Governor creates Office of Transformation

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has created an Office of Transformation to make state government more efficient and to streamline its operations, his office announced Monday.

The office will formulate a statewide strategic plan and focus on centralizing state services, encouraging increased use of online services, and encouraging increased citizen participation.

The state’s chief transformation officer will be Amy Fecher, who will retain her current responsibilities as executive vice president of operations for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) and as the governor’s designee with the Delta Regional Authority.

Fecher will not draw a salary but will have a permanent space in the governor’s office, said the governor’s spokesman, J.R. Davis.

“Amy Fecher will have all the resources of the governor’s office and staff as she needs them,” he said. “The governor has obviously given that direction to our staff and cabinet as well as Amy Fecher.”

The office will implement initiatives from the governor’s office and some of those proposed by the Arkansas Efficiency Project, a report by the Arkansas Policy Foundation.

“It’s just important that this is kind of the next step in the process,” Davis said, adding that it places someone “in the driver’s seat with this to make sure that we start implementing and carrying out some of these things.”

The Arkansas Efficiency Project kicked off Dec. 17, 2015, with an announcement by Hutchinson that all state directors would assist the Arkansas Policy Foundation in recommending ways to streamline state government. Questionnaires were sent to 21 of the largest agencies. The Foundation released a report in November with 60 recommendations to make state government more efficient.

Davis said the Office of Transformation will announce initiatives soon, but probably not this month.

In the press release, Hutchinson said, “I am delighted to announce the establishment of the Office of Transformation to identify potential state efficiencies and implement cost savings. Increasing efficiencies to conserve state resources is the best way to return money to the pockets of hard-working taxpayers and deliver better state services to Arkansans.

“I am also pleased to name Amy Fecher as my new chief transformation officer. She is experienced in state government reorganization, and I have no doubt that her experience will provide valuable insight and direction as we strive to increase savings, modernize operations and reduce excessive bureaucracy,” he said.