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Arkansas Forward

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Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders launched Arkansas Forward with a goal to deliver at least $300 million in cost savings and avoidance to the people of Arkansas, while improving government services, by the end of 2030.

300+ opportunities identified for savings and efficiency improvements

The Arkansas Forward team has identified more than 300 opportunities for savings and efficiencies with project leaders across the executive branch’s 15 cabinet-level departments in five main areas within state government: information technology, procurement, fleet management, personnel, and real estate.

Since taking office, Arkansas Forward has been one of Governor Sanders’ top priorities. This dashboard displays the progress the initiative has made to date and will be updated as the team continues to evaluate opportunities for improvement and efficiency and delivers progress in reducing the burden of government expenses on our taxpayers.

Estimated Taxpayer Savings

$ 0 M

Verified savings
by end of 2030, to date

$ 0

Estimated savings
per Arkansas taxpayer

Per taxpayer amount is calculated using an estimate of
1.7 million individual Arkansas taxpayers.

Download Savings Data

Goal of $300 million in savings by the end of 2030

Efficiency Savings by Category

AR Forward Identified Savings

Technology
Modernization

$52.3 Million

Technology Modernization

Savings from replacing outdated processes with modern tools – moving services online, automating tasks, reducing paper-based systems, and investing in technology that improves efficiency across state government.

Procurement &
Vendor Management

$30.4 Million

Procurement & Vendor Management

Savings captured by improving how we work with vendors – renegotiating contracts, seeking more competitive options, and ensuring the state gets maximum value from every dollar spent.

Financial Efficiency &
Cost Reduction

$19.9 Million

Financial Efficiency & Cost Reduction

Savings generated by putting underused or shared resources to better use – whether through federal programs, resource sharing, or other strategies that reduce costs without reducing service.

Staffing &
Workforce Optimization

$10.0 Million

Staffing & Workforce Optimization

Savings created through smarter alignment of people and work – whether by adjusting staffing levels, restructuring teams, expanding shared services, or increasing efficiency in how employees deliver services.

Facilities &
Infrastructure

$7.7 Million

Facilities & Infrastructure

Savings achieved by consolidating leased space into state-owned facilities, lowering operating costs in existing buildings, and optimizing how we manage the spaces that house state employees and services.

Download the dataset behind Arkansas Forward savings.

Download Data

The Data file is in .xlxs format

Success Stories

Pre-appointment Verification

The Department of Health began conducting pre-appointment insurance verification for patients saving more than $900,000 per year.

Phone System Replacement

The Department of Commerce replaced its office phone system saving $420,000 annually.

Phone & Fax Line Optimization

The Department of Shared Administrative Services identified unused phone and fax lines across all 15 departments, saving the state more than $1.4 million each year.

Paperless Money Transfers

The Department of Corrections introduced electronic payment for community supervision, saving $405,000 a year.

In-house App Hosting

The Department of Education’s Office of Early Childhood moved its web-based application hosting in-house, saving $2.4 million annually.

Governor’s Expenses Reduced

Governor Sanders eliminated executive department office space in Washington, D.C., saving more than $70,000 annually.

Electronic Payment Conversion

The Department of Shared Administrative Services worked with departments to move vendor payments from physical paper checks to electronic payments, saving more than $265,000 each year.

DHS Contract Renegotiation

The Department of Human Services renegotiated contract value added services and cost avoidance including crucial child welfare systems, saving $5.2 million each year.

DFA Vendor Negotiation

The Department of Finance & Administration negotiated a contract for new payment terminals and a reduction in credit card fees at revenue offices and online saving Arkansans more than $2.4 million per year.

Agriculture Office Consolidation

The Department of Agriculture combined office space in Little Rock saving $261,000 in rental payments annually.

Government Efficiency Initiative

The Sanders Administration continues to identify new opportunities for cost savings and operational efficiencies across all state agencies. Our commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars remains a top priority.

The savings and efficiencies reported through Arkansas Forward are operational in nature, not budgetary. These figures reflect reduced costs of doing business—achieved through automation, consolidation, or smarter procurement—not cuts to staffing or core services. In most cases, savings do not result in dollars returned to the general ledger, nor are they immediately available for reallocation. For example, automation reduces the time required to complete a task, but the staff performing that task are not eliminated—they’re redirected to other priorities. This allows agencies to deliver more with the same resources.

FAQs

How were savings determined?

ARForward worked with Cabinet Departments to identify efficiencies for implementation. Combining Departments’ improvements with industry standard metrics resulted in the calculated savings and efficiencies.

Type of Efficiency Process Example Formula Example
One Time Labor Savings Process Eliminated or Consolidated (with no ongoing effort needed) Position Hourly Rate (Salary/2080) * x Hours Saved + Fringe Benefits = Total $ Savings
Recurring Labor Savings Automation, digitization, and/or workflow improvements with ongoing effort needed Position Hourly Rate (Salary/2080) * x Monthly Hours Saved x Months to 12/31/2030 + Fringe Benefits = Total $ Savings
Technology Implementation New Software or Solution Implementation Reduction in Program Costs x Months to 12/31/2030 = Total $ Savings
Savings - General Lower Purchase Costs Due to Reassessment of Needs (Prior Cost - New Cost) x Months to 12/31/2030 = Total $ Savings
Savings - Printing Adoption of electronic processes Per Page Savings: $.03 (B&W) $0.10 (Color) # of Pages x Rate per Page = Total Savings
Projected Savings - Check Processing - Received Adoption of electronic payments $1.25 per Check Eliminated per Month x Months to 12/31/2030 = Total Savings
Projected Savings - Money Order Processing - Received Adoption of electronic payments $1.75 per Money Order Eliminated per Month x Months to 12/31/2030 = Total Savings
Projected Savings - Check Processing - Sent Adoption of electronic payments $2.50 per Check Eliminated per Month x Months to 12/31/2030 = Total Savings
*Note: Position Fringe will be calculated based on Department's 2025 Fringe Rate.