Breakthrough Year
Ten years ago, the Florida Department of Revenue embarked on a journey toward a better way of providing government service – systematic, professional, and modeled on techniques adapted from the world's best organizations, both public and private. It's been a decade of encouraging gains.
But we will remember 2004 as the breakthrough year:
- In the General Tax Administration Program, our System for Unified Taxation (SUNTAX) has produced a documented four-to-one return on investment since the program's inception in 1998. Over that period, DOR's pioneering integrated tax administration system has reaped $280.3 million in cost savings and benefits compared to $61.1 million in total SUNTAX-related costs. Next year, we expect additional savings and returns.
- In the Child Support Enforcement Program, DOR collected more than $1 billion on behalf of children during the 2003-2004 state fiscal year – our first billion-dollar year ever. Even more remarkable, our third consecutive year of double-digit collections increases came over a period in which child support caseloads actually declined slightly. The outlook: In 2005, Governor Bush will make improving child support a significant part of his recommendations to strengthen Florida families. We will rise to rank among the top five child support programs nationally by 2010.
- In 2004, we made significant progress in strengthening our ability to manage business processes as successful U.S. companies do – by the numbers. We began to implement a logical, clear performance-management system that links broad strategic goals directly and visibly to the day-to-day efforts of DOR regions, work units and eventually employees. In 2005, this performance-management system will arm our managers with the kind of actionable information that private-sector managers use to make America the world's most productive economy.
Across all our programs, we are making progress in building a modern business process management system. But to win the greatest advantage from this system, we need skilled managers and supervisors. To that end, the Department expanded an innovative training program started in 2003 that helps DOR managers improve business results by adding to their statistical and process analysis skills. By the end of 2004, we had trained 80 Department managers in the Knowledge-Based Leadership© (KBL) training program, with each manager implementing two projects designed to improve productivity, reengineer processes, and increase results.
Everyone wins – the manager gains in skill and the Department gains managers better able to steer performance to a higher level.
Why do we do this? Because today, more than ever, Florida needs the best, most effective, least costly services we can offer. Massive storms have battered our state and inflicted billions in damages on our businesses, homes, and communities. To rise to this challenge, government organizations need a passionate commitment to public service – and much more. We need skilled, systematic managers. We need motivated, effective employees. We need government that cuts costs, increases productivity, and improves services. DOR is developing what Florida needs.
This breakthrough year has been demanding, exciting and rewarding. As executive director of DOR, I am deeply grateful for the contributions that our managers and employees have made this year.
Frankly, however, we of DOR aren't in the mood to sit back and savor the achievements of 2004.
We're too excited by what we see ahead in 2005.
- Jim Zingale
