Services
& Research
- - Services & Research
  - - Leaders throughout the state can improve operations and plan effectively for the future with the help of practical, customized assistance that we provide. This assistance takes a variety of forms, from economic development to human resources management and planning and environmental services.
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- - Economic Development
    - - Economic Development
      - Governments seeking assistance with their economic development activities turn to us for specialized services such as research, technical assistance and training. We can help provide the building blocks for your community’s overall economic development efforts.
        Visit Economic Development
  - Fiscal & Economic Analysis
    - - Fiscal & Economic Analysis
      - We analyze cost allocation and create fiscal impact studies to analyze the fiscal and economic impact on your government.
        Visit Fiscal & Economic Analysis
  - Strategic Facilitation
    - - Strategic Facilitation
      - Every government organization needs a plan to guide its use of resources including employee time and use of funds. We help governments develop their strategic plans and facilitate a wide variety of decision making meetings.
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  - Planning & Environmental Services
    - - Planning & Environmental Services
      - Government and community leaders planning for growth and addressing challenging environmental issues can make better informed decisions and craft innovative solutions with our help. Faculty expertise includes land use planning, downtown revitalization, environmental management, and corridor planning and design.
        Visit Planning & Environmental Services
  - Human Resources Management
    - - Human Resources Management
      - Whether a government wants to ensure that its employees are being paid in line with current standards, carry out an executive search, or establish up-to-date promotional testing, our human resources management faculty are ready to offer expertise and experience that can help.
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  - Survey Research & Evaluation
    - - Survey Research & Evaluation
      - We provide timely support for policy research and technical assistance activities for state and local governments as well as for other university programs. Our evaluation experts are skilled at assessing the effectiveness of different endeavors, from individual programs to interdepartmental or even system wide efforts.
        Visit Survey Research & Evaluation
  - Applied Demography
    - - Applied Demography
      - We provide Georgia leaders at all levels of government with regularly updated and consistent population data. This data is needed for informing their policy decisions, which range from aging to zoning.
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  - State & Local Government Services
    - - State & Local Government Services
      - State and local government leaders come to us for reliable, objective information, customized assistance, and government expertise that provide insights into the issues they face. State and local government leaders can benefit from insights and information that might otherwise be unavailable if not for our customized, comprehensive studies on such issues as annexation, tax and expenditure, financials, and local government consolidation.
        Visit State & Local Government Services
  - Workforce Development
    - - Workforce Development
      - Promoting excellence in government means helping governments and community leaders lay a foundation for economic growth and job creation. Our workforce development services range from customized technical assistance to training and professional development.
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Training
& Education
- - Training & Education
  - - Each year, thousands of elected and appointed government officials and administrators enroll in continuing education opportunities offered by the Institute of Government. These officials and administrators take part in over 600 training and education courses that improve their knowledge and skills. Participants benefit from the advanced instructional tools and broad expertise that our instructors bring to all of their education and professional development programs.
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- - Leadership Development
    - - Leadership Development
      - State agencies and local governments can create a leadership training curriculum customized to their needs. They can choose from an array of leadership classes designed and taught by our faculty.
        Visit Leadership Development
  - Economic Development Training
    - - Economic Development Training
      - We offer economic development professionals, development authority and downtown development authority board members, chambers of commerce, and government officials across Georgia an opportunity to participate in training courses that focus on subjects critical to economic development.
        Visit Economic Development Training
  - Workforce Development
    - - Workforce Development
      - Promoting excellence in government means helping governments and community leaders lay a foundation for economic growth and job creation. We provide training and professional development as part of of our workforce development services.
        Visit Workforce Development
  - Financial Training
    - - Financial Training
      - We offer a variety of financial training programs for city, county, state, and school system finance and office personnel. Trainings can improve their financial management skills or help them to earn certification.
        Visit Financial Training
  - Human Resources Training
    - - Human Resources Training
      - Human Resources professionals can benefit from our training programs that are offered in partnership with GLGPA. We also offer online training opportunities in addition to a 360-degree assessment and executive coaching.
        Visit Human Resources Training
  - Schools
    - - Schools
      - Board of education members can enhance their leadership skills and knowledge of school governance through a six-module training program. The program fulfills the annual training requirements set by the Georgia Department of Education.
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  - Online Courses
    - - Online Courses
      - Our online training courses combine the quality training associated with the Institute of Government with the flexibility to meet the needs of busy government employees and elected officials. These courses allow students to progress through their chosen courses at their own pace and on their own schedules without the travel time and related travel expenses commonly accompanying traditional classroom training courses.
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  - Custom Training & Special Topics
    - - Custom Training & Special Topics
      - We offer a variety of special workshops that are customized to your specific needs for different levels of employees in both state and local governments. Think of special topic workshops as made-to-order training opportunities that can be mixed and matched from our comprehensive menu of courses to fit your needs. Choose only the courses you need so your limited resources have the maximum impact.
        Visit Custom Training & Special Topics
  - Government Professionals Certificate Programs
    - - Government Professionals Certificate Programs
      - We offer a variety of training courses to help government professionals become certified in their respective fields.
        Visit Government Professionals Certificate Programs
  - Appointed Board Member Training
    - - Appointed Board Member Training
      - Appointed Board Members may be required to complete training as part of their role. Our training focuses on what you need to know to best complete your duties as a Board Member while helping to fulfill mandated training requirements.
        Visit Appointed Board Member Training
  - Legislative
    - - Legislative
      - Instruction provided to the Georgia General Assembly in the form of training and advanced skill development helps members navigate the world of public service.
        Visit Legislative
  - Conferences
    - - Conferences
      - We work with associations to offer conferencing and training services.
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Information
Technology
- - Information Technology
  - - State and local governments can make more informed decisions and achieve greater efficiency in their operations with the help of geographic information systems (GIS). We are a leader in GIS innovation in Georgia and nationwide while also providing custom application development and data analysis and visualization.
      Visit Information Technology
- - Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
    - - Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
      - Turn to us for digital map production, local government GIS services, and more. With our experience in the latest cartographic and data management techniques, we are Georgia's leader in GIS technology. Our specialists help government entities realize the benefits of GIS technology and smoothly integrate it into their operations.
