Delaware’s Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board rewards two groups for their innovative, cost saving projects.
The state’s annual GEAR report highlighted saving millions of dollars through lease restructurings, energy efficiency projects, debt refinancing, bank services consolidation and employee health care benefit initiatives.
The state also launched the GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Award, with two groups winning.
One winner, the Drug Monitoring Initiative, consisted of employees from the Departments of Safety and Homeland Security, Health and Social Services and Technology and Information.
The I-Vote security remediation team was also recognized. It consisted of Departments of Elections andTechnology and Information
"Each of them used continuous improvement methodologies that we can then apply to other projects being used around state government," said Finance Secretary Rick Geisenberger. "So that's the main reason why each of these applicants rose to the top of the applicant pool of about 20 different projects that were nominated."
Geisenberger adds these teams of up to 20 were awarded $10,000. No appointed officials shared in the award, only merit employees. Half of the money is from the private sector while half comes from the state.
Geisenberger says GEAR provides a long term plan for the state to save money.
"The idea of GEAR is that this requires a continuous effort not just a once and done effort but ongoing efforts and part of that environment is recognizing and rewarding employees that come up with these great ideas that save money that make us more efficient effective," said Geisenberger. "This was a great way to do it in partnership with the private sector."
This year’s GEAR report also offered a series of recommendations, including creation of a GEAR field team to support agency projects and developing a criminal and civil justice e-filing system for the courts.
