Earlier this month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its first annual report to Congress in response to a new statutory requirement that the department identify federal programs, agencies, offices, and initiatives, either within departments or government-wide, which have duplicative goals or activities.

As states face growing budget gaps and policymakers are forced to make tough choices to balance budgets, several states have also established commissions to evaluate the operational and outcome efficiencies of state government and to develop recommendations for improvement. Here is a preliminary list of those commissions and their findings:

Arizona: Commission on Privatization and Efficiency - COPE

Gov. Jan Brewer: "I'm establishing the Commission on Privatization and Efficiency or “COPE”. COPE will identify state services and agencies whose functions can be eliminated, consolidated, streamlined or outsourced to achieve greater operational efficiency in meeting the needs of our citizens.” 

California: 21stCentury Commission Final Report

Legislative leaders and the Governor formed the Commission on the 21st Century Economy to recommend reforms of the state’s tax system. The Commission’s goals were to suggest changes that would lead to more reliable and stable state revenues, encourage growth and job creation, and improve the state’s ability to compete in the new economy.

Connecticut: The Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes

The Commission on Enhancing Agency Outcomes shall identify functional overlaps and other redundancies among state agencies and promote efficiency and accountability in state government by identifying ways to eliminate such overlaps and redundancies and by making such other recommendations as the commission deems appropriate, with the goal to reducing costs to the state and enhancing the quality and accessibility of state services.  The commission is further charged with considering the merging of state agencies and streamlining state operations.

Georgia(see page 9): Georgia State Senate Budget Task Force Final Report

In today’s challenging economic reality, nearly all private sector companies are consolidating and cutting costs by using shared services. Shared service models advocate using a central center to provide essential, non-core functions to multiple agencies in a single organization. This improves financial performance by increasing efficiency. Commonly shared services include: accounting, information technology, human resources, procurement, and facilities management.

Illinois: Taxpayer Action Board

Governor Quinn appointed a Taxpayer Action Board (TAB) in March to help identify the state's major fiscal and structural impediments and most importantly, to identify opportunities to solve these problems. TAB focused on ways to improve state operations that would assure accountability and efficiency in state government, while also ensuring it continues to meet the needs of the citizens of Illinois. TAB members included a diverse group of individuals with expertise and experience in both the private and public sectors.

Indiana: Department of Government Efficiency and Financial Planning

The Department of Government Efficiency and Financial Planning (GEFP) was established in January 2005 within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Its mission is to identify opportunities to reform Indiana State government and save Hoosiers' tax dollars through cost savings and improved services.

Iowa: State Government Reorganization Commission

Charge: Consider options for reorganizing state government to improve efficiency, modernize processes, eliminate duplication and outdated processes, reduce costs, and increase accountability. The review shall address the expanded use of the Internet and other technology, and the incorporation of productivity improvement measures. The study shall include a process to receive state government efficiency suggestions offered by the public and public employees.

Louisiana: Streamlining Government Commission

It is essential that the state act now to reduce the cost of state government, through all means available, including efficiencies, economies, greater effectiveness, and other means to streamline government in order to overcome the projected severe revenue reductions occurring through 2012 and to ensure that available state tax dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively.  Many state agencies were created over 30 years ago and a review of all agencies and its activities, functions, programs, and services is needed to determine whether the purpose served by the agency or activity, function, program, or service continues to be relevant.

Michigan: Commission for Governmental Efficiency - Summary of Potential Recommendations

Minnesota: Drive to Excellence

Over the course of six years, the Drive to Excellence has sought to reform the State of Minnesota’s Executive Branch of government through enabling effective, efficient and economical delivery of state government services.

Nevada: Final Report of the Nevada Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (SAGE)

While we realize that government is designed to change incrementally, we strongly believe that the recommendations we have made to [the governor] are practical and ripe for implementation now. Our recommendations could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars in the short run and billions over the next decade and have the potential to add tens of millions of dollars to state revenues without in-creasing taxes.

New Mexico: Government Restructuring Task Force

House Bill 237 (Laws 2010, Chapter 101) created the Government Restructuring Task Force. The law directs the task force to "study the current resources of the state's agencies, programs, services, funding and policies and the public needs served by them, including the:

1. recommendations of the governor's committee on government efficiency;
2. need for consolidation of agencies and elimination or reduction of redundant, duplicative or overlapping programs or services;
3. current and projected staffing needs of state agencies for full-time, part-time, term, temporary and contract employees; and
4. current and projected revenue estimates for the next three to five fiscal years".

New York: Spending and Government Efficiency Commission

There is hereby established the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (“SAGE Commission”) that shall exist to provide independent guidance for, and advice to, the Governor.

North Carolina: BRAC – Budget Reform and Accountability Commission

Gov. Perdue established the Budget Reform and Accountability Commission (BRAC), to keep North Carolina competitive by making state government more efficient and effective. The Commission's goal is to consolidate and streamline state services to achieve cost savings while protecting their core mission.

Oregon: Committee on Performance Excellence

Senate Bill 1099 (2008) established a nine member Committee on Performance Excellence (CPE) consisting of executive, legislative and judicial branch, union, and business members.  CPE is charged with creating a “process that will oversee the journey to excellence and encourage the most vital aspects of Oregon state government to be managed at a world class level.”

Utah: Advisory Commission to Optimize State Government

Governor Gary R. Herbert formed the Utah Advisory Commission to Optimize State Government in September 2009. The Commission was made up of public officials and business and community leaders who have managed both private and public entities in difficult economic times. As directed by Governor Herbert, the Commission's charge was to conduct a careful and thoughtful review of current governmental practices and submit recommendations to the Governor on ways to better optimize Utah state government.

Virginia: Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring

Immediately after taking the Oath of Office as the 71st Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Robert F. McDonnell signed Executive Order Number Two, establishing the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform & Restructuring (Commission). Governor McDonnell noted that, “to ensure that the Commonwealth of Virginia provides the . . . core services utilizing the most cost effective methods available, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive, systematic, and ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness and need for the state's existing agencies, governing bodies, programs, and services.”