The path to excellence in government demands that officials at all levels stay one step ahead of the game. And that applies to the organizations that serve them. The Institute is continually monitoring emerging needs and trends so that it can be in the best position possible to help leaders plan now for tomorrow’s challenges.
The Institute bolstered its local government assistance faculty expertise in 2010 to better and more quickly serve clients as they grapple with tough legal and fiscal decisions affecting their communities. The new hires bring extensive experience working with cities and counties of all sizes on such issues as project funding, economic development, intergovernmental agreements, and taxation. In addition, new leadership for the Institute’s Financial Management Training Program enhanced its capabilities to meet the changing professional development needs of state and local government financial personnel.
Increasing use of technology continued to enhance the Institute’s outreach capabilities in Georgia and beyond. The Institute implemented new and innovative ways of delivering its services and expertise to clients on a range of issues. For example, the Institute’s local government faculty produced a video explaining the basic process and considerations involved in city-county consolidation in order to answer some of the most common questions they receive. The Financial Management Training Program developed an online tutorial for the State Accounting Office about advanced functions in spreadsheet software. Additional online training courses were added to meet the schedules and budgets of today’s government employees. Institute experts also continued to employ geographic information systems (GIS) remote sensing technologies to develop and maintain digital maps and relevant information for worldwide humanitarian and disaster planning and relief efforts through a long-standing agreement with the United States Agency for International Development.
Recognizing that state agencies serving thousands of Georgians must be more accountable than ever in assessing the effectiveness of their programming, Institute survey research and evaluation specialists expanded their services in providing objective, data-driven information to be used for decision-making purposes. For example, data collected and evaluated from a survey of state agency officials and information technology providers were used to establish a baseline score for continuing assessment of the privatization of agency information technology services.