MAI News

In cooperation with the Graduate School USA and others, MAI has co-sponsored a series of one day seminars for Federal, State and local managers and their contractors regarding the options available to help survive expected Federal budget reductions. The seminars, scheduled for December 2011 through February 2012 will discuss a wide range of alternatives that offer cost savings, investment opportunities and ways to mitigate the potential adverse impact on the public employees currently performing services.

Short of across the board budget cuts, it is not going to be easy to engage in the kinds of alternatives that will be discussed. In contrast to the position that we were in during the Clinton/Gore National Performance Review, however, we now have a large number of successful projects to rely on as examples. Discussion will also center on the need to coordinate these activities with Human Capital Planning, Budget and Acquisition Planning and the implementation of reductions-in-force, buy-outs and other Administration initiatives.

For more information or to register for the seminars, please contact:
Mr. David Childs, MAI, at (703) 506-0505.

On January 29, 2009, MAI briefed a joint session of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands House and Senate on the recommendations of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. MAI provided the analytical support for this five-year plan, which prioritized CNMI's infrastructure needs and presented a plan for attracting private investment through the innovative use of public-private partnerships.

MAI has been working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD on developing and implementing the NIH Public Access Policy to ensure the public has access to the published results of NIH funded research. The Public Access Policy requires scientists to submit final peer-reviewed journal manuscripts that arise from NIH funds to the digital archive, PubMed Central, upon acceptance for publication. In keeping with the NIH mission of advancing science and improving people's health, the Policy requires that these papers are accessible to the public on PubMed Central within 12 months of publication. MAI assisted with the development of the policy, as well as related communication and training. Additional information on NIH's Public Access Policy can be found at: http://publicaccess.nih.gov/index.htm.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be a vital tool for developing infrastructure and promoting economic growth. In most countries, lack of public sector capacity is one of the primary obstacles to successful implementation of PPPs. MAI worked in Hanoi with 52 Vietnamese government officials from the national and subnational levels, helping them to prioritize infrastructure projects and assess the requirements for public-private partnerships. This effort was part of a project organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can be a vital tool for developing infrastructure and promoting economic growth. In most countries, lack of public sector capacity is one of the primary obstacles to successful implementation of PPPs. In May 2008, MAI provided a week-long class to African government officials on PPPs for infrastructure development, including detailed discussion of the role of PPPs in economic development. Participants explored PPP structures, governance, and implementation through detailed case studies and group exercises, to provide an in-depth understanding of how PPPs might be applied to their infrastructure needs. The class was held in Kampala, Uganda, and organized by the International Law Institute's African Centre for Legal Excellence.

On May 17-18, a team of MAI employees participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life to honor the memory of our colleague, John Eggers, who we lost to cancer in March. Virtually every member of the MAI staff and the company itself participated in fundraisers, made donations, and offered equipment and supplies to the team of walkers. Northwest Federal Credit Union sponsored team t-shirts featuring a picture of John on the back. Thanks to the tremendous support of all involved, "Team JEggers" raised more than $5,000, more than doubling the original goal.

The team was joined by MAI President Art Smith, who presented MAI's memorial contribution to the cause. Mrs. Vivian Eggers, John's wife, and daughter Lisa Eggers joined the team during the inspirational luminaria ceremony.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) Committee on Economic Cooperation and Integration held the inaugural meeting of its new Team of Specialists on Public-Private Partnerships in Geneva, Switzerland. The Team of Specialists will cover the following three main areas of activity:

1. Dissemination of best practices through information sharing, promoting dialogue between the public and private sectors, advocacy of PPP development and raising awareness of the benefits of PPPs.
2. Training of public and private sector officials through development of toolkits, training modules, elaboration of national-level capacity-building programs, training workshops and seminars and facilitating knowledge transfer; and
3. Project and policy advice by assisting governments in establishing PPP Units, improving coordination among different public institutions and agencies involved in PPPs, assistance in developing PPP policies and strategies as well as identification of appropriate projects and their subsequent financing and implementation.