Reinvention Laboratory

Federal Support for Communities Initiative A Multi-agency Reinvention Laboratory A Working Draft Draft - -4-8-98 - - Draft The Federal Support for Communities Initiative is a multi-agency reinvention laboratory that is leading the effort to demonstrate that the federal government can operate in new ways to help meet local needs. Participating federal agencies will work with local partners to "eliminate duplication and better coordinate federal funding." The purpose is to support communities in a more focused, effective and efficient manner. Working with the Domestic Policy Council and the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, federal agencies will establish a cross-agency reinvention laboratory to cut through "red tape," exceed customer expectations, and unleash innovations for improvements from its employees. Principles of a Reinvention Lab: Support reinvention labs with top-level leadership; Focus on outcomes; Encourage risk taking and innovation; Challenge cumbersome and needless rules, regulations, procedures and traditions that stand in the way of superior performance and results; Celebrate and publicize successes; Maximize results and minimize reporting; and Promote long-term change through broad application of reinvention lessons and innovations. Goals: As a reinvention laboratory, the Federal Support for Communities Initiative will seek to: Contribute to government-wide reinvention of federal support for communities; Examine and improve upon the means by which the federal government provides support and information to local communities to achieve specific outcomes; Help solve problems that communities identify and prototype solutions for potential government-wide introduction; Identify and seek to remove federal statutory and regulatory barriers to achieving outcomes; Empower federal regional, field and front line federal workers to collaborate with local communities in addressing their needs; Establish a learning network that spreads effective models, best practices and lessons learned; Develop a transferable model or methodology that is not subject-specific but which will serve as a springboard for further multi-agency collaboration; Make more effective and efficient use of federal resources; and