Message from the Chief Innovation Officer

Since Governor Murphy established the New Jersey Office of Innovation by appointing the state’s first Chief Innovation Officer six years ago, our team has had the privilege of serving New Jerseyans and working alongside thousands of dedicated, talented public service professionals across all levels of government. Government at its simplest is people serving people.

Effective government service matters. When we turn to State government, it may be in a time of great uncertainty — such as when facing unemployment, a lack of stable housing, or a need to access nutrition for your children. How the government delivers in those moments is critical. Can you get help when you need it? Is it easy to understand programs that may help and determine whether they apply to you? Are applications processed quickly and efficiently? A government that delivers in these moments is a lifeline for individuals, families, and whole communities, capable of lifting their trajectories.

At the same time, efficient government helps drive economic and social progress. The spark of an idea, in the hands of someone dedicated to bringing it to life, may change the course of history — as has happened here in New Jersey, with the invention of the light bulb, the steam engine, the submarine, the phonograph, and countless other innovations in healthcare and computing. While momentous, these innovations alone did not bend history – they were supported by a larger ecosystem that brought their advantages to the world. Government provides the infrastructure and incentives for positive progress, as we in New Jersey are doing now through Business.NJ.gov and permit modernization efforts, and in the responsible use of generative artificial intelligence.

Our mission is to ensure that government can not only deliver services, but deliver those services more effectively and efficiently. Working with our partners across State government, the Office of Innovation exists to make sure that when you call a hotline seeking help, you can speak to someone quickly and have your questions answered; that you can easily find the information you need without spending hours making sense of complicated documents; and that you can apply for a program without spending hours or even days on an application.

It is an honor to serve as our State’s second Chief Innovation Officer. This is an enormous responsibility because, at its core, our work has the power to strengthen New Jerseyans’ trust in their government. We owe a vast debt of gratitude to my predecessor, Beth Simone Noveck, who transformed an idea into an office, attracting dozens of talented and dedicated professionals into public service. Since its creation, that Office of Innovation has worked with nearly every State agency to reimagine government as we know it to better serve New Jerseyans.

Now, at the start of our sixth year at the Office of Innovation, we are proud to take this moment to reflect on the impact our team has had, working in concert with our partners in public service across the state. We invite you to review our work and share your thoughts on how we may further drive continuous improvement and government excellence (drop us a note at team@innovation.nj.gov). We do this work out of a commitment to service and a belief that a government that works for all of us is necessary to build trust in our communities and meet the societal challenges we face, together. We look forward to continuing the progress we’ve made and building on the foundation highlighted in this report.

Yours in service,

Dave

Dave Cole
Chief Innovation Officer
State of New Jersey