Dear CBG Faculty, Staff, Fellows, and Friends,

On September 19th, the Kennedy School convened the 2003 Public Service Celebration and the re-dedication of the old ARCO Forum - which now becomes the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. The event highlighted KSG's core mission: "to train leaders to strengthen democratic governance at home and abroad and to contribute to the solution of public policy challenges".

We at CBG have had a busy month.

The Frank and Denie Weil Program on Collaborative Governance moved into high gear. Jack Donahue joined me as co-chair and director this past January, following his effort directing the Visions of Governance project that produced four books in three years. Shortly thereafter Alan Trager, a KSG graduate and long-time supporter of the Kennedy School, signed on as a senior fellow to work with the Weil Program. It has made significant progress on three fronts: teaching, research, and practice.

The program convened 18 key faculty members in July (including the Dean Joe Nye and Academic Dean Steve Walt) for a two-day curriculum development retreat on collaborative governance. The momentum gained from that retreat is already leading to changes in existing courses and plans for new ones on the analytical, management, and political aspects of collaborative governance. In September, we held the third HIV/AIDS workshop, in conjunction with Harvard Business School; began work on the first Weil Program teaching case on collaborative governance of New York City's parks; and met with New York Chancellor of Education Joel Klein and his senior staff on the roles collaboration can play in his reform campaign. An exciting new executive program on "Civic Leadership" will be launched in February 2004, targeting senior business people looking to start or expand their engagement with public missions.

The Regulatory Policy Program's New Directions in Regulation Seminar Series began last Thursday with a presentation by John Graham, the current Administrator of the Federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a prolific scholar, and the founder of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. RPP has an impressive roster of speakers for the remaining sessions during the Fall Term, including William Hogan, Lucius N. Littauer Professor of Public Policy and Administration at the Kennedy School, who will speak October 9 on "Failure Diagnosis: Blackouts and Lampposts in Regulating Electricity Markets." Check the website and attend.

The Harvard Electricity Policy Group, which Bill Hogan directs, held its thirty-second plenary session September 25-26 at KSG. The session addressed how to form regional transmission organizations, and what the possibilities are for states that have already restructured their electric utilities. In addition, several state utility regulators and industry representatives presented their views on the evolution of the Standard Market Design (a new set of structures and rules) proposed by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to coordinate and encourage wholesale electricity markets.

On another front, Robert Stavins, Albert Pratt Professor of Business and Government, has been named to the board of directors of Resources for the Future (RFF). RFF is a leading American think tank in environmental and resource economics and policy. We applaud him on his appointment.

In short, another month at the office - and loving every minute of it.

Cheers.

 

John G. Ruggie

Frank and Denie Weil Director, Center for Business and Government
Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs