Policy Fellows 2011-2012 Group Projects

Working in small groups on a pressing public policy issue is an integral component of the Policy Fellows program, creating an opportunity for the Fellows to work together closely, integrate their experiences and skills, and make an impact in an area of interest. Starting in October, the Fellows posted and discussed project ideas on a group website. At our November meeting we held a “caucus” that allowed Fellows to identify others with common interests. These initial project groups began meeting at least once a month to examine their chosen issue in more detail.

We asked the groups to identify a public need that was of interest to the group and of importance to the citizens of Minnesota, giving particular attention to common-good problems that affect the broader community and may only be solved by collective action. We encouraged them to connect with community partners, draw upon their own professional and personal networks, and consider opportunities for partnerships between government, business, and nonprofit sectors.

Fellows' professional and community affiliations are current as of June 2012.

More about the Policy Fellows program

Grand Rapids’ journey to sustainability through “Greenstep” standards

Katrina Zabinski, Hennepin County District Court
Greenstep Group Photo Chad Bell, XC Consulting Group
Jim Porter, Apogee Enterprises, Inc.
Kent Porter, Minnesota National Guard
(left to right)

Our group started out with a large topic around “clean/green technology.” Through significant discussion and issue mapping, we ended up focusing on how public/private “green” energy programs can be beneficial to municipalities. We settled on helping the City of Grand Rapids become a “Minnesota GreenStep City.”

See http://greenstep.pca.state.mn.us.

Our work centered on understanding both the art and science of the program and looking at what benefits (if any) the city would gain by undertaking the actions to become a “GreenStep City.” We found that participation in the program would drive both sustainable financial and environmental benefits to Grand Rapids, but we also learned how the complexities of well-intentioned programs create barriers to participation. Grand Rapids had been doing many of the clean/green actions identified in the program, but they needed to be more methodical in tracking the energy-savings and impacts resulting from those actions. Grand Rapids had previously chosen not to participate in the GreenStep program because they were not convinced that the economic and environmental benefits would be worth the investment of city resources needed to learn and implement the numerous required actions.

Our project work ended up being investigative in nature, not only learning about the clean/green-energy actions Grand Rapids had already done, but also figuring out how to simplify the detailed requirements listed on the GreenStep website. We discovered that the program offered a valuable strategic planning framework cities can use to evaluate clean/green energy actions, and we created a streamlined summary of exactly what was required and at what stage to get formal recognition as a GreenStep City.

Once we gathered all of the data and measured it against our summary of the requirements, it was clear Grand Rapids was very close to achieving GreenStep status. We shared our analysis with city officials, who determined that the economic and environmental benefits of participating in the GreenStep program were worth the investment of time from existing staff resources. As a result of our work on the project, on May 15, 2012, the Grand Rapids City Council passed a City Resolution to participate in the MN GreenStep City program.

For more information, contact Katrina Zabinski at k_zabinski@hotmail.com.

PPP- Public Safety Group Photo
Rich Fischer, Medtronic Foundation and Community Affairs
Karly Baraga Werner, Comcast - Twin Cities
Emy Johnson, Target Corporation
Anika Hagenson, Target Corporation
Ankur Garg, St. Jude Medical
Valerie Dosland, Ewald Consulting
(left to right)

Public private partnerships (PPPs) are often an overlooked, misunderstood and underutilized resource in our community. Our team decided to focus on PPPs aimed at promoting public safety as this is a critical factor in the overall health of a vibrant and thriving community, with reaching influences across not only government agencies but also private businesses. In an effort to gauge the current state of such public safety PPPs in Minnesota, we interviewed a broad cross-section of key innovative leaders from a Fortune 50 company, state & local chambers of commerce as well as state & local departments of public safety. Additionally, we conducted a survey across 20+ communities throughout Minnesota.

These interviews and survey results yielded a common theme that there are PPPs in MN that have been effective in the past and are even currently in play, but knowledge of such partnerships is not widespread and further they are not well-utilized. Our research shows that there is in fact a benefit to private businesses and communities alike from PPPs, and there is a need for such partnerships especially when it comes to public safety. Unfortunately, it was also evident that not all community, political and business leaders have subscribed to this approach, and as such there is an opportunity to further educate on the value of PPPs to empower future innovative leaders.

Through our project, we hope to have set the stage for increased awareness and engagement in PPPs. Further, our recommendation going forward is to incorporate PPP training into such programs as post certifications for law enforcement and leadership training for businesses, among others. In the words of Brad Brekke, the VP of Assets Protection at Target Corporation, “many business skill sets in the private sector have direct application to the public safety world” and “by leveraging your combined strengths, you will have a greater impact on your community”.

For more information, contact Ankur Garg at ankurvgarg@gmail.com.

Christopher Voss, RightSource Compliance
Sona Mehring, CaringBridge
David Asp, Lockridge, Grindal, Nauen, PLLP
Danna MacKenzie, Cook County
Laurence Reszetar, Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP
Jessica Beyer, Blue Earth County
(left to right)

This project grew out of early policy fellows discussions around the idea that a healthy democracy depends on active and informed citizenship. Functional democracy requires us to ask questions of ourselves and our government, and to participate in finding the answers to those questions. In order to become more engaged, citizens need to have access to the information necessary to ask and answer those questions.

We began with the assumption that ready access to basic information in the 21st century means that it is available on the web. Our hypothesis was that access to this information is inconsistent across local governments in Minnesota, and if true, that there is room to improve and thereby encourage and facilitate more active citizenship.

