WILMINGTON — Gov. John Carney released the fifth annual report of the Government Efficiency & Accountability Review Board on Thursday.

In February 2017, Gov. Carney established GEAR to identify ways for state government to operate more efficiently, improve the delivery of services and provide cost-savings over the long term.

The report highlighted key accomplishments across state government in 2021, including:

• Saving millions of dollars for taxpayers through lease restructurings, long-term care delivery optimization, employee health care benefit initiatives, energy-efficiency projects and streamlining financial, human resource and information technology procedures.
• Adopting COVID-19-safe practices, saving millions in travel costs and thousands of person-hours by leveraging videoconferencing and virtual hearings, public meetings and employee training.
• Continuing the GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Awards, which honor state employees who demonstrate successful implementation of innovative, cost-saving, continuous-improvement projects.
• Expanding high-speed, broadband internet service in underserved areas through public-private partnerships.

“Even while facing the challenges of a global pandemic, under the umbrella of GEAR, agencies throughout state government have worked to improve quality and efficiency in the delivery of state services,” said Gov. Carney. “These continuous-improvement efforts have yielded cost-savings and service enhancements that are enabling the state to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”

The report, released each December, also provides policy and budgetary recommendations for possible inclusion in the governor’s agenda and budget for fiscal year 2023, which will be released in January.

Recommendations in the 2021 report include:

• Support the “Ready in 6” initiative to streamline permit approvals and improve the state’s competitive position when businesses consider relocating here.
• Continue to expand participation in the Continuous Improvement Practitioner Training Program, focused on developing management skills of the state government’s workforce. To date, 21 employees have graduated, and 15 are in training.
• Ensure transparency in the use of the more than $2 billion of federal COVID-19 funds allocated to Delaware by broadly soliciting proposals to address the health, safety and economic impacts of the pandemic and providing access to search payments to grant recipients.
• Drive improvements to digital government services, enabling citizens to access services anytime, from anywhere, on any device.
• Support projects led by members of the GEAR Field Team and CIP Training Program graduates that include boosting literacy, improving utilization of funds for youth and family needs, optimizing use of fleet vehicles, creating dashboards to facilitate data-driven decision-making and implementing person-centered models in the delivery of long-term care.

“GEAR continues to drive efforts in as many agencies as possible to deliver efficiencies and cost-savings statewide,” GEAR executive director James Myran, deputy director Charles Clark and Bryan Sullivan, director of management efficiency at the Delaware Office of Management and Budget, said in a combined statement.

“The GEAR Field Team of continuous improvement practitioners now includes 40 members representing 9 state agencies and the judicial branch, delivering value through the execution of more than 55 agency projects to make state operations more efficient and cost-effective and position the State to deliver higher quality services to citizens and businesses.”