        Visit Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  - Custom Application Development
    - - Custom Application Development
      - We design and develop custom solutions to help your organization meet its goals for web enabled software. We offer web development services to cover your needs.
        Visit Custom Application Development
  - Data Analysis & Visualization
    - - Data Analysis & Visualization
      - We provide services to assist you in discovering more from your data to make it more actionable. We can work with you to build custom ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) scripts and design databases so that data can be used for reporting or visualization. We have leveraged a self-service data analytics and visualization platform to put the power of data discovery and insight in your hands. We can work with you to extract your data from its source system. We can then load it into our analytics platform, providing you with greater flexibility for interacting with your data.
        Visit Data Analysis & Visualization
International
Center
- - International Center
  - - The International Center's instructional programs, technical assistance, and research initiatives are grounded in the Institute of Government's more than 90 years of experience working with public officials to improve governance and people's lives. The International Center works to help nations in transition strengthen municipal and administrative capability and brings scholars and practitioners to Georgia to help officials understand and respond to global trends affecting the state.
      Visit International Center
- - About
    - - About
      - Governments throughout the world seek out our International Center. The International Center provides technical assistance and comprehensive training and development programs for government officials and personnel.
        Visit About
  - Services
    - - Services
      - Governments around the world turn to our International Center for assistance and applied research in a number of critical areas, from economic development to human resource management. The same Carl Vinson Institute of Government and University of Georgia specialists who serve state and local governments in Georgia provide their expertise to help answer tough questions and tackle daunting challenges abroad.
        Visit Services
  - Short-Term Training Program
    - - Short-Term Training Program
      - Participants in the International Center's training programs benefit from a unique combination of classroom and experiential learning to help them improve their knowledge and skills. Practitioners on the ground and recognized subject matter experts provide a rich assortment of professional development opportunities designed to help public officials from all levels improve as effective administrators.
        Visit Short-Term Training Program
  - Short-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
    - - Short-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
      - International and American students and scholars can engage in a variety of enriching opportunities through the International Center. Faculty actively involve them in the International Center's work with governments around the world. The participation of students and scholars helps develop a new generation of leaders with a global outlook and cultural insights.
        Visit Short-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
  - Long-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
    - - Long-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
      - International and American students and scholars can engage in a variety of enriching opportunities through the International Center. Faculty actively involve them in the International Center's work with governments around the world. The participation of students and scholars helps develop a new generation of leaders with a global outlook and cultural insights.
        Visit Long-Term Visiting Scholar/Researcher
  - Student & Scholar Opportunities
    - - Student & Scholar Opportunities
      - International and American students and scholars can engage in a variety of enriching opportunities through the International Center. Faculty actively involve them in the International Center's work with governments around the world. The participation of students and scholars helps develop a new generation of leaders with a global outlook and cultural insights.
        Visit Student & Scholar Opportunities
  - Photo Galleries
    - - Photo Galleries
      - Visit Photo Galleries
Student
Opportunities
- - Student Opportunities
  - - Students interested in state and local government can gain valuable experience and prepare for careers in public service through a variety of undergraduate and graduate experiential learning opportunities that we offer each semester.
      Visit Student Opportunities
- - Student Opportunities
    - - Student Opportunities
      - Visit Student Opportunities
  - Vinson Fellows Program
    - - Vinson Fellows Program
      - The Vinson Institute Fellows Program is an educational opportunity for UGA's undergraduate students interested in state and local government. Through the program, students will have an opportunity to become involved in our training, applied research, and technical assistance programs and other projects for state and local governments in Georgia and internationally.
        Visit Vinson Fellows Program
  - Georgia Legislative Intern Program
    - - Georgia Legislative Intern Program
      - Students from Georgia's public and private universities and colleges gain firsthand experience in the lawmaking process through the Georgia Legislative Internship Program, coordinated by the Georgia General Assembly.
        Visit Georgia Legislative Intern Program
  - Student Employment
    - - Student Employment
      - Beyond just getting a paycheck to help contribute to living expenses or tuition, students can gain valuable experience through a part-time job. We regularly offer part-time paid employment opportunities for UGA students.
        Visit Student Employment
  - PSO Graduate Assistantship
    - - PSO Graduate Assistantship
      - The goal of the Public Service and Outreach (PSO) Graduate Assistantship Program is to grow the number of graduate assistantships in the PSO units while giving UGA graduate students more opportunities to participate in research and public service and outreach endeavors.
        Visit PSO Graduate Assistantship
About Us
- - About Us
  - - Since 1927, the Institute of Government has worked with public officials throughout Georgia and around the world to improve governance and people's lives.
      Visit About Us
- - About Us
    - - About Us
      - Visit About Us
  - History
    - - History
      - Since 1927, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government has been an integral part of the University of Georgia. A public service and outreach unit of the university, the Institute of Government is the largest and most comprehensive university-based organization serving governments in the United States.
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  - Carl Vinson Institute of Government 90th Anniversary
    - - Carl Vinson Institute of Government 90th Anniversary
      - The Carl Vinson Institute of Government has served state and local governments for 90 years. We celebrated our 90th Anniversary year in 2017 and are proud to share testimonials from our clients, stakeholders and friends.
        Visit Carl Vinson Institute of Government 90th Anniversary
  - Message from the Director
    - - Message from the Director
      - Welcome to the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s website. Read a special message from Institute Director Laura Meadows. Learn more about how the Institute serves Georgia's state and local government needs.
        Visit Message from the Director
  - Faculty/Staff
    - - Faculty/Staff
      - Meet our faculty and staff. Learn more about our team and their areas of expertise. View bios and find contact information.
        Visit Faculty/Staff
  - Frequently Asked Questions
    - - Frequently Asked Questions
      - Got questions? We've got answers! Some of our most frequently asked questions are provided to assist you. You may find what you're looking for right here.
        Visit Frequently Asked Questions
  - Employment
    - - Employment
      - The Institute of Government employs more than 140 faculty and staff who assist public officials in serving citizens in Georgia and throughout the world. Our team has a passion for public service and we are committed to promoting excellence in government.
        Visit Employment
  - Annual Report
    - - Annual Report
      - Read our latest Annual Report to see all the work we have accomplished in the past year.
        Visit Annual Report
  - Seney-Stovall Chapel
    - - Seney-Stovall Chapel
      - Built in 1882 and located on North Milledge Avenue, this unusual octagonal building has an exquisite Victorian interior. The fully restored chapel is perfect for a variety of university and community groups for plays, concerts, lectures, weddings, meetings, and other special events. The theater and Green Room (conference area) are both available to rent.
        Visit Seney-Stovall Chapel

