation in writing thisreport was to provide a framework for futureresearch relating to the country’s institutionsand institutional change.”

The report was authored by HKS facultyand staff Anthony Saich, David Dapice,Tarek Masoud, Dwight Perkins, JonathanPincus, Jay Rosengard, Thomas Vallely, BenWilkinson, and Jeffrey Williams. An Indone-sian translation of the report has been pub-lished in Indonesia under the title IndonesiaMenentukan Nasib: Dari Reformasi ke Trans-formasi Kelembagaan.

1. 2009–2010 World Economic Forum Global

Competitiveness Report

engagement with youth. Through the sup-port of adult leaders, he and his peersbrought about much needed renovations toa run-down health and teen center. “Ourprogram was born out of the idea that thereis nothing to do in suburbia,” said Bock.“But now we’re building relationships andstill having fun.”

The event concluded with a policy brain-storming dinner keynoted by Kathleen Feely,vice president for innovations at the AnnieE. Casey Foundation. Members of the con-ference were joined by the Urban PolicyAdvisory Group, made up of policy advisorsfrom America’s largest cities.

Feely talked about her organization’s cre-ation of Casebook, a real-time welfare casemanagement system. “I saw my daughter’sFacebook page and was blown away by it,”she said. “We don’t have this capacity now,and we should. Our kids plan their social liveson it, and we need it for human services.”

Using the Foundation’s new Casebook,welfare agencies can better collaborate withall parties involved with a specific family’ssocial services. Instead of wasting valuabletime recreating the family’s experiences witha welfare agency, all information is docu-mented in one complete narrative for allparties. The new technology is designed toimprove how case workers interact and cutdown on unnecessary bureaucracy.

The forum was convened by the Ash Centerand the Malcolm Wiener Center with spon-sorship by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Anthony Saich presents findings of From Reformasi to editors of The Jakarta Post

Child Welfare Reform of Maine, a 2009 Innovations

in American Government finalist and one of the

forum’s panelists

CommuniquéFall 2010, Volume 7

Ash Centerfor Democratic Governance and InnovationHarvard Kennedy School79 John F. Kennedy StreetCambridge, Massachusetts 02138

617-495-0557www.ash.harvard.edu

DirectorAnthony Saich

Director of the Innovations in GovernmentProgramStephen Goldsmith

Executive DirectorsJulian Chang, Arnold Howitt, Marty Mauzy

EditorKate Hoagland

Designforminform

PhotographyTobias Estime, Martha Stewart

Ash Center

for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Harvard Kennedy School

79 John F. Kennedy Street

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

In Focus: Child and Family Well-Being in the U.S.

Children born at low birth weight (below 5.5 pounds): 8.2%

Infant mortality rate: 6.7 per 1,000 live births

Children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment: 18%

Children ages 10 to 17 overweight or obese: 32%

Foster youth that age out of state care or run away each year: 20,000

Children living in poverty in 2009: 15.5 million

Children living in poverty in 2008: 14.1 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 National Estimates

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