As budgets tighten, states double down on efficiency and tech innovation

Government efficiency means different things to different states, but a common thread is a deliberate effort to rethink key systems and processes, optimize services and cut costs.

COGE report recommends New Hampshire split apart health department, embrace AI

The commission's final report, 10 months after being stood up by Gov. Kelly Ayotte, calls for breaking the department into smaller agencies to improve accountability.

From flashlight fixes to future-ready innovation: Why we must stop patching and start building anew

Real innovation isn’t about fixing old switches. It’s about recognizing when it’s time to stop patching and start fresh.

Teachers union looks to states and industry for AI regulation absent federal action

Having lost faith in the chance of broad federal regulation, teachers unions are betting on state legislators and private sector companies to safeguard AI in schools.

Over-compliance and the new normal: How governments can modernize in the scrutiny era

COMMENTARY | As grantmakers contend with growing demands for federal compliance, transparency and fiscal integrity, the need for effective technology is greater than ever.

North Dakota version of DOGE to take a slower approach to cost savings

North Dakota’s version of DOGE is poised to begin work this week, but members say it won’t be just like the federal government version that inspired it.

Transit leaders look to efficient, tech-driven future

Amid funding uncertainty, speakers during the GovExec Efficiency Summit said tech could help with predictive maintenance and making the trains run smoother. A lot of work lies ahead.

State DOGEs tackle local spending, property taxes

Florida’s has asked for line-by-line accounting of its local governments’ spending and any evidence of financial distress. Iowa appears to be targeting local taxation.

Rethinking government KPIs in the DOGE era

COMMENTARY | Agencies must be better at measuring programs’ efficacy, and not just see efficiency in terms of better, faster and cheaper.

Improving spending efficiency to maximize results

COMMENTARY | How state and local governments can use technology to increase the efficiency of their grant and contract process, maximizing impact in a time of fiscal austerity.

Maryland already seeing ‘big impact’ from federal DOGE cuts

Cuts thus far in 2025 are hitting as hard as two years of federal sequestration cuts a decade ago, state Comptroller Brookie Lierman said. Maryland is now looking to further diversify its economy.

Civic tech leaders worry DOGE is ‘tarnishing’ its tools to improve government

USDS, the White House team DOGE took over in January, was a flagship civic tech organization. Six months later, civic tech is figuring out what’s next.

State DOGEs’ next frontiers could preempt local authority

Specific legislation designed to strip localities of their power has been introduced in several states, all in the name of government efficiency.

The changing face of procurement

COMMENTARY | Even before the Department of Government Efficiency took hold, state-level contracting was ripe for innovation. A lot more work lies ahead to modernize it.

DOGE trend hits Texas, Jacksonville governments

The Lone Star State became the latest to sign legislation establishing its own Department of Government Efficiency, while Jacksonville appears to be among the first cities to set up a DOGE.

State-level DOGE work gathers speed

Oklahoma’s new government efficiency unit issued a report on what it has found to cut, while Iowa’s first-in-the-nation effort held its inaugural meeting. But experts say efficiency isn’t just about cutting spending.

Pennsylvania is an efficiency north star, expert says

A permitting reform effort in Pennsylvania could serve as a model for other states looking to streamline operations and improve service delivery, according to a fellow at the Institute for Responsive Government.

Doug Mastriano calls on Congress to support DOGE as he backs state-level DOGE bill

The former candidate for Pennsylvania governor has sponsored legislation seeking to create a state-level Department of Government Efficiency.

Innovation meets ideology: The political challenges facing today’s CIOs

COMMENTARY | Recent moves at the federal level could seep into state and local governments, and risk politicizing traditionally apolitical efforts to improve technology offerings.

Amid DOGE push, states wrestle with defining ‘government efficiency’

Several states have instituted new committees in their legislatures in a bid to rein in spending. But others suggest the path to efficiency is less about grabbing headlines and more about finding new ways of working.

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