State employees share ideas on making California government more efficient

By Barb Cosio Moreno
2/10/2026

Smiling state employee at a computer, taking notes

What you need to know: Relying on the state workforce’s expertise in delivering services for Californians, the Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) invited employees to participate in the Engaged California program, to share their recommendations on how to improve government efficiency.

February 10, 2026, Sacramento, CA: Californians show up to work each day with a singular mission: to serve their fellow residents. They are the subject matter experts who understand exactly what it takes to operate state government and are best positioned to identify its most pressing challenges.

Engaged California invited these frontline experts to the table. Over a 10-week period, 1,469 state employees shared their insights on how to build a more effective government. The result? Ideas that go far beyond simple cost-cutting measures.

These weren’t abstract comments. Employees came prepared with concrete solutions: from process improvement and workforce retention to technology modernization and management culture. These are experts in their fields of work, and this conversation empowers them to participate and share their ideas in building a more efficient and effective state government.

—Jeffery Marino, Director, ODI

Employees shared over 2,400 anonymous comments and provided more than 2,600 ideas on how they would make state government more efficient. Participants worked for agencies and departments from across the state. Most were frontline staff working below the managerial level.

The full state employee engagement report is available.

What we heard

The message from state employees is clear: improving government efficiency isn’t just about updating technology or trimming budgets. It requires a fundamental shift in management culture, one that empowers employees and creates space for innovation.

The employees’ suggestions were grouped into 10 categories. The top 3 categories were:

Communication and knowledge sharing
Recruitment, hiring and retention
Process improvement

Here are some of their comments:

“A primary problem is the number of antiquated and inefficient statewide processes still in place across departments.”

“In operating such a large government, it is easy to have too many fingers in the mix. It is our responsibility to analyze and identify areas we can cut down on bureaucratic surplus.”

“It’s nice to be able to share my opinions and to broaden my perspectives on what it means to be a public servant.”

State workers also shared comments about their pride in their work, and their appreciation to serve.

“I’m proud to be part of something bigger than myself, serving the public through meaningful and often behind-the-scenes work that helps keep essential operations running smoothly.”

“I love the relationships that I have built with the hard-working and dedicated state employees that keep the programs in this state available for everyone. I am continuously amazed at our ability to grow and meet the challenges that come at us every day.”

“We are public servants and in my opinion should work together to fulfill the needs of the public, which means we need to create a culture that enables each employee to be encouraged to bring their talents, skills and experience to the table.”

Efficiency in action

Governor's Innovation Fellows thinking about a process at a table

Employees spoke about the need for teams and agencies to share more and work across silos. Many asked for clear records and shared tools, using simple language. They also want better ways to gather staff input and support the many languages spoken in California. That feedback was synthesized into a top theme of “communication.”

One participant expressed the need in this quote from the platform:

“We need digital (mobile-optimized) data intake. The state has SO MANY forms (applications, recertifications, licences, grants, etc.)… programs across agencies should share their respective data on the backend so a Californian doesn’t have to enter the same data every time they interact with a new program.”

Enter the Governor’s Innovation Fellows.

In response to the Governor’s Executive Order from July, “California Breakthrough Project,” the California Office of Data and Innovation launched the Governor’s Innovation Fellows in July 2025. Members were nominated by Agency Secretaries and Department Directors. The first cohort of 21 state employees kick-started key initiatives driving state modernization and improved services for Californians, with a goal of creating a more effective, efficient, and engaged government.

One of the efforts of the first cohort was put to work on a pilot for the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA)’s proposed grants portal, one that could scale to other administrator state teams that provide grants.

The Fellows explored ways to consolidate data collection for shared applicant data to streamline the customer experience, while maintaining program-specific data collection, as well as ways to improve grant-program matching.

Based on this discovery work with CNRA, there is a path forward for the second cohort of Fellows who began their tenures in January.

In addition to the Fellows, here are the other ways the efficiency efforts are being tracked statewide:

Results.ca.gov: There are ongoing efforts across the state to meet the need for efficiencies in government. These wins are showcased on the website, results.ca.gov . Visitors to the site will see measurable accomplishments that are delivering real impacts.

Innovation Showcases: The state has reimagined its approach to conducting market research: the Innovation Showcase. The Showcases drive partnership and co-creation between the private and public sector, and give the state direct access to emerging market insights and highlights practical opportunities for us to operate more efficiently and deliver greater impact.
Innovation Community of Practice: The report has shown the need for state employees to have a place to share ideas. That demand has created the need for the Innovation Community of Practice, which connects state employees who want to try new ways of doing things. It spotlights and amplifies the innovation happening throughout the state. The Community is open to all state employees. Learn more and sign up today.

About Engaged California

Engaged California is a platform designed to give Californians a unique opportunity to share their thoughts and connect with other people on topics that are important to them. It creates new opportunities for Californians to connect with their government to inform and shape policy through honest, respectful discussions.

The program was launched in February 2025 with the first use case focusing on the impacts of the Los Angeles wildfires. The state employees’ engagement launched in July as part of the Governor’s executive order to advance government effectiveness and efficiency. Engaged California is managed by the ODI in partnership with the Government Operations agency.