Governor Murphy announced the release of the inaugural Impact Report by the New Jersey Office of Innovation (OOI), highlighting significant contributions to state services. The OOI, established six years ago with a mission to enhance residents' lives through innovative solutions, has been instrumental in designing and implementing more effective government services.
The report outlines various achievements, including modernizing benefit programs for efficiency, developing tools for accessing state benefits, job training programs, COVID-19 vaccinations, rental assistance, and business grants. Governor Murphy stated that these efforts have improved service delivery across New Jersey: "By reducing the time it takes to apply for unemployment benefits, connecting New Jerseyans with disabilities to key services, and decreasing call center wait times, this small team is bringing fresh perspectives and cutting-edge ideas to our government."
First Lady Tammy Murphy emphasized the impact on parental leave benefits: "Their work with the Department of Labor to create the Maternity Coverage Tool has made it easier than ever to understand paid family leave benefits...this tool has already helped more than 115,000 New Jerseyans plan their parental leave."
Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole noted the importance of effective government service during uncertain times: "With Governor Murphy’s leadership...we’ve done so working alongside residents whose insights and feedback have guided our work."
The OOI was created in 2018 by Governor Murphy with Beth Simone Noveck appointed as Chief Innovation Officer. Since its inception, OOI has collaborated with nearly every state agency on numerous high-impact projects.
Highlights from the Impact Report include reducing unemployment insurance application time from four hours to less than 25 minutes; aiding over 115,000 expecting parents in accessing newborn care benefits; assisting more than 123,000 workers in finding jobs and training programs; supporting over 45,000 entrepreneurs in starting businesses; modernizing call centers managing over 5.5 million calls; and launching AI tools for state employees.
The full Impact Report details these accomplishments further.
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