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The
document, “Illinois Strategic Direction 2002,” has been developed
agency-by-agency over the last three years by Ryan’s
Office of Strategic Planning with the assistance of all major
state departments, boards and commissions.
The
multiyear process that developed the strategic plan is currently
being used as a “best practice” by several scholars at various
universities and other institutions that are helping businesses and
other organizations develop long-range strategic plans.
“Illinois is a recognized national leader in strategic planning for
better results,” Ryan said. “In three years we have developed a
comprehensive strategic plan for state government’s future that
reaches into every area of state government. Although new, our
strategic plan already has resulted in cost savings, better
management and an unprecedented level of coordination between
agencies on polices and programs.”
Ryan
noted that in the future, the reforms initiated in the last three
years by strategic planning will help state officials further
improve the management of the state budget and their oversight of
the effectiveness of programs and services.
“Despite
the fact that it has been a work-in-progress for three years, our
efforts at strategic planning have helped this administration better
manage taxpayer dollars,” Ryan said. “Over the last four fiscal
years, overall state spending has increased by less than 4 percent —
the lowest total spending increase in more than 30 years.
“But at
the same time,” the governor added, “we have been able to greatly
increase spending on priorities — education, health care for the
poor, child care, job creation and environmental protection. That’s
what a good strategic plan can do.”
During
the 1998 campaign for governor, Ryan promised that he would reform
state government by initiating governmentwide strategic planning
that would incorporate a “managing for results” philosophy into the
operation of all agencies. Ryan also created a companion
Office of Statewide Performance Review to scrutinize the actual
results of agency work.
Both
offices are being absorbed into the
Bureau of the Budget to better integrate their ongoing work with
the job of managing state finances.
“We’ve
fundamentally changed the bureaucracy and created a more integrated
approach to government,” said Tom Herndon, director of the Office of
Strategic Planning. “This strategic planning process puts us ahead
of the curve.”
In
Washington, D.C., the Bush administration
is using performance measurements in the federal budgeting process
and has ordered all departments to initiate long-range strategic
plans as a way of setting performance goals and making sure
procedures are in place to meet those goals. Forty-eight other
states are using strategic plans in order to better manage
government.
Flowing
from Illinois’ statewide strategic plan are separate strategic
planning documents developed by all state agencies that break down
into detail the goals and expected outcomes of all polices and
programs. When goals and programs overlap, agency functions are
integrated into a coordinated plan.
In
“Illinois Strategic Direction 2002,” eight very broad “strategic
issues” were developed for use by all state agencies as the central
goals for state government:
•
An effective, accountable and
responsive state government
•
A prosperous and growing economy that
is technologically advanced
•
A community of services that enhance
health and well-being
•
A safe and secure society
•
A healthy, sustainable environment
•
Reliable, reasonably priced and
environmentally responsible energy
•
A literate, educated and skilled
society engaged in lifelong learning
•
A secure homeland
From
these goals, the Office of Strategic planning and the agencies
developed challenges, strategies, specific “strategic goals” and
expected outcomes for all major state programs and polices. The
challenges and expected outcomes will be continually monitored and
used to set budget and program priorities for the future.
“This is
a system that is continually a work-in-progress,” Ryan said. “It
will always be changing and reinventing itself to help us stay
current and to make sure that agency programs continue to fulfill
the needs of the people.”
Examples
of the cost savings, management improvements and better interagency
coordination that have flowed from the Ryan administration’s efforts
at strategic planning include:
•
The ongoing coordination of job
training programs for several state agencies centered through the
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs. Twenty-two
programs from six separate agencies have been combined at DCCA, yet
all of the other agencies continue to play a large role in the job
training process.
 [to top of second column in this
article]
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•
A
Department of Central Management Services strategic goal calls
for the
Business Enterprise Program for Minorities, Females and Persons
with Disabilities to develop a universal certification system. This
system allows BEP vendors to complete one certification application
to become eligible to bid on work, services and products from the
state and city of Chicago. It is estimated that the annual cost
savings for the state will be more than $38,000 and more than $2.9
million each year for vendors in time and effort.
•
The
Illinois Lottery used strategic planning to focus an agencywide
effort on reversing a five-year trend of declining sales. The
lottery’s strategic plan included enhanced communication with retail
agents, players and agency staff, the expansion of existing games
and new methods of marketing “instant” games. The plan resulted in
$1.59 billion in sales during Fiscal Year 2002, an increase of
almost 10 percent from FY 2001.
•
As part of its goal to improve the
operations of the agency through the use of technology, the
Department of Revenue implemented the use of two-dimensional bar
code technology for individual income tax filing. By scanning these
bar codes on paper returns prepared with the use of tax software,
data capture and information flow is improved and accelerated.
Nearly 1.2 million two-dimensional bar-coded returns have been
processed in 2002, saving the agency about $240,000 annually.
•
The Department of Transportation’s
strategic plan focuses on improving services to taxpayers and
motorists. It is expected that four major “process improvements” at
the agency eventually will save $4.60 for every $1 invested in
changing the way business is done, or about $1.5 million annually.
The process changes affected the way
IDOT managed grants to local transportation agencies, the
issuance of oversize trucking permits, corresponding quickly and
effectively with taxpayers, and reporting vehicle crash data.
•
Another strategic goal for the
Department of Revenue is to improve the collection of delinquent
child support payments on behalf of the
Department of Public Aid. Collections totaled $20.5 million in
Fiscal Year 1999 and $34.1 million in Fiscal Year 2001. The agency’s
collection rate of 55 percent exceeds the national average for
collections of 25 percent.
•
The Department of Central Management
Services has improved procurement procedures through the use of
technology, including the use of the Internet for bid announcements
and solicitation forms. These online services replace paper copies
that had to be mailed back and forth with vendors. The Internet
services also include “Notice of Award” documents that no longer
have to be mailed. The annual expected savings to the agency because
of these changes is more than $70,000.
•
The ongoing coordination of tourism
promotion efforts between DCCA, the
Department of Natural Resources, the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the
Department of Transportation. Tourism is a $23 billion industry
in Illinois that supports 670,000 jobs.
•
Agency strategic plans specifying
coordination during natural or man-made disasters were put to the
ultimate test on Sept. 11, 2001. The
Illinois State Police, the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the
Illinois National Guard, the
Office of the State Fire Marshall and many other departments
moved efficiently to secure people and vital resources throughout
the state.
•
Strategic planning at various
agencies, including the departments of Public Aid,
Aging,
Human Services and Revenue will allow the creation of Governor
Ryan’s “cradle to rocking chair” health safety net, an initiative
that includes the
KidCare, Family Care and
SeniorCare programs and could cover some 700,000 men, women and
children.
•
Strategic plans developed by the
departments of Central Management Services, Aging,
Employment Security and Revenue have helped ease the creation of
a system that allows Illinois companies and residents to use
“electronic signatures” to transact business quickly and securely
with state government. Illinois is a pioneer in government with the
use of this technology.
•
The CMS strategic plan calls for
increased energy efficiency within the agency through a multitude of
means, including the use of energy-efficient mechanical systems and
building materials to replace older fixtures and the use of energy
management software. The use of an energy management plan has
reduced utility costs at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago by
more than $413,000 in a year. The CMS plan also calls for an
increased use of videoconferencing to reduce business trips. In the
last year, CMS videoconferencing services hosted 858 hours of
meetings that otherwise would have required out-of-town travel.
The "Illinois Strategic Direction 2002"
can be viewed at:
http://www100.state.il.us/gov/strplan/default.cfm.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