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We promote excellence in government through education, assistance, research, and policy analysis to help public officials serve citizens in Georgia and around the world.

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In the spotlight

GCCMA educational presentations feature Institute faculty members, others

April 11, 2018

GCCMA educational presentations feature Institute faculty members, others

Marietta schools enhance career academy through Institute partnership

April 9, 2018

Marietta schools enhance career academy through Institute partnership

Code officers honored for completing Institute’s advanced training program

March 27, 2018

Code officers honored for completing Institute's advanced training program

UGA trains South Georgia’s newest mayors and city council members for government roles

March 23, 2018

UGA trains South Georgia's newest mayors and city council members for government roles

City leaders study best practices at Institute’s Newly Elected training

February 21, 2018

City leaders study best practices at Institute's Newly Elected training

Beyond the Classroom: An introduction to my semester at the Institute

February 20, 2018

Beyond the Classroom: An introduction to my semester at the Institute

Previously In the Spotlight

Events

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TuesdayApr. 249:00AM

Superior Court Clerks Conference

Register for Superior Court Clerks Conference.
SundayApr. 2912:00 PM

GMIS Spring Conference

Register for the Georgia Government Management Information Sciences (GA GMIS) Spring Conference.
MondayMay 74:00 PM

GATO Conference

Register for the Georgia Association of Tax Officials (GATO) Conference.

Latest Blog Entries

Beyond the Classroom: Making Census 2020 count for Georgia

Faculty member Matt Hauer was appointed to Georgia’s Complete Count Committee for Census 2020 in recognition of his expertise as head of the Institute’s applied demography program and his experience with the last census.
Beyond the Classroom: The CyberArch program

Recently, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government joined a pilot cybersecurity program called CyberArch to help Georgia communities address online security concerns. CyberArch is the university's first step into both researching local security concerns and evaluating the best way it can implement solutions.
Vinson Fellow to explore economic assimilation processes with faculty mentors

As an economics student interested in research, the Vinson Fellowship gives me the opportunity and resources to explore topics that I am curious about.

Publications

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