PROVIDING DIRECTION TO STATE DEPARTMENTS

REGARDING GRANT MANAGEMENT

I, TIM PAWLENTY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and applicable statutes, do hereby issue this executive order:

WHEREAS, as Governor, it is important that I provide clear direction to commissioners and state departments to take important steps, consistent with applicable law, to implement strategies that will make the provision of governmental services more efficient and cost-effective; and

WHEREAS, the Drive to Excellence Reform Initiative provides the State of Minnesota with a unique opportunity to fundamentally change the operation of state government; and

WHEREAS, the Drive to Excellence and the strategic plan set forth in the Transformation Roadmap outlines methods for state government to provide faster, more reliable, and cost-effective services to Minnesota's citizens and businesses; and

WHEREAS, state departments and services need to be viewed as an integrated whole and as an enterprise, working together to support Minnesota as one organization with overall goals and objectives; and

WHEREAS, the state currently pursues, distributes, and manages over $1.1 billion of incoming grant funds from over 500 grant sources and monitors the performance of over 7,000 grantees and approximately 9,400 grants; and

WHEREAS, implementation of the Enterprise Grant Management recommendations outlined in the Transformation Roadmap will result in quantitative and qualitative benefits including improved stewardship of public funds, better enterprise reporting, improved resource management, cost reduction, and improved performance management; and

WHEREAS, materials developed through the Drive to Excellence document the improved effectiveness and efficiency that can be gained from an enterprise orientation to the provision of government services;

NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby order and direct state departments to support implementation activities of the Drive to Excellence Reform Initiative by taking the following specific actions:

1. The Commissioner of Public Safety will lead the implementation of the Enterprise Grant Management recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap, as appropriate.

2. The Commissioner of Public Safety will establish a steering committee of project stakeholders to ensure that business requirements are met, to monitor project status, and to remove obstacles to project success.

3. The Commissioner of Public Safety will work with and leverage the past activities of the Enterprise Grant Management Community of Interest and designate adequate additional resources to implement the Enterprise Grant Management recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap, managing consistency and efficiency in grant management activities, including standardization of policies, procedures, data, and tools. The Commissioner will:

a. Refine vision, roles, and responsibilities for Enterprise Grant Management;

b. Design and implement a robust grant management system and track associated savings with aligned management and administrative practices;

c. Define a decision process that will be used to set enterprise-wide standards for application, management, and distribution of grant resources, with an initial emphasis on common processes, policies, and systems;

d. Define an exception approval process for any department- or program-specific needs determined to be inconsistent with established state standards;

e. Validate non-enterprise or department-specific grant functions within departments, as appropriate;

f. Use reorganization orders, statutory changes, and other agreements consistent with the law to achieve the goals of this order; and

g. Ensure compliance with statutes, Department of Public Safety best practices, and high ethical standards.

4. All state departments will comply with policies, standards, and guidelines promulgated by the Commissioner of Public Safety and make available department resources as designated to implement the Enterprise Grant Management recommendations of the Transformation Roadmap:

a. At the request of the Commissioner, state departments will appoint representatives that can commit resources and speak with the authority of the department to participate in development of enterprise-wide strategy, policies, procedures, and standards for grant management activities;

b. As directed by the Commissioner, state departments will provide resources and participate in the definition of tools and systems directed to support the enterprise-wide strategy for grant management; and

c. The Commissioner will direct the supervision of future professional/technical service contracts and other information technology spending related to department grant management activities.

5. All commissioners, departments, and employees of the executive branch performing grant management functions will, to the extent consistent with applicable law, utilize the policies, procedures, and practices set forth by the Enterprise Grant Management function and the Commissioner of Public Safety.

6. On or before December 15, 2005, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Safety will summarize and report to the Governor the results of this initiative, including information regarding:

a. The number, total amount, and nature of grants managed by the state;

b. Savings and service improvements attributable to enterprise-wide management of grants; and

c. Any conclusions or recommendations regarding Minnesota's success with an enterprise-wide approach to grant management.

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 4.035, subdivision 2, this Executive Order will be effective fifteen (15) days after publication in the State Register and filing with the Secretary of State and will remain in effect in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 4.035, subdivision 3.