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This spring alum Rashmi Singh received the University of Minnesota’s prestigious International Leadership Award for her work in the poorest neighborhoods of New Delhi. In acceptance of this award, Rashmi returned to the University of Minnesota as a visiting fellow of the Center for Integrative Leadership from October 31 – November 4, 2011. 
She spent the week not only meeting with faculty and staff from the Humphrey and Carlson Schools, but also inspiring current Humphrey students. She had a full schedule of discussions with students within the Women in Public Policy and Global Public Policy concentrations, the Humphrey International Fellows, and current Master of Public Affairs candidates.
On Thursday, November 3rd, Rashmi accepted the award from Dean Eric Schwartz in a public ceremony hosted by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
View Video of Rashmi event
Following Rashmi’s presentation, attendees gathered with each other and Rashmi to discuss what inspired them about the Mission Convergence model and what implications it has for social policy challenges in the U.S.
Rashmi received her Master of Public Affairs degree in December, 2007. She was one of Delhi’s first administrative officers selected to study in Minnesota through the Government of India’s Ministry of Personnel and Training.
Upon returning to India in 2007, Rashmi founded Mission Convergence (Samajik Suvida Sangam) in Delhi. This game-changing initiative has substantially re-engineered the delivery of human services to literally millions of Delhi’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens through a unique blend of public-private partnerships that are guided by the needs and preferences of service recipients. Mission Convergence is particularly having a substantial impact on poor women and their children in Delhi.
This video provides an overview of Mission Convergence
Gary DeCramer, Rashmi’s Humphrey School advisor, recalls visiting Rashmi in India last year and meeting with the Chief Secretary of Delhi, who described Mission Convergence as a “world model for cross sector collaboration on a scale never before imagined.”
Richa Dhanju, a Texas A&M doctoral student whose dissertation research focuses on Mission Convergence says, “[Rashmi] has led the Delhi government to reform its corrupt and inefficient welfare delivery system in favor of a transparent system based on people’s needs.”
In 2010 Mission Convergence received the Gold Medal Award for Innovation from the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, an organization representing over 50 commonwealth countries. Nominations for this Gold Medal award are judged by an international panel of public administration professionals representing ten countries.
Looking back at her graduate studies at the University of Minnesota from 2005-2007, Rashmi credits her exploration of integrative leadership and strategic planning for helping her to conceive of this new way to support low income women, children, and families in her home country.