Rauner cites digital technology advances as he opens NGA Smarter States conference
information provided by the Office of the Governor
CHICAGO, Ill. (October 18, 2018) — Illinois is using advanced digital technologies to give taxpayers better service at lower costs. The result is a “smarter state,” one with more efficient government operations, lower ongoing costs, and savings of millions of taxpayer dollars.
Governor Bruce Rauner struck this “more for less” theme on Wednesday at the opening of the National Governors Association’s Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab. The Lab is a three-day conference for state officials from all over the country to learn how to deploy smart technologies and advanced data analytics to improve state government operations.
“Illinois is at the forefront of the smart state movement,” Rauner said. “We see technology advances as opportunities to foster economic development and support our job creators by delivering service that is efficient, timely, and accessible by modern digital standards. The NGA’s Learning Lab gives us a chance to share our experiences with other states and find out what we can learn from each other. It’s a great program.”
The Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab is hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, a bipartisan organization that works with the nation’s governors on pressing policy issues. The Learning Lab is taking place October 17–19 at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago.
Rauner also has promoted increasing online access to government information and services. The administration’s “Going Mobile” strategy has increased mobile service deliveries from 3 percent to 45 percent in the last year and has produced more than 40 mobile apps to streamline access to information. Ninety percent of state licenses are now available online, lowering application times by 22 percent and reducing costs of paper and postage by $600,000 a year. Additionally, 96 percent of the state’s school districts now have access to high-speed internet, up from 71 percent in 2015.
Modernized state technology is reducing cyber risk and saving money. Eighty-one percent of state agencies have migrated to the Illinois.gov platform, reducing the costs and security risks associated with maintaining multiple domains. Meanwhile, 420 different human resources, grant management, and financial reporting systems are being consolidated into one integrated platform. This enterprise resource plan will save taxpayers between $139 million and $300 million annually once it is fully implemented.
