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    Grant Assistance Program Case Study: From Route 9 Master Plan to RAISE Grant Success
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2023-05-26) Willard, Collin; Raskin, Katya
    The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes funding for hundreds of programs in the realm of infrastructure and resiliency through fiscal year 2026. Facing major infrastructure and resilience challenges, Delaware local governments, organizations, and state agencies are tasked with navigating the complex landscape of federal grants to find opportunities that can improve conditions for Delawareans over the next several years. In order to assist in this process, the Institute for Public Administration’s Grant Assistance Program (GAP) was launched in July 2022 to provide technical assistance and grant writing services to Delaware local governments. GAP seeks to build local capacity for grant administration by highlighting successful examples and best practices to share with local governments interested in funding opportunities.
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    Delaware’s Process for Projecting Demographic and Population Estimates– Overview, Evolution, and the Future Role of the Delaware Population Consortium
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2022-08) O'Hanlon, Julia; O'Neill, Sean; Prickett, Lindsay
    This policy brief was developed by IPA as part of its partnership with and funding from the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Planning Division. Information provided is intended to inform key stakeholders—including state agency staff, local government leaders, and community organizations in Delaware—about the history, evolution, and applications of the Delaware Population Consortium work and annual projections. In addition to its infrastructure and transportation policy team, IPA recognizes contributions to the document made by our DelDOT partners, the University of Delaware’s Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research (CADSR), the Delaware Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC), and others interviewed as part of IPA’s fiscal year 2022 infrastructure work plan.
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    Recover Delaware Resilience Planning Guide
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-12) Cohen, Morgan; Willard, Collin; Mix, Troy
    This report provides organizations, governments, and community stakeholders with a framework for considering, deliberating, and acting on recovery and resilience planning priorities in Delaware. It also summarizes the launch of the Recover Delaware pilot project.
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    Delaware State Parks Youth Conservation Corps Impact Study
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2022-02) DeCoursey, William; Mix, Troy; Narvaez, Martha
    In coordination with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Parks and Recreation, the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the University of Delaware conducted an evaluation to determine the impact of the Delaware State Parks Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) programming on 2014–2020 participants. The project consists of a literature review of youth labor programs and environmental employment programs, the development of survey instruments, survey administration, analysis of the survey responses, and recommendations for program enhancements. Overall, the YCC program is a highly performing youth labor program in Delaware. Based on the comparable youth labor programs and environmental youth employment programs as well as data results, the following program enhancements are recommended for consideration: embrace and extend the core youth workforce development benefits of the program, strengthen YCC Alumni relations and networking opportunities, increase racial diversity, and conduct annual and multi-year assessments.
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    Recover Delaware: Focus on Funding
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-09) McGregor, Kirsten; Mix, Troy
    To support COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, the federal government has allocated unprecedented funding amounts directly to local governments and to federal grant programs addressing priorities ranging from housing, infrastructure, and premium worker pay to economic development, hazard mitigation, and resilience planning. Leveraging these funds for maximum impact will require a strategic approach informed by knowledge of community needs, funding opportunities, and guidelines. This Recover Delaware brief aims to inform efforts by Delaware’s state and local governments to strategize and prioritize recovery investments, with a focus on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated directly to governments through the U.S. Treasury.
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    Recover Delaware Roundtable #4: Networks for Resilience and Recovery
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-09) Swallow, Danielle
    The COVID-19 pandemic tested local resilience in many ways—including straining social infrastructure such as schools and healthcare systems, exposing gaps in broadband internet access, and altering supply chains and how households and individuals access essential commercial and government services. Delaware’s recovery from the pandemic presents many opportunities for our communities to take stock of lessons learned and apply this knowledge to future planning that builds resilience to the next event. Networks bring a variety of individuals, groups, and organizations together around overlapping and shared interests. They contribute to the creation of social capital that can support disaster response and recovery. Social capital refers to the extent to which an individual involves themselves in different informal networks, as well as formal civic organizations. This social capital adds capacity and extends the reach of governmental response and recovery efforts.
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    Recommendations for State of Delaware GIS Coordination and Governance
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-08) Mix, Troy; Scott, Marcia; Schenk, Ellen; Bruce, Sade; Wicks, Carolann
    To address the lack of "consistent Geographic Information System (GIS) governance within the State," the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA) partnered with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the Office of State Planning Coordination (OSPC) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to complete a study of Delaware’s approach to GIS governance. This study considered Delaware’s current and historic use and governance of geospatial data and applications; background research on GIS coordination and governance models used by other states; responses from a survey of Delaware GIS stakeholders; and findings from semi-structured interviews with Delaware Geographic Data Committee (DGDC) participants and other Delaware GIS stakeholders on the current and potential functioning of statewide GIS governance.
