Governor Rauner Visits Illinois Central Management Services Headquarters

Meets with employees to discuss transforming Illinois state government

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner visited employees with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) today and received updates on key initiatives to streamline the operations of Illinois state government. These included early successes in administrative procurement reform efforts, a new office supporting continuous improvement efforts in all state agencies and reducing past backlogs in the state personnel system.

"By reforming how the state does business, we can empower state agencies to deliver innovative, responsive, high-quality services for the people of Illinois," said Governor Rauner. "CMS is at the forefront of transforming how government operates and maximizing value for the taxpayer. I am proud of the accomplishments our employees have achieved in this effort and will continue to support their critical mission."

While touring CMS bureaus, the Governor met with employees leading initiatives to support the work of state agencies. The newly formed CMS Office of Rapid Results has trained more than 200 employees in various state agencies on the principles of continuous improvement. These employees have gone on to lead dozens of projects in their agencies, resulting in noticeable efficiency improvements in the Departments of Revenue, Transportation, Employment Security, and Public Health. In addition, CMS has recently launched a comprehensive efficiency study of the state vehicle fleet.

"Our employees work hard every day to responsibly manage state operations and to enable the delivery of essential services from every state agency," CMS Acting Director Michael Hoffman said. "Through innovative approaches and application of solid management and leadership principles, we are revolutionizing how our state government meets the needs of the public it serves."

The Governor also received updates on key administration priorities, such as procurement reform. CMS has committed to working closely with the state's Chief Procurement Office to streamline the procurement process to provide better value and lower cost for Illinois taxpayers, while advocating for comprehensive procurement reform in the General Assembly. Both offices are nearing the final stages of implementing a new web-based eProcurement system that replaces multiple outdated systems while providing better transparency to the procurement process.

The CMS Bureau of Personnel, which manages the state hiring process, highlighted their efforts to address a backlog of employment applications inherited from previous administrations. Over the past year, numerous operational, technical and personnel changes have accelerated the process for examining state employment applicants. Among other accomplishments, this has resulted in a reduction in processing time from 10-12 months down to 4 months.

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