The Council of State Governments

Government Operations

As state budgets are stretched, states are being asked to do more with less, and job pressures for public officials are increasing. While term limits were designed to increase accountability and diversity, the high turnover caused by term limits has, in some cases, led to loss of institutional memory.

Both government and citizens are demanding greater efficiency, and consumer-driven approaches to government are gaining popularity. As a result, states are looking for ways to restructure government and institute performance measures to increase efficiency. CSG is continually working to provide state officials with guidance for government operations.

Resources

State Legislation
State Programs
Interstate Compacts
CSG Publications

government operations: Interstate compacts

Emergency Management Assistance Compact

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) provides for mutual assistance between the states entering into the compact in managing any emergency or disaster that is declared by the governor of the affected state or states, whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, man-made disaster, civil emergency aspects of resources shortages, community disorders, insurgency or enemy attack. This compact shall also provide for mutual cooperation in emergency-related exercises, testing or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by party states or subdivisions of party states during emergencies, such actions occurring outside actual declared emergency periods. Mutual assistance in this compact may include the use of the states' National Guard forces, either in accordance with the National Guard Mutual Assistance Compact or by mutual agreement between states.

Member states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV

Interstate Insurance Receivership Compact

The purpose of the compact is to develop more uniform and coordinated approaches to dealing with insolvent insurance companies, and particularly multistate insurers. The compact establishes a commission to oversee and monitor insurer receiverships. The commissioners would be appointed by each member state. All states are eligible to join the compact. It becomes effective when two states enact it into law. It does not reference congressional consent.

Member states: IL, MI, NE

Visit the National Center for Interstate Compacts for more information!

government Operations: state legislation

Suggested State Legislation

government operations: state programs

Innovations Awards

Winner - Illinois - 2005 - Shared Services Model

State legal services, internal audits, facilities management, fleet management, information technology and media relations functions have been consolidated into the Department of Central Management Services (CMS), centralizing and standardizing the states’ procurement process and saving Illinois hundreds of millions of dollars.

Winner - Iowa - 2004 - Charter Agencies

Under this program, six agency directors volunteer to sign agreements with the governor promising to meet specific performance goals. In exchange, the directors are granted greater flexibility and more authority to run their agencies in a manner that will achieve the performance goals, including making their own decisions about personnel, purchasing and technology.

Winner - New York - 2004 - Health Emergency Response Data System (HERDS)

Serving as a central repository of information related to health emergencies, the system identifies human resources and hospital assets that can be directed to enhance responses. HERDS is linked to the state health department’s communications directory and notification system to provide backup and integration within the department’s overall emergency communications structure.

Winner - Washington - 2004 - Priorities of Government (POG)

This program establishes results-oriented priorities for state services to help develop the state budget based on what citizens expect from state government. Lawmakers propose results they believe citizens want from government, establish priorities and allocate funds accordingly in a strategic approach to state government budgeting.

Alternate - Virginia - 2005 - Council on Virginia’s Future

Developed to create a new policymaking framework for the 21st century, the program balances continuous improvement of the daily delivery of services to citizens with breakthrough thinking to effect long-term, positive quality-of-life changes.

Alternate - Florida - 2004 - State Emergency Operations Center Mapper

Within 15 to 30 minutes after impending and current disaster information is received in the emergency operations center, the data is available online statewide to emergency responders and the public.

Alternate - Washington - 2003 - Strategic Forecast Support System

This program integrates proven emergency management tools, such as Geographic Information Systems, the Federal Emergency Management Information System and satellite data, to identify and assess all hazards in the state.

Finalist - Massachusetts - 2005 - Shared Services Model Hiring Reform Program

This program sought to fix a redundant, expensive, prolonged and frustrating hiring process. By forming a partnership with state agencies, utilizing technology and assuming more of an oversight role, the Human Resources Division developed a set of new hiring guidelines that reduced the hiring time by 85 percent.

Finalist - Michigan - 2005 - Statewide Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition Initiative

This partnership among the governor's office, the Department of Human Services and communities throughout Michigan provides affordable, ethical access to tax preparation services to the working poor that yields a cost-effective method enabling eligible workers to increase household income by gaining federal and state tax refunds.

Finalist - California - 2004 - Rent Reduction Program

This proactive strategy to reduce the cost of leased state facilities includes such actions as terminating leases, reducing the amount of space under lease, consolidating leased space, backfilling excess space before adding new space, and negotiating rapid rent reductions with current lessors.

Finalist - Delaware - 2004 - Partner$ in Procurement

Using Internet auctions, leveraged procurement practices and sophisticated electronic tracking to save money on state purchases of goods and services, this program helps ensure the state is buying the products it needs while saving money.

Finalist - Iowa - 2004 - Construction Permitting Business Improvement Program

This program streamlines the process of issuing construction permits by eliminating unnecessary steps, adopting more user-friendly application forms, and implementing a hotline. These actions have reduced the average time for issuing a permit from 62 to 11 days.

Finalist - Iowa - 2004 - Iowa Excellence

Using techniques from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program to improve state agency performance, this program includes rigorous agency self-assessments and planning.

Finalist - Minnesota - 2004 - Negotiations Module

A central system that provides a range of work force information, contract costing tools and final contract settlement reports directly to management teams before, during and after contract negotiations with labor unions, this program allows for one-click work force information for use in reporting to customers.

Finalist - Missouri - 2004 - Department of Insurance Licensing Section Self-Directed Work Team Program

This program reorganized the Missouri Department of Insurance Licensing section from a traditional supervisor decision-making model into three teams of six or seven licensing technicians who work under a team leader.

