JFO IT consultant briefs Senate committee on major state IT projects and oversight risks

Lisa Gobin, the Joint Fiscal Office's contracted IT consultant, told the Vermont Senate Committee on IT and Institutions on a recent committee meeting that she is monitoring a portfolio of large state IT efforts and has identified both progress and persistent risks, particularly for the statewide enterprise resource planning (ERP) replacement and the unemployment insurance modernization.

Gobin, who described her role as producing targeted advisory memos and independent reviews for the JFO, told the committee she evaluates projects across a set of standard areas including project justification, clarity of purpose, organizational support, project leadership, project management, financial considerations, technical approach and risk management. "The CIO's independent review is required by statute, and it's if a project is over $1,000,000, they're required," Gobin said, explaining how her work complements but differs from the Office of the Chief Information Officer and ADS reviews.

The consultant said several projects show measurable success. The Department of Motor Vehicles modernization has completed a vehicle-services rollout and began driver-services work in mid-2024; Gobin said the project has met deadlines and remained on budget. A judiciary networking project that…