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Competition: Employee Views Welcomed
Finding
better and less costly ways to provide efficient government
services for Virginia's citizens is a principal goal
of Governor Allen's Administration. State government
reform efforts are focused on reducing the size and
scope of government activity especially in areas where
the services or products of government can best be provided
by private sector organizations.
Coordinating
the task of identifying and recommending specific state
government operations which might be improved by "out-sourcing"
or privatizing is a primary mission of a new state organization:
the Commonwealth Competition Council.
As
Secretary of Administration Michael E. Thomas, a member
of the Council, said in the last issue of Commonwealth
Currents, "It is clear that the effective, efficient
functioning of state government is possible only with
the collective efforts of all state employees...We all
need to be informed and, more importantly, involved
in this important process."
While
recommending alternative ways of delivering traditional
government services, the Council will ensure that state
government's ability to protect the health, safety and
welfare of Virginia's citizens is not compromised by
any of its recommendations. Additionally, the Council
is extremely aware of the potential impact of privatization
decisions on state employees and will work to minimize
any negative effects on the state's work force. When
preparing your remarks for written submission or presentation
at a public hearing, the Council urges that the following
questions be considered:
- What
program, service or initiative of state government
may be better handled by the private sector?
Why?
- Is there
a program, service or initiative now being done
by state government that could be done by
the private sector: 1) more efficiently? , 2) for
less cost to the taxpayer?, 3) with improved quality?,
or 4) for all or any combination of these? If so,
what is it?
- For
services that must remain government operations,
what suggestions would you have for making them
more efficient and effective?
- From
your perspective, what are the implications or issues
associated with state government competition with
the private sector?
Any
remarks prepared for oral presentation at a public hearing
should be brief in order that time will be available
for all speakers to address the Council. The Council
asks that presenters leave a written copy of their remarks
with Council staff to allow for follow-up on their suggestions.
Watch
for notices on the meeting times, dates and places of
the upcoming public hearings in a future issue of Commonwealth
Currents.
This
article was extracted from Commonwealth Currents, Volume
2, Number 2, June/July 1996.
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