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    Recover Delaware Roundtable #3: Food Security
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-08-09) Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy
    Ensuring that communities have secure access, availability, and affordability of food resources is crucial to a government’s emergency management and preparedness. This brief offers an introduction to the concept of food security and tools for government to support community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
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    Recover Delaware Roundtable #2: Digitization
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-07-13) Cohen, Morgan; Willard, Collin; Mix, Troy
    From remote work and telehealth appointments to grocery deliveries and virtual public meetings, key business, community, and household activities have been digitized as a COVID-19 mitigation strategy. As we emerge from the pandemic, these developments will not suddenly disappear. This document outlines digitization trends for governments and community groups to consider in recovery planning.
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    Green > Grey: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications for Delaware GreenInfrastructure Landscape
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2021-07-08) Barnes, Philip; O'Hanlon, Julia; Matera, Madison
    Beginning in fiscal year 2021, the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration (IPA), in partnership with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), began a year-long work plan devoted to green infrastructure. Applied research and public service components included outreach to various stakeholders, facilitation of a virtual workshop, and the development of resources designed to provide information on the challenges, opportunities, policy implications, and best practices of green infrastructure approaches in Delaware. This brief summarizes policy implications for Delaware's green infrastructure landscape and highlights additional best practices.
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    Delaware's Climate Change Programming
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2020-08) Barnes, Philip J.; Akiba, Kohei
    Interviews were conducted with local officials in Delaware to understand how they acquire knowledge of climate impacts and whether that knowledge informs local development and administrative decisions. The analysis shows that climate education and training programs offered by the state (mostly the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control—DNREC) and its partners are able to communicate climate information, but first-hand observation and experience with climate impacts (flooding, heat) were frequently cited by interviewees. Despite this knowledge, and despite several instances of climate planning, climate-informed decision making and implementation is not occurring for a variety of reasons including deficits in local technical capacity, uncertainty around administrative and policy strategies for implementing climate-informed development, and a high demand for municipal resources that must manage the near term day-to-day activities and permitting processes. To advance climate-informed development and local administration, a program should be created that would pair state resources with willing communities. The program and the state-community partnership should establish a publicly-engaged process that seeks to transition the community from the climate planning phase into implementation (new ordinances, codes, policy, etc.).
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    Mapping Delawarean’s Basic Needs: Asset Mapping Shows Need and Opportunity for Streamlined Service Provision
    (Institute for Public Administration, 2020-06-01) Moore, Leann; Brice, Dabney; Sherretz, Kelly
    This brief is the culmination of the Institute for Public Administration’s work with the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Prepared for the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL), this brief begins by describing the current process to accessing social services in Delaware, the barriers for accessing services, and recommendations to streamline service provision. This work was completed through the lens of Delaware librarians, who serve as liaisons between the general public and the social services they seek. The brief is meant to update partner organizations on the current work of Delaware Libraries and seek out partners’ engagement moving forward.
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    Planning for Complete Communities in Delaware: Support, Development, Promotion, and Maintenance of the Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox
    (2017-06) Pragg, Sarah; Scott, Marcia; Stanko, Haley; White, Tim
    In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the Planning for Complete Communities in Delaware Phase IV project initiated strategic Delaware Complete Communities Planning Toolbox promotion and dissemination to publicize aspects and features of the website and determine what content is useful and which features need to be modified or augmented. This report details the work completed in the 18-month project period between July 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016.
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    Successful Transitions Initiative: Delaware Youth Opportunities Initiative
    (2011-09) Flynn, James; Ospanova, Gauhar; Moreland, Lisa
    In September 2011, former Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner and the Policy Consensus Initiative (PCI ) — a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working with leaders to create collaborative processes and harness resources from public, private, and civic centers — contracted with IPA to facilitate and provide coordinating services for their Successful Transitions Initiative (STI). This report documents the key phases of STI’s development to date: from its inception, initiated and funded by PCI and Governor Minner, to its merging with other concurrent activities and subsequent transformation as a true collaboration among partners working toward a statewide comprehensive implementation plan that addresses the needs of and improves the outcomes for Delaware’s transitioning youth. This report documents the key phases of STI’s development to date: from its inception, initiated and funded by PCI and Governor Minner, to its merging with other concurrent activities and subsequent transformation as a true collaboration among partners working toward a statewide comprehensive implementation plan that addresses the needs of and improves the outcomes for Delaware’s transitioning youth.
