New Jersey’s innovation office first to be enshrined in state law
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By
Chris Teale
In his final weeks in office, Gov. Phil Murphy codified the state’s digital delivery team, which is now known as the New Jersey Innovation Authority.
Days before he is set to leave office, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this week signed a law to codify the state’s innovation office, making it the first state cabinet digital delivery team to be made permanent in the nation.
Murphy signed the law to establish the New Jersey Innovation Authority, which codifies the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, known as OOI, within the state’s Treasury Department. The office has existed for over seven years and worked to modernize services for residents, businesses and others.
“With the permanent establishment of the New Jersey Innovation Authority, we are ensuring state government continues to deliver more efficient and effective services for New Jerseyans long after my time in office,” Murphy said in a statement. “From advancing responsible AI use to streamlining processes for residents, our Office of Innovation has made remarkable strides for our state since its establishment in 2018. I look forward to watching the New Jersey Innovation Authority develop new solutions to real-world problems, save our residents and businesses time and money, and further New Jersey’s reputation as a national leader in innovation.”
The NJIA will now comprise a 13-member board appointed by the governor, which state officials said will include members of the public with knowledge and expertise in data science, public engagement, the development and implementation of digital technologies and digital product development, or the digital delivery of products, services or benefits.
OOI launched in 2018 and since then has worked with nearly every state agency to make services faster and more cost effective while improving residents’ interactions and user experience with government.
Its second annual impact report, released last year, found a number of achievements, including helping over 65,000 entrepreneurs launch their businesses more quickly online; modernizing more than a dozen state call centers so residents could have questions answered more quickly; enrolling 100,000 additional vulnerable children in a summer food program by using data science; and using an online application to reduce the average time to apply for unemployment insurance by more than three hours.
New Jersey estimates that these improvements and more to digital government service delivery boosted the state’s economy by $167 million in 2024 alone. And the state is looking to do more, including by harnessing artificial intelligence to further modernize state operations and deliver benefits and services more quickly.
The effort has been led by a chief innovation officer, a cabinet-level appointment created by Murphy in August 2018 and currently occupied by Dave Cole.
“Now more than ever, we need a government that is efficient, effective, and equitable in its delivery of service to all New Jerseyans,” Cole said in a statement. “This new structure stands up a model of what we know works: a data-driven, human-centered, and agile approach to improving the critical services that support our residents and grow our economy. I thank Governor Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature for their vision and leadership over the past seven years to establish and codify these innovation efforts.”
And even with the change of administration set to occur later this month as Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill takes office, there will be a sense of continuity as Sherrill announced Cole will stay on as chief innovation officer. Sherrill pledged to continue to partner with the public and private sector to modernize the state’s digital infrastructure and use technological innovations to strengthen its economy. She also said, given the uncertainty surrounding federal funding, experience is necessary.
“[Cole] has been a true leader in this space in New Jersey, and his broad experience across the public and private sector will be invaluable as we work to build a stronger New Jersey economy and a state government that works smarter for you,” Sherrill said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Dave as we modernize the way New Jerseyans access state government services and build a government that works for everyone. At a time when our state programs and economy are under attack from Washington, I’m delighted to have an experienced innovator like Dave on my team to help build a more affordable Garden State.”