About this Report

In April of 1997, Governor Locke issued an Executive Order directing all state agencies to develop and implement a program to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the public services they provide.

Everyone is involved - agencies, employees, labor, businesses, and taxpayers. The mandate is simple - find out what is not working well and fix it. Quality improvements and regulatory reform go hand in hand, with a focus on improving customer service.

Employees have been encouraged to be creative, to have ownership of their work, to be innovative and use technology to better serve the citizens of our state. They continue to streamline their work processes and save money.

This report reflects the progress made through December 2001. The teams presented here won the Governor's Quarterly Award for Service and Quality Improvement in 2001. They best describe the diversity and depth of improvements that are happening throughout state agencies.