TRENTON – Today, Governor Murphy announced the New Jersey Office of Innovation (OOI) has released its inaugural Impact Report, detailing the outsized impact OOI has had on the lives of New Jerseyans.

Just six years after it was created with the mission to improve the lives of New Jerseyans by solving problems differently, OOI has helped millions of residents by designing and deploying more effective and efficient government services alongside its partners and residents.

To date, OOI’s work includes:

• Modernizing benefit programs to enable agencies to more efficiently serve millions, while saving residents hundreds of thousands of hours and reducing agency costs by millions of dollars.
• Building new tools to help residents access and use State benefits, find job training programs, get a COVID-19 vaccine, obtain rental assistance, apply for business grants, and more.
• Designing campaigns that have reached millions of New Jerseyans, encouraging them to finish their college degree, get help starting and running their business, and more.

“As the Impact Report clearly shows, the Office of Innovation’s collaborations with State agencies have improved how New Jersey State government delivers services to residents, businesses, and institutions across the Garden State,” said Governor Murphy. “By reducing the time it takes to apply for unemployment benefits, connecting New Jerseyans with disabilities to key services, and decreasing call center wait times, this small team is bringing fresh perspectives and cutting-edge ideas to our government to help agencies deliver services more efficiently. This work has saved the State money, given time back to residents, and made it easier to start, operate, and grow a business here in New Jersey.”

“In just six years, the Office of Innovation has made vast contributions to our state and improved the lives of countless New Jerseyans. Their work with the Department of Labor to create the Maternity Coverage Tool has made it easier than ever to understand paid family leave benefits. Increasing use of this critical benefit is a core Nurture NJ recommendation, and this tool has already helped more than 115,000 New Jerseyans plan their parental leave.” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “Through innovations in technology and policy, we will make New Jersey the safest, most equitable place to deliver and raise a baby.”

“Effective government service matters. When New Jerseyans 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 their families,” said Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole. “With Governor Murphy’s leadership, the Office of Innovation has worked with our partners across State government to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing New Jerseyans, and we’ve done so working alongside residents whose insights and feedback have guided our work. There is still plenty more to do, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact for New Jerseyans.”

 The Office of Innovation was created in 2018 by Governor Murphy with the appointment of Beth Simone Noveck as New Jersey’s first-ever Chief Innovation Officer. Since then, OOI has worked with nearly every State agency and department on dozens of high-impact projects.

Many of those projects are detailed in OOI’s Impact Report. Highlights include:

• Reducing the time it takes to apply for Unemployment Insurance from nearly 4 hours to less than 25 minutes.
• Helping more than 115,000 expecting parents access benefits to care for their newborns.
• Helping over 123,000 workers find job openings and training programs and to explore new careers in New Jersey.
• Helping over 45,000 entrepreneurs start and grow their new business in New Jersey.
• Modernizing 11 call centers, enabling agencies to manage over 5.5 million calls in a little over a year, saving millions of dollars, reducing wait times, and boosting call resolution rates by 50%.
• Launching one of the nation’s first AI tools specifically built for State employees.

To learn more about what OOI has accomplished, read the Impact Report.