This is away to give contract to friends and put working people out of a decent job with benefits.Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell i wonder which of the corporations has purchased his vote. NC GEAR Questioned Senate and House lawmakers on Monday asked pointed questions about Gov. Pat McCrorys new $4 million program to identify ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness and customer service in state government. Joe Coletti, deputy director of the N.C. Government Efficiency and Reform initiative, or NC GEAR, gave a status report on the program to legislators on the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee. Rep. Julia Howard, R-Davie, a committee chairwoman, asked a series of questions, including how the $4 million appropriated by the Legislature for the current two-year budget cycle was being spent and what the ultimate recommendations of the initiative would look like. Coletti said the project has spent about $1 million so far, with most going to a consultant hired for the program, Deloitte Consulting LLP, which will make up to $3 million under its contract with the state. Other dollars are going toward three NC GEAR employees and a temporary employee, Coletti said. Two employees of the Office of State Budget and Management are also working with NC GEAR, he said. Howard also asked whether NC GEARs final report, due in February, would include a list of suggested savings recommended by the consultants, with dollars amounts of projected savings. Coletti said the final report would include that information. Based on the questioning, lawmakers clearly want a report that includes specific recommendations on how state government can save money and operate more efficiently and not just another study that gets filed away. Over the years weve seen many of these projects start, Howard said. We get nice, color-bound copies and they go into the library and they go on the shelf. ...We dont seem to actually finish any recommendations. So Im hoping that this is going to be different. Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, drove home that point, saying the report should include new ideas for saving money and consolidating functions that are a bold direction for the state or the money spent on it would be a waste. Coletti responded that the intent is to transform state government. If next February, you dont get much from me, then I havent done my job, and yes, weve wasted everybodys time and money, Coletti said. I truly do not anticipate that. Over the past few months, the NC GEAR team met with various state agencies to identify ways to save money and improve customer service. State departments and agencies are now completing surveys of their operations. Meanwhile, NC GEAR on Monday launched a website – ncgear.nc.gov – to receive ideas from state employees and residents on how to improve state government.(THE INSIDER, 6/24/14).
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 04:34:20 +0000
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