State Government Innovations

This page contains information on state government projects, news and reports on innovation within Minnesota.

Articles

• Retirement wave builds and with it opportunity for reform (www.twincities.com/archives) St. Paul Pioneer Press Editorial 4/12/12
• Vanek, Bergstrom, Hacking: Minnesota's pension reforms are a model for others (www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_20239229/vanek-bergstrom-hacking-minnesotas-pension-reforms-are-model?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com) St. Paul Pioneer 3/23/12
• Top marks for state in elderly care based upon report released by AARP, the Commonwealth Fund and the Scan Foundation. (www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-266791545.html) Star Tribune article by Warren Wolfe

Citizen Participation

• Better Government for a Better Minnesota (mn.gov/governor/initiatives/better-government/index.jsp) It is a mantra that is cultivating change throughout the state. A belief that government can make a positive difference in people’s lives, but to do so it can’t keep on doing things the same old ways.

Commissions

• Minnesota Commission on Service Innovation(www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/csi/CSI%20Report%2012-15-10%20final.pdf) With the state facing multi-billion dollar budget deficits biennium after biennium and growing frustration among the public and lawmakers with the limited innovation in government, the 2010 Legislature created the Commission on Service Innovation.1 The legislation charged the new Commission with developing a ―a strategic plan to reengineer the delivery of state and local government services, including the realignment of service delivery by region and proximity, the use of new technologies, shared facilities, centralized information technologies, and other means of improving efficiency. December, 2010.
• Office of State Auditor Commission on Service Innovation (www.rebeccaotto.com/news20101017.html) Government Redesign Efforts Well Underway All four government redesign councils created by the 2010 Legislature have begun their work.
• Public Policy LAB - Minnesota Gets Lean(publicpolicylab.org/2011/03/minnesota-gets-lean) The Public Policy Lab is a non-profit organization committed to the more effective delivery of public services to the American people. In this section, you can learn more about our mission and principles, see who’s on our board and staff, find out about jobs at the Policy Lab, check out our latest press and news, or see how to support our work.

History Top

• Efficiency in Government Commission “Little Hoover Commission”(www.psgrp.com/resources/pdfcontent/Beyond-the-Bottom-Line.pdf) Created by the 1949 Legislature “to fully and impartially inform the Legislature about administration of State government so that measures may be taken to achieve efficiency and economy.” Report was submitted to Governor Luther Youngdahl.
• The Minnesota Self-Survey(PDF/MN self survey.pdf) Ten task forces created in 1956 submitted recommendations to Governor Orville Freeman to make needed improvements in state government’s structure and procedures.
• New Dimensions for Minnesota “Project 70” 1963(#) In 1961, Governor Elmer L. Andersen created a Technical Coordinating Committee entitled “Project 70” which studied and submitted recommendations on Minnesota’s human resources, natural resources, the state’s economy, transportation, public safety and financing future state services in 1963.
• Governor’s Council on Executive Reorganization(#) Council created in 1968 to study administrative organization of the executive branch of Minnesota state government. Report was submitted to Governor Harold LeVander.
• Governor’s Loaned Executives Action Program (LEAP)(PDF/Govs Council on Exec.Reorg.pdf) LEAP was established by executive order in March 1972 by Governor Wendell R. Anderson. The program had three basic objectives: to assist the state government organization in becoming “more viable” and to improve its efficiency and responsiveness.
• Commission on Minnesota’s Future(Comm. On MN Future.pdf) Commission was created by the 1973 Legislature to prepare for consideration by the governor and the legislature a proposed state growth and development strategy, to assemble relevant information regarding the state’s future, to examine long range plans of state departments and to report at regular intervals on the development implications of major state decisions. Report was submitted to Governor Wendell Anderson.
• Governor’s Task Force on Waste and Mismanagement(PDF/Task Force on Waste and Mismgt.pdf) Governor Perpich created the Task Force in 1978 to “search out instances of governmental waste and mismanagement, document the facts of each case and recommend how they could be curtailed or eliminated. It is important to note that the program affected only the operating (non grant and aid) portions of state agency budgets.
• Governor’s Executive Branch Policy Development Program(PDF/Exec. Policy Dev. Prog.pdf) In 1983, Governor Perpich initiated and “issue team” approach as a way of developing policy recommendations in several critical issue areas. Approximately 60 Issue Team Reports were published between 1984-86.
• Strive Towards Excellence in Performance (STEP)(PDF/STEP.pdf) In 1984, Governor Perpich proposed a new approach to managing change, to promote innovation as a way to produce measurable improvements in the quality, quantity or cost effectiveness of state government programs.
• Minnesota Commission on Reform and Efficiency (CORE)(CORE.pdf) CORE was created by Governor Arne Carlson and the legislature in 1991 to lead a comprehensive effort to improve the management of Minnesota State Government. The commission’s work was conducted in two phases, the first to identify $15.7 million in general fund savings during the 1992-93 biennium. The commission’s second phase was to recommend long term action for improving state government efficiency and effectiveness.
• Minnesota Quality Initiative (MQI)(PDF/MN Quality Init.pdf) In response to the Governor’s and the legislature’s commitment to providing quality services to the state’s citizens, they must support and reward innovation, partnerships, and risk-taking in the use of quality tools in state government. Report was submitted to Governor Arne Carlson in 1993.
  
