The Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) is an organization that works closely with officials and employees from state and local governments in the U.S. state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and internationally to help them achieve their missions and improve public service. CVIOG is a unit of the Office of Public Service and Outreach at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

(UGA) in

Athens, Georgia Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...

. The Institute of Government offers training programs for public officials and staff, conducts research on a broad range of questions relevant to state and local governments, and provides assistance to help those governments and agencies run more efficiently and effectively.

History

Originally established at the University of Georgia as the Institute of Public Affairs in 1927, the organization was charged with providing “a forum to study international, national, state, and local affairs and to make recommendations for improved governance.” It combined research, technical assistance, training, and publications. Over the course of the following decades, the Institute of Public Affairs expanded to address the needs of the state’s rising population, and it underwent several name changes—Institute for the Study of Georgia Problems (1938), Institute of Law and Government (1953), and Institute of Government (1965). The organization finally became the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in 1983 when it was renamed in honor of Georgia Representative

Carl Vinson Carl Vinson (November 18, 1883 – June 1, 1981) was an American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over 50 years and was influential in the 20th century expansion of the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the Democratic ...

, who served in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for more than 50 years. The Vinson Institute moved its headquarters to its current location at the historic Lucy Cobb Complex in 1991. It also maintains offices on other parts of the UGA campus and in Atlanta, Georgia, near the

Georgia State Capitol The Georgia State Capitol is an architecturally and historically significant building in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The building has been named a National Historic Landmark which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As t ...

Divisions

*Director's Office *Governmental Training, Education, and Development *Information Technology Outreach Services *Office of Communications *Office of Finance & Administration *State Services and Decision Support *Strategic Operations and Planning Assistance

Areas of Service

The Institute of Government provides:

Assistance

The Institute of Government conducts a variety of assistance programs to help governments and agencies improve their operations and plan for the future. Many of these programs are geared toward promoting efficient and effective service delivery. Faculty at the institute also perform program evaluation for departments and agencies within Georgia’s state and local governments. There is a human resource management group that conducts classification and compensation studies, executive searches, promotional testing for public safety organizations, and other HR-related functions. The local government studies group performs annexation and consolidation studies, service delivery studies, departmental reviews, tax equity studies, and other projects about the issues facing cities and counties. The Office of Information Technology Outreach Services (ITOS) assists government entities with the use of

geographic information system A geographic information system (GIS) is a type of database containing Geographic data and information, geographic data (that is, descriptions of phenomena for which location is relevant), combined with Geographic information system software, sof ...

(GIS) technology through application development, digital mapping, database creation, and more.

Training and Development

The Institute of Government provides training and professional development to thousands of public officials and employees in Georgia annually. The training takes a variety of forms in order to develop participants’ leadership, talents, knowledge, and skills. Local government training programs are designed for county commissioners, city council members, mayors, city and county managers and planners, municipal and county clerks, financial managers, and others involved in local government. The institute also conducts specific training for newly elected officials in city and county governments. At the Georgia state level, the Institute of Government has coordinated the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators since 1958. Every two years following General Assembly elections, the members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate meet and attend information sessions pertaining to significant, timely issues. These sessions are conducted by Institute of Government faculty, veteran lawmakers and staff, agency administrators, and subject experts. The Institute of Government also coordinates the Georgia Legislative Leadership Institute (GLLI), an extension of the Biennial Institute. Developed and authorized by the Georgia General Assembly Training Institute, GLLI forms the core of a leadership development program for newer members of the state legislature. The institute also operates the Georgia Leadership Institute (GLI), which provides leadership development for managers and executives in Georgia’s state agencies.

Applied Research

Research faculty at the Institute of Government provide objective, timely information to policymakers and decision makers to aid them in their work. They design and conduct customized studies to collect data, gauge opinion through surveys, evaluate programs, and more. Areas of study include, but are not limited to, demography, the environment, public opinion, economic impact, and legislative policy.

International Services

The Institute offers international services to work to help nations in transition strengthen governance and administrative capability. Through instructional programs, technical assistance, and research, faculty and staff work to develop more efficient, transparent, and responsive governments.

Student Involvement

The Institute of Government engages undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Georgia in its work through a variety of programs. The Vinson Fellows Program is an undergraduate internship through which students are paired with faculty-mentors and gain real world experience in state and local government. The Institute of Government also coordinates the Georgia Legislative Intern Program (GLIP), a statewide program that involves undergraduates in the work of the Georgia General Assembly. The institute cosponsors UGA’s

Master of Public Administration The Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm., M.P.A., or MPA) is a specialized higher professional post graduate degree in public administration, similar/ equivalent to the Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the issues of ...

(MPA) program with the

University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs The School of Public and International Affairs, also referred to as SPIA, is a political science, international affairs and public policy school within The University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia, United States. It is the fourth ranked ...

External links

*{{official website
Carl Vinson Institute of Government
at ''

New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System o ...

'' University of Georgia 1927 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)