3. Reengineer basic systems for improved delivery of government services. The GITS Working Group, by July 1995, in cooperation with OMB, should develop a governmentwide plan addressing basic functions and services to be reengineered, both within and across agencies.[7] The plan should also include plans for interoperability among basic administrative functions such as payroll, personnel recordkeeping, management information systems, and financial and general ledger accounting. An example of reengineering would be to have current agencies continue to set policies for specific benefits programs, with one agency handling administration and coordination of integrated benefits delivery. Another example of reengineering that will reduce cycle time, steps, and pieces of paper handled is incorporating use of automation- based geographic information systems (GIS) data--such as streets, property boundaries, parks, and police reporting districts--into revised workflows and processes. The City of Minneapolis saved approximately $40 million in street design costs through integration of GIS into its design process.[8] The City of Phoenix is extending its GIS-based access to property records data from one department, where savings of over $100,000 in recurring costs are expected, to all departments and customers.[9] These revised process flows will yield increased service, additional savings, and opportunities for cost recovery. Reengineering will also allow many government administrative support services to be streamlined. These services presently include systems for payroll, personnel recordkeeping, grants, loans, procurement, project management, management information, budgeting, and financial accounting. Smaller administrative systems, such as correspondence control, audit tracking, and legislative information systems, should also be addressed. OMB should prioritize the phased consolidation and standardization of selected integrated systems for governmentwide use. OMB, in cooperation with the GITS Working Group, should update and review the plan annually from a cross-government perspective in conjunction with agency budget submissions. Endnotes 7. For additional information on this subject see Thomas A. Stewart, "Reengineering: The Hot New Management Tool," Fortune, vol. 128, no. 4 (August 23, 1993), pp. 41-48. 8. Telephone interview with Brad Henry, Engineer, City of Minneapolis, August 17, 1993. 9. City of Phoenix, "Geographic Information System Implementation Plan" October 26,1992.
You can attach your comments to this document. If you enter your email address in the empty box below and click on the submit button, you will receive via email a form that allows you to link your views to the NPR hypertext.
Subscribe Unsubscribe No Action