October 12, 2007 Contact: Sue Baker
For Immediate Release 738-2000, ext. 6205
Avedisian to take part in week-long course at Harvard
Innovations in Governance program explores new ways of working to identify, comprehend
and address social problems
WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian is heading to The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government to participate in a one-week “Innovations in Governance” course, he announced today.
The program, which runs from October 28 through November 2, “explores new methods of working across traditional jurisdictions and sectors to identify, understand and address emerging social problems,” according to the university.
The curriculum will include a variety of topics, including: strategic management in the public sector; adaptive leadership; public sector innovation; principled negotiation and political innovation. Participants will be asked to identify a project or challenge from their current environment to work on during the course, and small group discussions will be focused on individual projects. Meetings and discussions relative to new strategies for projects will be based on input from colleagues and faculty.
In February 2003, Avedisian completed a three-week state and local program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Avedisian’s tuition for the course is being paid for through a Hassenfeld Scholarship.