Moving two federal programs from the state's Department of Health and Human Services to the Department of Social Services is expected to save the state $2 million a year in administrative costs and office rent. The programs, for child-care vouchers and financial aid to needy families, will be handled by one agency instead of two, and one computer system instead of two. That is expected to speed and simplify the process.

The streamlining proposal is derived from the work of the governor's Commission on Management, Accountability and Performance. In general, the MAP commission concluded that accountability and cost savings would be improved by integrating programs under a clear line of authority. This change, which eliminates a costly duplication of effort, fits the definition.

It also speaks to the inefficiency of the information technology systems, which include data processing, operated by various state agencies. DSS Director Kim Aydlette told our reporter that the program reorganization means that two computer systems located in different agencies won't be performing the same tasks.

In general, the fragmentation of information technology among state agencies "wastes millions of taxpayer dollars each year," the MAP commission found. A 1997 audit by the state Legislative Audit Council of the state's information technology was similarly critical.

While many of the MAP commission's recommendations can be carried out by the governor, there are more that require approval of the General Assembly, and some will need a constitutional amendment. The state's painful budget problems of recent years say that legislators should be prepared to make substantive changes that streamline government, cut costs and improve public confidence, including those that strengthen the governor's authority over state agencies by shifting them to the Cabinet system.

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