Minnesota State Agencies Receive 10 Government Innovation Awards

Press Release

Today, the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs handed out ten awards to state of Minnesota for creative and innovative work and projects. The awards--organized in partnership with the Bush Foundation--recognize agencies that deliver better government services to Minnesotans through creativity, collaboration, and efficiency.

"These awards recognize the innovative work that state employees are doing behind the scenes to make government more efficient, effective, and accountable for the people of Minnesota," said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. "Thanks to these innovations, veterans are receiving better care, more Minnesotans are receiving high-quality career training, and bridges are being inspected more efficiently."

The winners were formally recognized at an awards ceremony on July 21 at the Minnesota History Center.

"These state agencies demonstrate exceptional innovation within their organizations," said Jay Kiedrowski, senior fellow at the Humphrey School. "We hope these awards will encourage an environment of experimentation and creativity throughout state government."

A panel of judges considered 68 submissions for their creativity, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.

2016 State Government Award Winners
The ten winning projects came from seven state agencies and emphasized consumer engagement, safety, cost savings, and cross cultural communication. The top three projects selected by the panel will also receive a professional video to highlight the project.

· Transportation -- Drone Bridge Inspection Project. This past year, the Department of Transportation began a pilot program using drone aircraft to inspect bridge infrastructure around Minnesota. The use of drones allowed the agency to collect the same information as traditional inspections, while improving employee safety, reducing traffic disruptions, and saving time.

· Transportation -- Tribal-State Relations Training Initiative. State agencies have long grappled with how to properly communicate, interact, and consult with tribal governments. Some agencies hired tribal liaisons to coordinate the work between their agencies and tribal nations. However, these liaisons couldn't meet the demand. To better facilitate communications, the Department of Transportation developed an innovative training program for state employees.

· Labor & Industry -- Apprenticeship Training Program. To help connect Minnesota businesses with a well-trained and robust workforce, the Department of Labor and Industry created its apprenticeship PIPELINE program. Through the program, the Department of Labor and Industry provides grants to employers to help pay for jobs training that prepares Minnesotans for careers in high-demand, high-wage fields.

The complete list of 2016 State Government Award winners:

· Transportation -- Drone Bridge Inspection Project

· Transportation -- Tribal-State Relations Training Initiative

· Labor & Industry -- Apprenticeship Training Program

· Veterans Affairs -- Improving Quality of Life at the Veterans Home Adult Day Center

· Transportation -- Multimodal and Highway Planning

· National Guard -- Land Conservation at Camp Ripley

· Pollution Control Agency -- GreenStep Cities Program

· Natural Resources -- ParkFinder Tool

· Management & Budget -- Employee Diabetes Prevention Program

· Pollution Control Agency -- Aquatic Habitat Restoration

Better Government for a Better Minnesota

The Dayton-Smith administration is committed to reforming state government to deliver better public services at a better price; giving Minnesotans a better value for every tax dollar. Governor Dayton named improving government services as a top priority when he took office in January of 2011, and he has charged his commissioners and state agencies with making continuous improvement part of the DNA of their leadership and management.

In addition to the projects honored today by the Humphrey School, examples of Better Government reforms include centralizing the state's IT systems and establishing the Enterprise Lean initiative to train and empower employees to improve the services they deliver to Minnesotans.

The 2016 State Government Innovation Awards, now in their third year, were inspired by the Humphrey School's annual Local Government Innovation Awards, which recognize schools, cities, townships, and county government entities for their programs and projects. To learn more about the 2016 State Government Innovation Awards, as well as the individual award winners and their innovations, visit sgia.umn.edu.

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