KC 's Innovate 311 Recognized Nationally

Across the United States, public servants are finding new, innovative ways to solve complex problems and better serve their communities. '50 States, 50 Breakthroughs', published today, brings those stories into the spotlight - celebrating the most pioneering public sector projects, and the people behind them, that are driving toward better government in the United States.

The showcase, a collaboration between Apolitical, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and Humans of Public Service, features a project from every US state, plus Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Together, the case studies demonstrate how innovation is happening at every level of government - from local to federal - and everything from digital transformation and citizen engagement to quantum, energy and AI.

• ●Kansas City's Innovate 311 has been selected as Missouri's featured innovation in 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs-a new national showcase highlighting one breakthrough public service project from every U.S. state (plus Washington, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico).
• ●Innovate 311 is redesigning Kansas City's 311 service request experience from a human-centered, data-informed perspective-improving transparency, strengthening accountability across handoffs, and helping residents feel like true partners in keeping the city running.
• ●From an inventive childcare approach that boosts productivity to AI toolkits that review legislation, the case studies showcased on 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs deliver real-world impact in the public sector. The showcase is created by Apolitical, the National Academy of Public Administration, and Humans of Public Service, and reviewed by a panel of expert practitioners and leaders from across the public service ecosystem

Innovate 311 bridges the gap between a resident's service request and the complex government work required to resolve it. Today, requests move through multiple departments and contractors with limited transparency and confusing jargon, which can make the city feel unresponsive and weaken trust.

This breakthrough is a human-centered, data-informed digital transformation project led by a newly formed 311 Innovation Project Team - a cross-department, multidisciplinary coalition that breaks down silos and models for future collaborative problem-solving. By using advanced data practices and emerging technologies, including AI, Kansas City is shifting from reactive service to anticipatory governance, with culturally responsive analysis to better reflect resident needs. They are redesigning workflows to ensure clear ownership, confirmed handoffs, and fully resolved requests, while improving communication through smarter defaults, such as opt-out status updates. The result is a replicable 311 model that strengthens engagement, trust, and service delivery.

"Kansas City has always been a place where innovation meets action, and Innovate 311 is an example of this," said Mayor Quinton Lucas. "By putting residents at the center of how we design city services, we're rebuilding trust and showing that government can be both responsive and transparent. I'm proud of our team's work to transform 311 into a model that other cities can learn from, and grateful for this national recognition of their efforts."

More about 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs

"At a time when trust in government matters deeply, 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs show what effective, innovative public service looks like in action," said James-Christian Blockwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Academy of Public Administration. "These solutions improve outcomes in our state and local communities and offer powerful examples that strengthen public service nationwide."

Brian Whittaker, Executive Director of Humans of Public Service, added, "Reading these stories fills us with pride. Public servants across the country are deeply committed to their communities and are finding new, thoughtful ways to serve them better."

Projects were reviewed by a panel of expert practitioners and leaders from across the public service ecosystem - spanning government, academia, technology and civic innovation. Drawing on deep experience in public sector leadership, scalable impact and innovative technologies, the reviewers helped identify initiatives demonstrating real-world impact, originality and potential to be adapted and scaled by governments nationwide. Together, they offer an encouraging view of what the future of government in the U.S. can look like.

"This is about celebrating the people inside U.S. public service who are-often quietly-delivering extraordinary impact," said Cori Zarek, Vice President of North America at Apolitical. "Across the country, public servants are finding new ways to solve complex problems and serve their communities better. The 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs list is our way of celebrating that innovation - and making sure these ideas get the attention they deserve."

The launch is followed by a live virtual event on Feb. 12 bringing together public servants, partners and the wider public service community to explore, and celebrate, key case studies from '50 States, 50 Breakthroughs'. Attendees will learn how the breakthrough ideas can be scaled and sustained for better government across the country - and the world.

50 States, 50 Breakthroughs is available now on Apolitical's platform.

Register for the launch event on February 12th.