Related UI Researchers

Publications on Federal/State Government

Baltimore participated in a 2004 National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) pilot project to enhance local capacity to manage land markets through innovative use of parcel-level information. The city already had a program in place to acquire and re-market abandoned properties. The NNIP project focused on helping officials use the program-generated property information for more effective land management. New information systems were created to manage the complex business rules, to store the property data, and to provide staff with desktop access to information. An integrated disposition system reduced staff time, improved performance, and enhanced the city's service to its business partners.

This is the sixth and final paper in a technical assistance series on child welfare privatization initiatives, funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of this paper is to assist public agency child welfare administrators in monitoring and assuring quality of contracted services. It describes the types of monitoring activities, as well as methods for collecting and using monitoring information. The paper provides examples of some of the decisions that must be made about what will be measured and how child welfare agencies have worked with providers to develop approaches to contract monitoring.

The U.S. corporate tax has been in effect longer than the current individual income tax but it has only rarely changed significantly since its 1909 inception. Daniel N. Shaviro, in the new book Decoding the U.S. Corporate Tax, outlines longstanding imperfections in the tax code and describes difficulties in applying corporate tax laws now that financial instruments are so complex and capital flows are worldwide. Shaviro also explains how political and economic realities are likely to frustrate much-needed changes to the tax code.

This research brief examines the relief and recovery services provided by faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in the Gulf Coast region after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The study included a telephone survey of 202 FBCOs that provided services and in-depth case studies of eight organizations. The brief explores how FBCOs functioned during this time-i.e., what they did, who they served, and with whom they collaborated-and offers lessons learned for planning for future disasters. The brief summarizes the findings from the full report "The Role of Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Post-Hurricane Human Service Relief Efforts," available at http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=1001245.

The events surrounding hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 produced one of the largest disaster responses by nongovernmental, charitable organizations, including both faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs). This report is based on a telephone survey of 202 FBCOs that provided disaster-related human services and in-depth, field-based case studies of eight organizational responses after the hurricanes. The survey findings address what types of services were provided, to whom, and the collaborations used by FBCOs to deliver services. The case studies explore what motivated the response in 2005 and suggest how such efforts might connect with the larger disaster response and human service delivery systems to provide needed services in future disasters (For more information, contact Principal Investigators Carol J. De Vita and Fredrica D. Kramer).