The state of Michigan recently received a "2006 Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology in State Government" from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). The award honors Michigan's Human Resources Optimization project, which used advanced self-service technology and a shared services model to drive multi-million dollar operational cost savings through a collaborative effort among the state's 19 departments and numerous agencies.

"This project is an excellent example of how important it is to have the business and technology areas working together to achieve the same goal. Working collaboratively with our Department of Information Technology, we were successful in streamlining business processes while leveraging technology to fundamentally change the way we deliver HR services," said Jim Farrell, state personnel director for the State of Michigan and project manager for the HR Optimization Project. "We are on track to achieve $28 million in operational savings over five years while increasing efficiencies and maintaining high levels of customer service and satisfaction."

The annual NASCIO Recognition Awards program highlights state government IT programs that exemplify best practices, support the public policy goals of state leaders, help government officials perform their duties and provide cost-effective services to citizens. Key criteria for selection include a project's significance to the operation of government; the benefits realized by service recipients, taxpayers, agency, and state; and return on investment.

Michigan's HR Optimization project focused on three key components. These included expanding Web-based self-service tools to enhance direct employee access to the Department of Civil Service's HR computer system; augmenting these tools with an "intelligent" knowledgebase to give employees data tailored to their specific employment situation; and establishing a multi-tiered service center to directly support employees and perform routine transactions thereby optimizing HR systems and reducing resource allocations statewide.

Michigan is the nation's tenth-largest state with 9.9 million residents and the state's third-largest employer with 54,000 state employees.

KW