WASHINGTON, DC – February 26, 2010 – Recognizing an emerging movement dedicated to identifying and replicating new models for public/private cooperation on a range of vexing public problems, the Collaborative Governance Resource Institute (CGRI) today announced the creation of The Collaborative Exchange, a social networking and sharing site bringing together policymakers, non-profit organizations, businesses, academics and interested citizens.
The Collaborative Exchange (http://colgov.org) is designed to serve as both a resource center and a gathering place for the nascent movement. It offers a “collaborative project registry,” the first systematic effort to identify collaborative projects of all types nationwide, user-generated blogs and discussions, and connections to organizations, books, and other resources.
“Our goal is to advance understanding and awareness of what is potentially a revolution in the way government delivers services and addresses problems,” said Frank A. Weil, the CGRI chairman. “The turn of the 20th century saw the emergence of the bureaucratic class, which burgeoned throughout the next 100 years. Now, there’s a recognition that government can’t, in fact, do it all, and a new willingness on the part of both government agencies and the private sector to explore new ways of working together for the common good. Our goal with the Collaborative Exchange is to allow people interested in the field to come together and share ideas, experiences and inspiration in order to create opportunities for additional propagation of collaborative governance.”
Features of the Exchange include:
• Blogs – All registered users can post and comment on blog entries;
• Discussions – A forum for users to ask and answer questions, and share ideas;
• Collaborative Project Registry – A database of collaborative governance programs across the country at all levels of government;
• Experts Registry – A database of individuals and organizations with expertise in collaborative governance;
• Resources – A list of books and periodicals, organizations, and other tools for people seeking more information.
The Exchange is slated for a formal unveiling on February 24 at an event at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard in the Weil Town Hall. The Collaborative Governance Resource Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing a new model of public/private engagement in pursuit of the public good – to “make America work better” by creating real partnerships between government agencies and the wide world of private actors who share the goals of government and, more important, can substantively contribute to their realization. Directors of the group include Frank Weil, John D. Macomber, Neil C. Bicknell, Franklin S. Reeder, Lynn A. Jennings, Norman C. Selby, H. Patrick Swygert, Nora Jobson, Rob Raich, and Louis Nemeth.
About Collaborative Governance Resource Institute
The Collaborative Governance Resource Institute (CGRI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing a new model of public/private engagement in pursuit of the public good – to “make America work better” by creating real partnerships between government agencies and the wide world of private actors who share the goals of government and, more important, can substantively contribute to their realization.
For more information, visit our website : http://colgov.org or contact Frank A. Weil, 212-230-9803
