Gov. John Carney releases the 6th annual Government Efficiency and Accountability Review (GEAR) Board Report.
GEAR was established by an Executive Order five years ago in an effort to identify ways that state government can operate more efficiently, improve the delivery of state services and provide cost savings.
GEAR Field Team leader Dan Madrid says the report is a mix of efforts to do those things.
“So there are projects that are ongoing year-over-year, over the last six years that we've reported on that drive efficiencies and enhance quality for our citizens. But there are new projects each year that emerge that we want to highlight as well," he said. "And over time - I think the main difference is - we want to quantify outcomes in different ways. We’re looking at a return on investment in the savings to taxpayers.”
Meantime, GEAR Board executive director Charles Clark notes that there’s a GEAR Field Team that delves into different agency interactions and projects, as well as the GEAR public/private partnership that maps out projects that drive Delaware’s continuous improvement.
Clark says there are seven key areas and ongoing efforts that GEAR is focusing on, including reimagining State Service Center delivery,
“That is a DHSS project that is up and running to take a look at the service delivery out of our State Service Centers and see where there could be improvements, an economy to scale, as well as process efficiencies. So that’s the essence of what’s going on there,” he said.
Clark says another key area is reviewing capital project processes within Delaware’s public school systems; a comprehensive review of all parts of this process are currently underway and expanding high-speed, broadband internet service in Delaware’s underserved communities.
