Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
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| Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation |
| Formation | 1985 |
| Type | Research center |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | Harvard Kennedy School |
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation is a research and policy center based at Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on advancing democratic practice through applied research, public leadership development, and convening. The center engages scholars, public officials, and practitioners from institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and national bodies including the United States Congress and the Parliament of the United Kingdom to translate comparative study into institutional reform. Its work spans comparative projects in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Eastern Europe while interfacing with transnational initiatives like the Open Government Partnership and the Global Parliament of Mayors.
History
The center traces roots to initiatives at Harvard University in the late 20th century when scholars affiliated with the John F. Kennedy School of Government collaborated with policymakers from the Clinton administration and the European Commission on governance innovation. Early faculty and fellows included figures from the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Council on Foreign Relations, linking comparative studies of the European Union, Brazil, India, and South Africa. Over time, it developed programs modeled on partnerships with the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and multilateral agencies such as the International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Mission and Programs
The center's mission centers on supporting democratic renewal through research, leadership training, and pilot projects involving stakeholders from the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization, and national ministries such as finance ministries and interior ministries. Core programs have included fellowships drawing practitioners from the White House, the European Parliament, the African Union, and municipal leaders from cities like New York City, São Paulo, Mumbai, and Johannesburg. The center runs award programs akin to the MacArthur Fellows Program and collaborates on competitions similar to the Ashden Awards and the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship to seed innovations in public service.
Research and Initiatives
Research themes range across public-sector reform studies linked to case work on the Brazilian Federal Government, anti-corruption initiatives in Ukraine, decentralization in Indonesia, and electoral processes in Kenya. Projects engage methods from comparative politics scholarship at the London School of Economics, the University of Oxford, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and draw on datasets maintained by the Varieties of Democracy project and the World Values Survey. Initiative portfolios have included digital transparency pilots with partners such as Google, Microsoft, and Open Data Institute, policy labs modeled after the UK Policy Lab and the MindLab Denmark, and civic technology experiments coordinated with NGOs like Transparency International and Code for America.
Education and Training
The center offers executive education and short courses for leaders from judicial institutions like the International Criminal Court and legislative bodies including the United States Senate and the Bundestag. Curriculum development has involved faculty from the Harvard Law School, the Yale School of Management, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and guest instructors drawn from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and high-profile practitioners such as former ministers from Canada, New Zealand, and South Korea. Training formats include fellowships, residencies, and joint certificates with programs such as the Harvard Business School Executive Education and the Kennedy School’s Master in Public Policy.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Collaborative partners include intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations Development Programme, philanthropic funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, and corporate partners including IBM and Amazon Web Services. The center has run joint initiatives with research bodies like the Brookings Institution, the Chatham House, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and regional think tanks such as the Institute for Security Studies (South Africa) and the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations. Academic collaborations extend to the University of Tokyo, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Cape Town.
Recognition and Impact
Work from the center has influenced policy reforms cited in reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Commission, and has been recognized by awards from the Ash Center network, the Harvard University administration, and external honors such as accolades from the Skoll Foundation and acknowledgments in The Economist and the New York Times. Alumni have advanced to leadership roles across institutions including the United Nations, national cabinets in Chile and Ghana, mayoral offices in Barcelona and Seoul, and senior positions at the World Bank and International Finance Corporation. The center’s publications feature in journals like Foreign Affairs, Governance, and Public Administration Review and inform curricula at schools including the Harvard Kennedy School and the London School of Economics and Political Science.