Innovation in local government is about meeting the needs of citizens, as well as about improving method and process of governing. Municipal and civic life does not operate in isolation, but within a rich fabric of local, state and federal policy, a critical component of the analytical approach taken by the Center for Innovation in Local Government (CILG). CILG focuses on:
- Exploring new approaches to the optimal governance of local communities,
- Innovative use of digital information and communications technology; and
- The public policy context of governance. CILG’s approach looks at such key municipal functions as communications and revitalization of community life, and on developing innovative and effective approaches to the provision of services.
CILG pursues the vision of effective governance that encourages a sense of cooperation, trust and understanding among citizens, administrators and elected official alike. The principals and associates of CILG have considerable expertise in the arena of local government innovation, including the assessment of new municipalities and the outsourcing of municipal services, communications and e-government, social media and virtual participation, and other applications of technology to government. The CILG has also developed a database of municipal information, both quantitative and qualitative, which is under continuous development.
CILG Principals
Paul M.A. Baker, Ph.D. Director, Research, CACP, Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Baker is currently researching institutional issues involved in public sector information policy development and state and local government use of information and communication technologies (ICT’s); the role of information technologies in enhancing virtual collaboration and online communities, and the role of policy in advancing technology and universal accessibility goals for persons with disabilities. Dr. Baker holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University, and a Masters degree in Planning from the University of Virginia. Contact: Paul M. A. Baker, Ph.D.
Research Associates
John C. Bricout
Senior Government Fellow, CACP, Georgia Institute of Technology
John Bricout, Ph.D. is an associate professor and associate director for research at the University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Social Work since 2007. He also coordinates the social work track in the interdisciplinary public affairs Ph.D. program. His research focuses on the influence of information and communication and assistive technologies (including social networking and telework) on employment and community participation outcomes for persons with a disability. He has a strong interest in international and interdisciplinary research, and he currently collaborates on disability research conducted in the Republic of Georgia. He teaches graduate students on research methods, evaluation, ethics and community science.
Art Seavey
Government Fellow, CACP, Georgia Institute of Technology
Art is a Policy and Research Advisor working with New Kind (www.newkind.com) in Raleigh, NC. His current efforts focus on collaborative methods of community engagement and creating environments for creativity and innovation. Prior to New Kind, he wasa partner with The Estis Group, a public policy consultancy, in Atlanta, Georgia, working with clients such as the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, and Sage Software. Art was a member of the government affairs team at Red Hat working at the intersection of policy and open source software. He has experience in the non-profit sector and has served a number of U.S. Senate and gubernatorial clients through a small political consultancy. Art holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and a Bachelor of Science from Georgia Tech.
Brian Stone
Senior Planning Fellow, College of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology
Brian Stone, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the City and Regional Planning Program of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he teaches in the areas of urban environmental management, land use, and transportation planning. Stone's program of research is focused on the spatial drivers of urban environmental phenomena, with an emphasis on climate change and air quality. Most recently, Stone has published studies on the role of land use in climate change mitigation, the extent to which urban areas are amplifying global warming trends, and the role of sprawling land use patterns in ozone formation. Prior to joining the Tech faculty in 2005, Stone taught in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Stone’s research program has been funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Georgia Cancer Coalition, among other funding institutions. He has worked as a planning consultant and served on the board of a number of non-profit organizations, including the Partnership for a Smog Free Georgia, the UW Aldo Leopold Arboretum, and the Olmsted Linear Park Alliance. Stone’s work on urbanization and environmental quality has been featured on CNN, National Public Radio, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and in the print media.