Pioneer Goes Local! “MuniShare” Municipal Report Contest
As part of Pioneer Institute’s annual Better Government Competition, Pioneer is offering two $3,000 awards for the best municipal reports. No daunting application and little effort! Entering is as simple as submitting a report by e-mail, with a brief (150-word) summary.
What Kind of Reports? We are interested in public opinion surveys, departmental studies, environmental audits, and really, any type of report. The only requirement is that the report tackle an issue that fellow municipal governments might face as well. The reports can focus on department-specific or municipality-wide issues, and can be up to ten years old. There is no minimum or maximum length and no limit to the number of entries from a municipality. The more, the better!
Selection Process: A panel of judges with vast experience at the municipal level will consider the best studies and select winning reports for awards of $3,000 each at the annual Better Government Competition Dinner. Criteria to be used in the judging process include such things as: quality of problem definition, utilization of data, presentation of policy responses, and effort to encourage transparency of public information.
MuniShare Website: All quality reports (both winners and selected runner ups) will be the content for a publicly accessible web-based clearinghouse highlighting best practices and excellent research at the local level. Access to reports will help to facilitate peer learning and spread reform ideas across communities. MuniShare will be searchable by topic, municipal function (department), municipal characteristics, and/or by user “usefulness” rankings.
Entry Deadline: Reports due by Friday, May 13, 2011, 5:00 pm
How to Enter: Submit the report by e-mail along with a brief summary (150 words) to: MuniShare@pioneerinst.wpengine.com
Why Local Reports: The 5-10 year future of municipal finances appears especially challenging given the end of federal stimulus money, future expected state aid cuts, and expanding benefit liabilities. Municipalities need high-quality, granular analysis to devise good policies. Some cities and towns have great expertise and analytic skill to initiate high-quality research. Pioneer would like to draw attention to these efforts and provide examples for other communities to follow.
Be part of the official launch! Pioneer will officially go live with the MuniShare website at the 2011 Better Government Competition Awards Dinner in mid-June.