Finalist - New York - 2004 - Transitional Opportunities Program (TOP)

This program provides special services to help low-income families transition from public assistance to the work force, serving working families with active cash assistance cases and those families that have transitioned off of cash assistance due to earnings.

Finalist - South Dakota - 2004 - Rapid City Skills Development Center

This center is a one-stop shop that helps welfare recipients prepare for, find and keep jobs. Staff provides basic skills training, intensive pre-employment training, individualized counseling on personal and work matters, life enhancement and marketable work skills, career planning and job search assistance.

Finalist - Florida - 2003 - Global Match

Through cooperation between the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, this program allows the use of “global match” in lieu of cash match for disaster recovery funds from FEMA. It provides a creative and effective way for greater leveraging of existing efforts by state and local governments in pursuit of disaster relief and related projects.

Finalist - Ohio - 2003 - Project Employee

This program creates a new category of appointed state employees which allows state agencies to hire union workers to fill short-term positions created through state and federal grants. The new designation avoids some of the more cumbersome aspects of the traditional hiring process, benefiting both state agencies and unions.

Finalist - Ohio - 2003 - Parks Subcontracting Process

This process is designed to determine when it is more economical and efficient to contract work out, and when it’s best to use existing staff. The process was developed through a collaborative agreement between labor and management in the Department of Natural Resources.

Finalist - Pennsylvania - 2003 - Center for Work Force Information and Analysis New Hire Data Mart

This program provides functional access to the center’s employment data to increase the effectiveness of new hire reporting in Pennsylvania. To accomplish this goal, several data sources are extracted, transformed and loaded into the center’s centralized data mart.

Finalist - South Dakota - 2003 - Electronic Vital Records and Screening System

This comprehensive Internet-accessible data system is designed to collect vital records, such as birth, death, marriage and divorce records, as well as newborn metabolic and hearing screening data. This system handles the business functions of the State Vital Records Office and local registrars, including issuance of certified copies, accounting, document tracking, modifications and preservation of records.

Finalist - Washington - 2003 - Barrier-Free Checklist for Leased Facilities

This program is used by state government to make leased facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. General Administration and tenant agencies use the checklist to assess accessibility when initially leasing space, renewing leases, evaluating accessibility in existing facilities and in planning barrier removal.

Finalist - Washington - 2003 - Utilization and Cost Containment Initiative

This program was designed to find inefficiencies and lower expenditures in the state’s Medicaid program, without reducing benefits or eligibility. This initiative saved the state $50 million between July 2001 and June 2003.

Finalist - Wisconsin - 2003 - I Owe You Campaign

This marketing campaign targets veterans, providing information about state and federal benefits available to them. The campaign’s slogan is “You served me when I called, now it is time for me to help you.”

Government Operations

Emergency Management Assistance Compact

Member states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV

Interstate Insurance Receivership Compact

Member states: IL, MI, NE

Visit the National Center for Interstate Compacts for more information!

Suggested State Legislation

Innovations Awards

Developed to create a new policymaking framework for the 21st century, the program balances continuous improvement of the daily delivery of services to citizens with breakthrough thinking to effect long-term, positive quality-of-life changes.

Within 15 to 30 minutes after impending and current disaster information is received in the emergency operations center, the data is available online statewide to emergency responders and the public.

This program integrates proven emergency management tools, such as Geographic Information Systems, the Federal Emergency Management Information System and satellite data, to identify and assess all hazards in the state.

This proactive strategy to reduce the cost of leased state facilities includes such actions as terminating leases, reducing the amount of space under lease, consolidating leased space, backfilling excess space before adding new space, and negotiating rapid rent reductions with current lessors.

Using Internet auctions, leveraged procurement practices and sophisticated electronic tracking to save money on state purchases of goods and services, this program helps ensure the state is buying the products it needs while saving money.

This program streamlines the process of issuing construction permits by eliminating unnecessary steps, adopting more user-friendly application forms, and implementing a hotline. These actions have reduced the average time for issuing a permit from 62 to 11 days.

Using techniques from the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program to improve state agency performance, this program includes rigorous agency self-assessments and planning.

This program reorganized the Missouri Department of Insurance Licensing section from a traditional supervisor decision-making model into three teams of six or seven licensing technicians who work under a team leader.

This program provides special services to help low-income families transition from public assistance to the work force, serving working families with active cash assistance cases and those families that have transitioned off of cash assistance due to earnings.

Through cooperation between the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Federal

This process is designed to determine when it is more economical and efficient to contract work out, and when it’s best to use existing staff. The process was developed through a collaborative agreement between labor and management in the Department of Natural Resources.

This program provides functional access to the center’s employment data to increase the effectiveness of new hire reporting in Pennsylvania. To accomplish this goal, several data sources are extracted, transformed and loaded into the center’s centralized data mart.

This program was designed to find inefficiencies and lower expenditures in the state’s Medicaid program, without reducing benefits or eligibility. This initiative saved the state $50 million between July 2001 and June 2003.

This marketing campaign targets veterans, providing information about state and federal benefits available to them. The campaign’s slogan is “You served me when I called, now it is time for me to help you.”

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

“Right to Know vs. Need to Know: States Are Re-Examining Their Public-Records Laws in the Wake of Sept. 11,” State Government News, Jan. 2004.

Special Report: Legislative Civility—Can It Survive Polarized Voters and Contentious Politics? CSG-WEST, Winter 2004.

2003