Georgia Selected as One of Three Pew Center Management Labs

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March 25, 2009 -- ATLANTA — Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Georgia is one of three states selected by the Pew Center on the States to participate as a government “laboratory” for projects that will enable the state to use resources more efficiently. Georgia will receive $50,000 and intensive management support from Pew experts to assist it in delivering better value through its purchasing power.

“Working with the Pew Center on this project will be a major step forward in our state’s goal to provide better value for the taxpayer’s dollar,” said Governor Perdue. “This project will allow us to leverage our buying power and drive down the prices we pay for supplies, equipment and services that are essential to state operations.”

Georgia’s project will build a system that collects and analyzes data on the billions of dollars spent by more than 150 state agencies and University System campuses on purchases of goods and services. Departments spend an estimated $6 billion a year – a third of the state budget – on thousands of items to operate state functions, including vehicles, maintenance contracts, computers and office supplies. Georgia will then share its best practices with other states to spur government improvements across the nation.

The Pew Center ranked Georgia’s government in its top tier of best-managed states in 2008. All 50 states were eligible to apply for the program and projects were selected based on the ability to assemble a senior-level team responsible for implementing improvement strategies with results for state taxpayers. Ohio and West Virginia were the other states selected.

“The economic downturn calls for decisions based on proven results and tangible benefits to the public,” said Susan Urahn, Managing Director, The Pew Center on the States. “State governments that improve performance and increase efficiencies will be in the strongest position to weather the challenges of this economy.”

The new Management Labs build off the work of Pew’s Grading the States Report. Pew has been examining all 50 states’ management of money, people, information and infrastructure for more than ten years. Pew is committed to turning this research into results for the public as states work to improve state government management practices. For more information on the report, log onto www.pewcenteronthestates.org/gpp_report_card.aspx.

Source: Georgia Governor