Minnesota Self-Survey.

The self-survey of Minnesota government, 1955-1956, was deemed necessary after the 1955 legislature established a new salary schedule, to be effective July 1, 1955, but appropriated no new money to cover any additional costs. The new salary schedule could be adopted only if enough savings could be found through reorganization of state agencies to eliminate waste, duplication of effort, and inefficiency of services. Instead of hiring outside consultants to study the state government and make a report, Governor Orville Freeman decided Minnesota would conduct a self-survey using its own administrators, technicians, employees, and legislators. The Commissioner of Administration, Arthur Naftalin, directed the self-survey.

Operational task forces, one for each of 33 state agencies, were established. Most task forces had five members including a chairman (a budget examiner from the Administration Department who was familiar with that agency), an administrator from the agency, an employee of the agency, a technician from another agency of state government, and a state legislator. A policy committee wrote a standardized work manual that was used by all of the task forces. This work manual, comprising more than 160 questions with room left under each question for answers and notes, was arranged into three sections: personnel, salaries, and management; operating procedures; and long-term needs and prospects.

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