A sensible ordering of priorities is next to impossible. Projects are tracked by the general services division, and information is provided about their status on a quarterly basis. There are, however, no centralized inventory of assets or statewide policy for asset maintenance. B- New Mexico has made enormous progress in providing greater flexibility to agencies for hiring and rewarding employees. In July 1997, the state shucked its old hiring systems, allowing agencies to recruit for specific jobs rather than generic job titles and getting rid of limited hiring lists.
Managers also can reward employees through pay increases that are tied to annual evaluations.
New pay rules are helping to get lower-paid employees to the midpoint of the salary range. The state still has 1,100 job titles, which it hopes to reduce to below 500 by July 2000. It has a problem with high turnover, which means it could probably use some centralized workforce planning. Right now, the bulk of such efforts has taken place in the IT area and within some agencies. Now, some state leaders are trying to move in this direction, but they're faced with starting from scratch.