2023 Winners

International and Region 4

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

Motor Vehicles Red Tape Reduction

The government of Alberta has committed to reducing or eliminating as much red tape as possible when accessing government services. Red Tape is defined as unnecessary time and resources spent by citizens and businesses to comply with regulatory and administrative requirements imposed by legislation, regulations and associated policies, forms and guides. Alberta Motor Vehicles created a Red Tape Reduction (RTR) Working Group that completed a comprehensive review of the Motor Vehicle Manual, and associated forms in its entirety, to identify and remove unnecessary or redundant requirements from policies and procedures. The extensive collaborative effort between motor vehicles and their stakeholder network has resulted in the removal of over 1,616 requirements from motor vehicle manuals, policies, and forms (a 24.23% total reduction). The efforts by the RTR Working Group in reducing red tape has directly resulted in streamlining the process for accessing government services.

Region 1

Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles

Medical Tint Waiver Online Application

Delaware’s Medical Tint Waiver Online Application process began when the Division discovered the secure paper was no longer available. The timing was perfect. Their customers were growing more frustrated with the current process. Before even going to their physician, they needed to come to get an application. Then, they needed their doctor to complete the application before heading back to DMV, and if there was an error in the paperwork one could expect to make yet another visit to their doctor’s office and yet another visit to their nearest DMV. They officially launched the online Medical Tint Waiver application on August 29, 2022. It has simplified and streamlined the process and made it more convenient for customers whether they want to apply for their first waiver or add additional vehicles. They can apply and receive status updates from anywhere as long as they can get online, and Delaware no longer needs to purchase special secure paper saving the State of Delaware and taxpayers money. Plus, moving the application solely online, frees up their front-line team to assist with other customers’ needs.

Region 2

West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles

Digital Titles

In 2022, the West Virginia DMV took a huge step toward introducing fully digital, remote, and paperless services for all users of motor vehicle services in West Virginia. This modernization project includes the digitization of the dealer submission capabilities for title transfer application and registrations (live in January 2022) and the launch of a comprehensive Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program that allows all lienholders to have a sensible option for participation in ELT (live in July 2022). In 2022, the DMV also launched an entirely new cloud-based system of record which uses blockchain technology to securely store all title and registration data. As a result, West Virginia has successfully moved away from the aged and fragile mainframe system on which the state has depended for decades. The introduction of these fully digitized services has benefited the users of the system (dealers, lenders, the service providers who represent them) in many ways, all of which allow for a better customer experience. The average title clerk at the West Virginia DMV can now process 10 times as many title applications in the same time that it took to review and approve one paper application. This improved efficiency has contributed to a huge drop in turnaround times for title approvals, creating even more benefits to West Virginians. The reduction in paper is not only good for cost reduction and efficiency gains, but for the environment as well. West Virginia will save over 5 million sheets of paper annually using these advanced capabilities.

Region 3

Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division

New Employee Orientation Program

Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) successfully instituted a new in-person, New Team Member Orientation program in August of 2021 as a method to improve consistency of training and ensure that all staff working on MVD transactions have a shared understanding and appreciation of agency goals and let all staff excel as new hires. Prior to orientation being offered, the diverse array of locations and employees often created inconsistency in work and uncertainty in goals. Workers may literally have never seen or interacted with top management or other offices and felt under-prepared and unconnected to the mission of the Iowa DOT. Many new workers had delays in fingerprinting and background security checks and would therefore not have access to vital systems, impacting their productivity for weeks. This was all exacerbated by the physical separation of Covid-19 for 2020 into 2021. In response, MVD initiated a New Team Member Orientation program with a full day of in-person training at MVD headquarters, coupled with the fingerprint and security check when needed. The training included an overview of Iowa DOT and MVD, including familiarization with all major products and services. It featured hands-on fraud training with an investigator and meetings with key support staff for primary driver and vehicle functions. It also included direct time with MVD management, either the Division Director or a Bureau Director, who would speak to the overall statewide mission of Iowa DOT. In its first year, this program trained 138 new hires. The orientation program was so popular that another 47 individuals who were "newer" if not strictly "new hires" voluntarily chose to participate in the first year. MVD set a goal that 90% of all new hires should complete orientation within three months. The program exceeded this as 96% of all new hires attended orientation within the first three months. The 185 participants rated the program with 4.7 stars on a 5-point scale and spoke to the program being inspiring, welcoming, positive and interactive.