SmarterNJ

SmarterNJ was an initiative designed to improve the quality of government policies, programs, and services by fostering meaningful engagement with residents, businesses, and non-government organizations. In partnership with State departments and agencies, SmarterNJ harnessed the insights, perspective, and passion of the public to improve government outcomes.

Challenge

Government policymaking and service delivery can often be disconnected from the very individuals it is designed to help. To make policies more effective, the State tapped its most valuable assets: the intelligence, expertise, and know-how of its people.

Innovation In Action

SmarterNJ leveraged technology, modern approaches, and industry expertise to tap the public to solve problems, develop policies, and measure the impact of services. OOI’s approach was to open design, development, and implementation processes to those outside of government. SmarterNJ’s tools include: open innovation, crowdsourcing, participatory research and evaluation, prize-backed challenges, and more.

Impact + Metrics

• SmarterNJ launched the Innovation ENJINE Challenge, an open call to State employees for proposals to make government more effective and efficient. Over 2,000 employees participated, and the five winning proposals were selected in late 2019. OOI worked with those teams to help implement their plans. One notable proposal was implemented on the NJ State Department of Labor’s site, reducing long phone wait times.
• Your Future of Work, a problem identification consultation, was launched in partnership with the New Jersey Future of Work Task Force. The project engaged over 4,000 workers to better understand the ways in which a changing economy and technology were impacting their jobs.
• To support New Jersey’s efforts to combat COVID-19, the Your Voice Your Shot video contest asked the community to create compelling videos encouraging vaccination. Watch the winning video here.

Status

• The SmarterNJ initiative is no longer actively managed, however, the Office of Innovation continues to partner with State agencies to enhance engagement and resident participation on an ad hoc basis.

Resources and Additional Information

• SmarterNJ Website
• Medium: How SmarterNJ used a simple survey tool to elevate public engagement
• Medium: How New Jersey Tapped the Public to Help Shape its Climate Future
• Medium: How New Jersey Asked Workers About the Future of Work: The Importance of Partnership

Partners

• Office of the Governor

Last updated on 3/3/25