FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 9, 2007

CIMO finalist for Innovations in Government Awards

Eighteen initiatives to compete for $100,000 awards

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Capital Improvements Management Office is one of 18 finalists that will compete for seven $100,000 awards for the 2007 Government Innovations recognized by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

"The Capital Improvements Management Office offers tangible results that innovative government leaders can improve public services to their citizens," said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American Government Program. "When government officials focus on achieving results through innovative thinking, they show that government has the capacity to successfully tackle serious problems while creating efficiencies."

In order to eliminate the City's capital project backlog, develop a functional system for project delivery and restore public confidence, the City formed the Capital Improvements Management Office in 2004 to deliver essential infrastructure projects while streamlining approaches to project delivery. This resulted in the delivery of more than $1.2 billion in capital projects including major redevelopments such as the downtown entertainment district infrastructure, the Kansas City Convention Center expansion and the Sprint Center arena, as well as contracting $190 million in neighborhood projects.

Nearly 1,000 applications were submitted for this competition. The field was narrowed in April to the top 50 programs. The Capital Improvements Management Office was selected for its "novelty and exceptional efforts, effectiveness in addressing significant problems and potential for replication by other government entities." The next step for the finalists is a presentation before the National Selection Committee at Kennedy School on May 15. The winners will be announced in September in Washington, D.C., at a dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Innovations in American Government Awards.

The Innovations in American Government Awards is a program of the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. The Ash Institute advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, publications, leadership training, global network and awards program, the Ash Institute fosters creative and effective government problem-solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens.

To learn more about the Innovations in American Government Awards, visit www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu.

Media inquiries about this issue and other requests for more information about the Capital Improvements Management Office should be directed to Sean Demory, Capital Improvements Management Office, at sean_demory@kcmo.org or (816) 513-0059.