  The CORE commission recommended that the development and implementation of quality initiatives should be the responsibility of each cabinet agency. New initiatives should be developed with the input of quality improvement experts and key external and internal government stakeholders.
• An Agenda for Reform; Competition, Community, Concentration(PDF/95-brandl-weber-agenda-reform.pdf) In anticipation of significant projected shortfalls by the year 2011, Governor Carlson requested a report that would take a look at fundamental changes in the way Minnesota delivers taxpayer services. The reports submitted by John Brandl and Vin Weber to Governor Arne Carlson in 1995, offer an overall structure for change, plus specific approaches in each of the major government spending areas.
• Minnesota Policy Reform, 1991-1999(PDF/Policy Reform.pdf) A Summary of Governor Arnie Carlson's Policy Reform efforts during his two administrations.

Issue/Trend Analysis

National Resouces Top

• National Governor's Association, Redesigning State Government(www.nga.org/cms/render/live/en/sites/NGA/home/nga-center-for-best-practices/center-issues/page-special-topics-issues/col2-content/main-content-list/redesigning-state-government.html) Papers and resources describe the current fiscal environment for states and some of the efforts underway to redesign government to meet the new austere realities. NGA Center for Best Practices, September 6, 2011

Partnerships

Performance Management Top

• Accountability Minnesota - Department Performance Goals, Measures & Results(www.accountability.state.mn.us/) Accountability Minnesota helps citizens follow the progress of state agencies toward specific goals. The over-arching objective of these goals is to provide citizens with the highest possible quality of government service.
• Enterprise Lean Online(www.lean.state.mn.us) Enterprise Lean is a coordinated state government initiative for improving the organizational performance and results in Minnesota's state government agencies. Enterprise Lean utilizes time-tested Lean tools and methodologies and embraces Six Sigma tools and total quality management philosophies.

Programs/Projects/Initiatives Top

• Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor(www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/) The Minnesota Constitution grants the Legislature authority to create, organize, consolidate, and dissolve local government units and their functions. Find this PDF by clicking on 'Consolidation of Local Governments' link.
• Minnesota Management & Budget, Senior Leadership Institute(www.mmb.state.mn.us/sli) The 8 week Senior Leadership Institute in the Minnesota Office of Management & Budget is designed to nurture creativity and innovation as well as build leadership skills with a systems-focus throughout Minnesota’s state agencies.
• Minnesota Science & Technology Authority(www.mnscienceandtechnologyauthority.org/) A state supported economic development initiative, was created in July 2010 to stimulate innovation and encourage investment in new technology products, companies, industries and jobs in the state of Minnesota.
• Minnesota Science & Technology Authority Strategic Plan: Turning Ideas into Jobs(www.mnscienceandtechnologyauthority.org/Reports/Science-Technology-FINAL-REPORT.pdf) In 2010, the state legislature passed The Minnesota Science and Technology Act, that created the Minnesota Science and Technology Authority, largely due to the recognition that innovation-based companies are key to our sustained prosperity, and that coordinating and leveraging state investment with private and federal funds would accelerate economic growth. January, 2011.
• Statewide Integrated Financial Tools (SWIFT)(www.swift.state.mn.us/) Integrates all of the administrative functions across state agencies, including financial, procurement, reporting and the current SEMA4 (human resources/payroll) system.
• Strategic Enterprise Real-Property Planning and Development(www.state.mn.us) Enable State government to capture the savings from interagency real-property management by instituting improved real-property governance, planning and management.

Reports Top

• Beyond the Bottom Line: Ideas for the future of public investment in Minnesota(www.psgrp.com/resources/pdfcontent/Beyond-the-Bottom-Line.pdf) The report, Beyond the Bottom Line, offers 16 ideas that could help our state’s leaders do just that. We commissioned Public Strategies Group to draft these recommendations, which build upon a report of nine redesign ideas suggested in the 2009 report Minnesota’s Bottom Line. Each idea offers a starting-point for discussing new ways to think about Minnesota’s budget problems that can offer real, immediate cost savings while preserving the state’s most essential services. March, 2011.
• Minnesota State of Innovation(www.mnhs.org/achf/docs_pdfs/ACHFFinal.pdf) A Twenty-Five Year Vision, Framework, Guiding Principles, and Ten-Year Goals for the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. January 15, 2010.
• Toward a Vision for Minnesota: Long‐Range Strategic Planning Overview and Recommendations(www.demography.state.mn.us/documents/2010LongRangePlan.pdf) This report, issued October, 2010, “Toward a Vision for Minnesota,” is the first in a series of efforts leading to an integrated long‐range strategic plan for Minnesota, Minnesota state government and the departments of state government. The report outlines an approach that, if initiated, will result in an integrated process that links department budgets, strategic goals, and tactics to achieve those goals, to an overall vision for the State of Minnesota.