The City of Lenexa Paperless Packet Project

2000 Innovations in American Government - Lenexa Program Named as Semifinalist in Government Innovations Award Competition

The Innovations program announces the selection of 96 Semifinalists from among over 1300 applicants to the 2000 Innovations in American Government Awards Program. Two government programs located in the state of Kansas were named semifinalists in the competition to include: Paperless Packet Project: City of Lenexa, KS

Innovative Government Programs Recognized for Exceptional Achievement
Innovations in American Government is recognized as one of the most prestigious public-service awards programs in the country. Started in 1986, it is sponsored by the Ford Foundation, and administered by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government.

Innovations Awards recognize government initiatives that are original and effective. Selected from a pool of more than 1,300 applicants, the semifinalists include programs to improve the quality of education, reduce crime and protect the environment.Ê The 96 semifinalists named in 2000 include 21 federal, 30 state, 21 city and town programs, 19 county, 2 school districts, 1 government corporation and 2 regional authorities.

"Government is in a period of major reform, reinvention, and innovation," said Elaine Kamarck, director of the Innovations program at the Kennedy School. "The Innovations awards program and the research it fosters provide unparalleled opportunities to understand what is actually happening at the local, state, and federal level, and to help others learn from those efforts as they try to improve government."

Four criteria are used to evaluate each application: originality of the approach; effectiveness in addressing important problems; value of services to clients; and the potential for replication in other jurisdictions.

Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government is a graduate school of public policy dedicated to preparing leaders for service in government and contributing to the solution of important public problems.

The Council for Excellence in Government is a national, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization whose 750 members have served as senior public-sector officials. The Council's mission is to improve the performance of government by strengthening results-oriented management and creative leadership in the public sector and to build understanding in government by focusing public discussion on its role and responsibilities.

The Ford Foundation, established in 1936, is a private, nonprofit institution that serves as a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. The Foundation maintains headquarters in New York City and has offices in countries in Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and in Russia.