Is California’s state government up to the task of steering the world’s eighth-largest economy toward a successful future? A growing number of people inside and outside of government are saying it’s not. Pointing to current and looming problems in areas from education to environmental protection and infrastructure, a diverse chorus is calling for fundamental changes in the State’s governance systems.

Making those changes happen is the goal of a nonpartisan initiative called California Forward. Established with funding from five major California foundations, including the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, California Forward aims to advance “citizen-driven solutions” to the problems and challenges facing California today. Among the organization’s top priorities: smarter budgeting and fiscal management, more representative government, and higher-quality public services.

California Forward’s recently launched Web site lays out its mission and goals. “For California to meet the challenges of the coming decades - in the areas of healthcare, education, the environment and economic growth, among others - the state will need to dramatically change how public decisions are made and how public dollars are spent,” the Web site states.

Co-chairing the effort are Thomas V. McKernan, chief executive officer of the Automobile Club of Southern California, and Leon E. Panetta, founder and director of the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy at California State University Monterey Bay. The foundations supporting California Forward are The California Endowment, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. To date, the organization has launched campaigns to improve California’s legislative redistricting and initiative processes, and to reform state campaign finance laws.

Those seeking more information about California Forward can contact Toby Ewing at California Forward or Cheryl Rogers at the Haas, Jr. Fund.