The PolicyOptions.org Initiative focus on local content distinguishes it from other public policy news sites we've seen. It's difficult to find local public policy oriented content because it's usually too time consuming (and therefore expensive) to generate it. We believe mobilizing college students to manage local PolicyOptions.org websites is what will make our approach affordable. The work of these students, coupled with user generated content (submissions from agencies that want to publicize a meeting, funding opportunity, proposed regulation or legislation, new study or book), should keep the News and Resources sections of PolicyOptions.org up-to-date with relevant content.
Our hunch is that in medium sized cities and smaller towns there simply is not that much local content to be gathered and kept up-to-date. The mayor's office has an annual budget that needs to be analyzed; there are only a handful of locally-focused community foundations, and the non-profit sector in any given area won't be so large that a team of three to five students working 10 hours a week will be able to report on their policy-related activities.
These include grant awards, new regulations or legislation, and reports and studies of various kinds.
In the start-up phase, each local information bureau will need to identify the sources of information for these and other activities. The bureau will need to join various mailing lists to receive press releases, email announcements, and other sources of regular public and non-profit information.