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    2016 Funding and Technical Assistance Handbook for Delaware Local Governments
    (2016-02) Scoglietti, Alexa; Eisenhart, Scott; Singh, Saran; Tierney, Gemma; Wollaston, Martin; Scott, Marcia
    The Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware is pleased to provide an updated 2016 Funding and Technical Assistance Handbook for Delaware Local Governments. The handbook is another resource developed by IPA for Delaware local governments that are seeking assistance in the form of grants, loans, technical assistance, training, and advisory services. The 2016 edition of the handbook is being made available online in portable document format (PDF). The handbook will be updated bi-annually and maintained as a digital document. Because many financial and technical assistance programs are subject to change based on federal or state legislation, appropriations, or budget allocation decisions, potential applicants are advised to call the respective contact person listed for each assistance program. The handbook is organized into four sections. The first section lists federal programs that have traditionally provided technical assistance or funding opportunities to Delaware local governments. For more comprehensive information on federal funding opportunities, please refer to the online Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov and www.grants.gov. The second section contains information on state programs that provide funding or technical assistance. The third section provides information on public service programs through the University of Delaware that provide local government assistance. The final section highlights funding opportunities from organizations that cannot be categorized in the previous sections, such as regional and local nonprofit organizations. IPA would like to acknowledge and thank all the agency contacts who graciously provided updated program information for the 2016 edition, particularly the Office of State Planning and Coordination. The 2016 Funding and Technical Assistance Handbook for Delaware Local Governments was prepared by a team of IPA staff and student “Public Administration Fellows.” Alexa Scoglietti coordinated the project along with Public Administration Fellows Scott Eisenhart, Saran Singh, and Gemma Tierney. IPA staff involved with this handbook included Policy Scientists Martin Wollaston and Marcia Scott. Finally, thanks also goes to IPA Director Jerome Lewis who allocated staffing resources for creating and updating the handbook, Policy Scientist Lisa Moreland and Associate Policy Scientist William DeCoursey for editing, and Policy Specialist II Sarah Pragg for her assistance in designing the handbook.
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    Technopolitical Regimes and Climate Change: A Transcript of an Interview with the Carbon Cycle
    (New Vision for Public Affairs, 2014-05) Barnes, Philip
    Despite the urgent response that climate change demands, debate over climate change policy goes round and round without showing signs that it can rest long enough for action to be taken. Meanwhile, the situation with the atmospheric commons continues to deteriorate. In a desperate attempt to constructively contribute to the climate change debate and break through the morass, this paper engages with Act or Network Theory which affords practitioners the freedom to dialogue with the non-human. The result is a transcription of an interview with The Carbon Cycle. Using the concept of the technopolitical regime, The Carbon Cycle identifies two broadly defined philosophies that humans use to frame climate change policy. The two technopolitical regimes, what The Carbon Cycle calls the Interventionists and the Egalitarians, are informed by conflicting values. According to The Carbon Cycle, humans will need to face the difficult challenge of negotiating a policy response to climate change that lies somewhere between the interventionist and the egalitarian strategies. Depending on the policy approach taken, the implications for society-nature relationships and democratic governance are radically different and are teased out in this conversation.
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    Beyond 18: Ready by 21 Services for Delaware's Youth Who Have Experienced Foster Care
    (2012-09-28) Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families
    In response to House Joint Resolution (HJR) No. 18, this report serves as an analysis and provides recommendations for creating a developmentally appropriate, fully integrated system of independent-living services, housing and financial assistance for youth who have experienced foster care in Delaware. This system shall be referred to as “Ready by 21.”
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    “Aging Out” of Foster Care – Background and Resources Brief
    (2012-06-22) O’Hanlon, Julia; Sherretz, Kelly L.; Wessel, Evan
    This issue brief provides an overview and assessment of current data resources and general trends related to the national and statewide population who are “aging out” of foster care. It is designed to provide information to state officials, community leaders, members of the Delaware Youth Opportunities Initiative (DYOI), and other stakeholders involved in the development of strategies and policy recommendations for improved service and program delivery for those who are aging out of foster care in Delaware. Future briefs and reports may expand on the information presented and identify additional opportunities for resource expansion and comprehensive data-collection efforts.
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    Delaware Environmental Scan: Delaware Youth Opportunities Initiative
    (2011-07-19) O'Hanlon, Julia; Miller, Julie; Clark, Amy; Ospanova, Gauhar
    In partnership with the Delaware Center for Justice and Delaware State University, IPA’s key objective for the scan was to identify the state’s strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in resources and services currently available for the state’s youth aging out of foster care. Ultimately, the scan will provide a better understanding of the issues involved and help create appropriate strategies and action items that address the primary policy goals of the Delaware Youth Opportunities Initiative.
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    Healthy & Walkable Communities
    (2007-09-21T18:24:58Z) Lehman, Megan Dively; Boyle, Michelle; DeCoursey, William J.; Mix, Troy
    This document is intended to serve as a resource for Delaware municipalities wishing to improve the walkability of their towns and, in so doing, the activity levels and health of their residents. In addition to conducting research, IPA staff and students are working with a handful of Delaware towns to identify a study area. Each study area is jointly walked and assessed with regard to its strengths and deficiencies. Phase one of this project will be completed in June 2007, with each municipality having received a written report with suggested implementation items from IPA. Also, potential sources of funding will be identified. During phase two, and possible subsequent phases, the Healthy/Walkable Communities team will offer continued assistance to the initial set of towns and begin the process with new communities.