Focusing on Collaboration

The GEAR P3 Taskforce was created in 2018 to promote private sector engagement in State government activities.  The intent is to find opportunities to leverage the expertise, leadership support, and resources that will accelerate the State’s efforts to improve the health and financial well-being of Delaware’s citizens.  It is an increasingly difficult challenge for the State of Delaware to provide services to its citizens within the constraints of the annual budget. The expertise required to advance some of the most pressing strategic and process improvement initiatives — such as economic development, creating an entrepreneurial economy, healthcare innovation and education reform — often does not solely reside within the public sector.

Ready in Six (Ri6) Initiative

Launched by the Delaware Business Roundtable and its partners, the Ri6 initiative supports efforts to reduce permit approval timelines with a target of six months for the entire process, thereby making the State a more competitive option when businesses consider relocating to, or expanding in, Delaware.  The Roundtable retained a consulting firm, KPMG, to make recommendations on how the State of Delaware could strengthen its permitting processes by streamlining communication between State and local agencies, providing greater transparency and cost predictability, and implementing fast-track approvals for high priority projects.

The Taskforce sought private-sector support to help providers of these public services to identify which permit-to-groundbreaking processes are insufficiently responsive, indicate which State permitting processes should be prioritized for improvement to better serve the business community, and to prepare for any potential legislative changes needed to help ensure success of the program.  The Taskforce expanded its membership to include new representation from government organizations, legal and other private-sector industries impacted by permitting processes managed at the state, county, and municipal government levels.

Work to implement these recommendations was negatively impacted by the pandemic.  Throughout 2022 the GEAR P3 Taskforce worked to enhance the Ri6 program and launch a survey that was open to approximately 1,500 private sector participants across the state.  The results of the survey led to key findings within various State, municipal, and county organizations.  These findings have been communicated to State leadership and several core permitting processes were identified for improvement.  These core processes will form the scope of a prototype project that will demonstrate the value of applying GEAR continuous improvement methods and tools by the end of Calendar Year 2025.  Based on the results of the prototype project, a more comprehensive program that matches the statewide scope of the KPMG report will be assessed to determine if the aspirational Ri6 goals documented in the report will be pursued.  The GEAR P3 Taskforce remains a catalyst to create momentum state-wide, as the State emerged from the pandemic.

GEAR P3 Innovation & Efficiency and P3 Trailblazer Awards

Beginning in 2019, the GEAR P3 Taskforce leveraged a partnership between GEAR and the Delaware Department of Human Resources to establish the GEAR P3 Innovation & Efficiency and Trailblazer awards as apex awards within the Governor’s Team Excellence Award program.  These awards recognize and directly incentivize State employees who successfully implement high-impact initiatives that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State processes, programs, and services.

The annual financial commitment to the awards are $25,000 from the private sector, with a matching $25,000 from the State.  The GEAR P3 Taskforce remains essential to ensuring the participation of the private sector in this important award.  The Taskforce coordinates with the Delaware Business Roundtable and the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, as well as other partner organizations that contribute to this program.

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