After researching government best practices with national organizations such as PEW Foundation, Sunshine Review, e-Democracy.org, and the League of Women Voters, our group drafted a list of 10 benchmarks, by which to assess Minnesota county websites for basic information elements. The results of assessing Minnesota’s 87 county websites against these benchmarks suggested that our original assumption was correct: most Minnesota counties have opportunities to make information more timely and consistently available online to their citizens.

After examining different methods for affecting positive change with these websites, our group concluded that the best first steps towards making improvements would be through informing county leaders about website best practices, and incenting them to make improvements. Our project outcomes center around best practice workshops for county commissioners and administrators and creating an award recognizing top performers and those engaged in making improvements.

For more information, contact Danna MacKenzie at danna.mackenzie@co.cook.mn.us.

Somali Leadership Group Photo Jamal Adam, Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Kathleen Houlihan Motzenbecker, Minneapolis Downtown Council
Sunny Chanthanouvong, Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota
Curt Fernandez, City of Minneapolis
Sandy Best, Minnesota National Guard
Kenna Poppler, U.S. Bancorp Foundation
(left to right)

The Minneapolis-St Paul area is home to the largest Somali and East African population in the United States. Therefore, we realize how important it is to engage the Somali community proactively. Through outreach, we can learn from Somali Americans, and they can learn from us. Through outreach, we can build bridges that will lead to proactive community relations across cultures and faiths.

Our team looked at multiple Minnesota immigrant groups and decided that we could use a Somali American Leadership Program model as a template for other immigrant groups if proved successful. So our team's goal was to explore developing a Somali American Leadership Program where we would bring together aspiring young leaders (Somali and Non-Somali Americans) from diverse backgrounds and professions to establish a dynamic network of multi-cultural professionals. This program will proactively support leader participants in establishing bonds, building coalitions and collaboratively working together, educating program participants about both the Somali world and other MN ethnic group's world from the unique participant perspective. This program will work to break down stereotypes through peer mentorship, engage partners to advise, fund and participate in the development of the program, embrace diversity and understand unique differences of program participants.

Ultimately, strengthening Minnesota Somali and Non-Somali American relationships through a Somali American Leadership Program will enhance opportunities and communities throughout our great State!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead

For more information, contact Jamal Adam at Jamal.Adam@minneapolis.edu.

Dave Wilsey, University of Minnesota Extension
Wild Edibles Group Photo Erika Mork, Three Rivers Park District
Carly Eichhorst, Augsburg College
Elise Diedrich, SUPERVALU Inc.
(left to right)

The vigorous locavore movement in Minnesota showcases a yearning for stronger connections to food. Foraging for wild edibles is an age-old tradition that is growing in popularity as people reconnect with the land. Foraging reflects the convergence of cultural traditions and socio-economic strata, showcases sustainability, and feeds “foodie” tendencies.

Season, location, and individual desire shape foraging behaviors. Come spring, tiny curls of fiddleheads from which ferns spring forth are abundant in woodlands. Numerous varieties of sweet, summer berries grow wild across the state. And though invasive, garlic mustard in homemade pesto makes it a sought-after delicacy. However, unlike a farmers market, where we exchange crumpled cash for seasonal produce, foraging does not involve such certainty.

Beyond private land ownership, how does the public access the wild edibles that have long supported the region’s inhabitants? Can we legally hunt for morels in our state parks? Or dig cattail roots next to our county road? Or pull ramps along a local running trail? Finding answers involves identifying land ownership and then contacting the proper government authority, which proves to be a significant barrier and spawns a subversive culture around such activities. By shining a light on these barriers and other complexities of public land use, as well as encouraging experimentation, we can expand citizen’s access to legal foraging opportunities on public lands within Minnesota.

For more information, contact Erika Mork at emork@threeriversparkdistrict.org.

Collaborative Governance Group Photo Mariah Levison, The Conflict Resolution Center
Kavon Nikrad, Assurant Health, Inc. and Race42012.com
Jeremy Drucker, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Kate Johansen, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Huda Farah, HEAL Institute
Nate Burkett, Todd County
Mike Buttry, Capella Education Company
(left to right)

Rapid social, political, technological, and environmental change is transforming Minnesota and its communities. As a result, the state faces complex problems that invoke multiple stakeholders while simultaneously surmounting chronic budget deficits, dramatic demographic changes, increasingly polarized politics, and diminishing resources. Minnesotans deserve a mechanism that creates effective, sustainable, nonpartisan solutions to these public problems, but what is it?

The answer is Minnesota Solutions. Based on the successful Oregon Solutions model,Minnesota Solutions establishes a community-based network of businesses,nonprofits, government agencies, policymakers, and citizen organizations to bring resources, expertise, and interests together to address issues efficiently and effectively. The Solutions approach applies conflict resolution strategies to public policy. It identifies problems and unites stakeholders to foster better decision-making and faster implementation of solutions while bridging differences, dealing productively with shared decision-making, and creating new relationships and resources. The Solutions model has a proven track record of resolving a variety of issue including water management, affordable housing, human services initiatives, land use, budget priorities, and more.

An initiative of the Humphrey Policy Fellows 2011-2012 class, Minnesota Solutions seeks to solidify collaborative governance models as an available and viable process for solving Minnesota’s problems together. Minnesota Solutions was founded by a group of seven 2011-2012 Humphrey Policy Fellows. The group formed an Advisory Committee, established a collaborative governance process, and undertook a pilot project. The group looks forward to establishing the model as a lasting tool for Minnesota policymakers and citizens.

For more information, contact Mariah Levison at mtlevison@gmail.com.