Phoenix, Arizona - During his 2019 inaugural address, Governor Doug Ducey outlined the need to continue improving government and making it work better for Arizonans.
“With a real momentum going, it’s time to press forward on some of the biggest challenges facing us…
Holding the line on the inevitable creep of bigger, bloated government -- and instead, making government smarter and more responsive to our citizens…”
In 2015, Governor Ducey implemented the Arizona Management System (AMS) to make government more efficient while eliminating burdensome or unnecessary regulations. The program has already seen noteworthy improvements in constituent services.
Here are a few examples of Arizona working to serve citizens better:
- Improving Veteran Care: The Department of Veteran Services (DVS) worked to reduce the time veterans wait for resident assessments. By repurposing current agency assets, DVS completes these assessments 50 percent faster, allowing the department to receive more accurate data and improve the quality of care for our veterans.
- Preventing Underage Drinking: The Department of Liquor Licenses and Control (DLLC) utilized AMS to identify ways to reduce underage drinking in Arizona. By prioritizing resources and creating a Prevention Unit, DLLC doubled public attendance at trainings and events from 2016 to 2018, expanding the reach of efforts to reduce and prevent underage drinking.
- Moving Records Online: Printing and delivering payroll reports to agencies like the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) took up valuable resources at the Department of Administration (ADOA). In a collaborative effort to reduce waste, ADC worked with ADOA to make payroll records available electronically, resulting in approximately $6,200 in savings a year.
- Welcoming Arizona Visitors: The Office of Tourism offers an Official State Visitors Guide for out-of-state tourists planning vacations to Arizona. Previously, it took 7-10 days to deliver the guide to those who requested it. After implementing new strategies, the Arizona Office of Tourism reduced the time it took to ship the Official State Visitors Guides to 3-4 days, helping ensure Arizona visitors can make the most of their trip.
- Saving Taxpayer Time: Through various process improvements, the Arizona Department of Revenue reduced the average time it took to process transaction privilege tax returns by 2.51 days, a reduction of nearly 50 percent, from 2017 to 2018. Faster processing ensures Arizona taxpayers get their returns more quickly.
- Processing Claims Faster: Through AMS, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) created a more efficient process for reviewing complex and outlier claims. In just five months with the new process and additional nurses, AHCCCS reviewed and adjudicated outlier claims within 7 days, a 55-day reduction in processing time. Now, claims are paid faster, duplicate submissions have dropped and Arizonans are benefiting from discounts available for quickly paid claims.