Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has been selected by 12 southeast Minnesota counties, with funding from the Bush Foundation, to develop a human services delivery model focused on moving them from a county-based to a regional approach.*

Accenture will create a strategic plan including the business case, redesigned operating model and implementation roadmap for creation of a multi-county framework for human services delivery. The company has been a leader in analyzing how local governments are collaborating across traditional jurisdiction lines to deliver services more efficiently. Earlier this year, Accenture published a study titled Cross-Jurisdiction Collaboration: New Models for State, Regional and Local Government providing an overview of collaboration models and a framework for assessing and implementing cross-jurisdiction approaches.

"This innovative effort will be among the first and largest projects of its type in the United States, a systematic assessment and plan for a multi-county approach to human services," said David Wilson, Accenture's co-director for its Minneapolis office and head of the firm's North America state, provincial and local government practice. "A regional approach to public services can and should leverage economies of scale and improve outcomes and services to citizens in need, and we commend Minnesota county leaders and the Bush Foundation for encouraging this type of much-needed government innovation."

"The courageous county leaders involved in this redesign project are doing bold, innovative work to ensure a vital future for their communities," said Greg Keane, Bush Foundation Chief Financial Officer. "We have invested in this work because we believe other communities will be able to learn from and adapt the outcome to solve their own tough problems."

Learn more about Accenture's Human Services solutions and focus, Empowering Services, Improving Lives.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company with over 244,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world's most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

* 12 referenced counties are Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona

Accenture
Joe Dickie, 512-694-6422
joseph.r.dickie@accenture.com