Simply put, "implementation" means "getting it done."

Just about every Georgia Governor in the past 100 years has named a commission to examine some aspect of State government. Their work has filled volumes of recommendations, but left a void in results. Why? The long and short of it: the efforts were long on ideas and short on initiatives.

Governor Perdue established the Office of Implementation in August 2004 to put actionable CNG recommendations to work inside State Government to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. Since then, organized teams of state government agency leaders have been working together on transformation projects in 24 areas, ranging from state purchasing, to tourism, to strategic industries.

To lead the implementation effort, Governor Perdue appointed then-Commissioner of Natural Resources Lonice Barrett, who had served in state government for 34 years under seven governors. Barrett’s credibility to head the interagency initiative was enhanced by being named the "Most Trusted Employee in State Government" in 2004 by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia Trend Magazine. He retired in 2006.

The Office of Implementation is currently headed by Jeff Strane, who brings 20 years experience from various roles in state and local governments. He spent 7 years with the Georgia Department of Economic Development where he was responsible for sales and marketing for the state's technology assets and recruitment of companies in Georgia strategic industries. Prior to his work with the State, Jeff worked in municipal government in various economic development roles in the City of LaGrange, at MEAG and in Newnan, Georgia. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Biomedical Partnership and is an active member in the Georgia Economic Association.

More about results of CNG-recommended initiatives:

The government fleet – once an unknown quantity -- was inventoried for the first time. The count of 21,410 vehicles was reduced by 1,867. All surplus vehicles, along with other retired state equipment, were sold on the internet for $13 million.

The Commission’s number one cost-saving recommendation called for modernizing state procurement, which contracts over $5.7 billion in purchasing a year. A total transformation of the process is now cutting costs on big contract items like computers, office supplies, and industrial materials. Based on previous spending, savings should exceed $100 million.

Georgia’s first State Property Officer was established to bring overlapping, multi-agency management of real estate into one portfolio. The SPO conducted the first comprehensive inventory of government land and facilities, pinpointing all 1.1 million acres, 15,017 buildings, and over 1,695 leases. Every pin on the state map is cataloged in a web-based GIS inventory open to public view.

Surplus real estate holdings are being sold – netting $22 million so far -- and returned to county tax rolls. Leases have been consolidated and renegotiated, saving $10 million.

Phone service and utility rates have been renegotiated, saving $10 million a year on utility bills.

A new 458-page state construction manual is now online, designed to keep $1 billion in building projects on time, on budget and within quality standards. This is the first comprehensive update of contracting and construction standards since 1954.

The Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, which manages state capital construction projects, improved its record, from 49% of buildings completed on-time in 2004 to 97% in 2007; 100% of projects came in on-budget in 2007, up from 66% in 2004; and warranty complaints dropped from 1,284 in 2004 to just 58 in 2007.

Georgia’s first State Accounting Office was established to create statewide standards and practices. In 2006, the state turned in its first on-time consolidated federal audit report since 1991.

Perhaps the best news for citizens is that Georgia is the first state in America to launch a government-wide program to institute “faster, friendlier, easier” service in every agency that touches customers. Besides speeding up drivers license renewal, new standards of service are spreading throughout state agencies. The Department of Human Resources has cut the turnaround on child support orders from months to the same day. The Department of Revenue is answering tax questions in three days, not six weeks. Georgians needing assistance will soon call a single 800-number answered by a live operator who can connect them with the right office the first time.