The state’s Enterprise Financial System (EFS) modernization project moved into procurement planning at the Information Technology Steering Committee meeting on Jan. 14, where program manager Greg Dalen described the RFP process and evaluation steps intended to select a replacement for FAMIS.

Greg Dalen, Program Manager for the EFS modernization procurement, said the project team has completed the RFP and is conducting a legal review with the attorney general’s office before posting the solicitation to HyPro, the state’s electronic procurement system. “The goal of that right now is really to replace [FAMIS], which has been the state’s central accounting system for well over 55 years,” Dalen said, adding the procurement aims to identify a modern, SaaS‑based platform with current cybersecurity practices.

Why it matters: FAMIS has been the state’s core accounting system since the 1970s; ETS says a modern EFS could sharply reduce manual work and shorten reporting cycles, improving reliability and automation for accounting and financial reporting.

What ETS described about the procurement
- RFP completion and AG review: ETS said the RFP and requirements have been developed and are under legal review by the attorney general before public posting.
- Public posting and pre‑proposal conference: After AG clearance, ETS will post the RFP to HyPro and hold a pre‑proposal conference to brief potential bidders. All vendor Q&A will be handled through HyPro and publicly posted so responses are transparent to all potential bidders.
- Q&A and addenda process: Vendors will have a multi‑week Q&A period; ETS said questions often duplicate and the state will post answers and, if necessary, RFP addenda on HyPro.
- Proposal evaluation and demonstrations: A closed evaluation committee will review proposals, then invite shortlisted vendors to scripted in‑person demonstrations; subject matter experts across finance and IT will participate in evaluations.
- Best and final offer (BAFO) and notice of award: The state may enter a BAFO period with shortlisted vendors, evaluate final offers and post a notice of award on HyPro.

Committee concerns and clarifications
Committee member Jean asked specifically about deliverables and acceptance criteria, referencing earlier project failures that stemmed from unclear milestones. Dalen said the RFP will require vendors to align to the “ETS project management framework” and pass quality gates before deliverables are accepted and payments are issued. “There will be various reviews and committees in place during the implementation process before we move forward,” he said.

Jean also asked about the proportion of stakeholders on evaluation committees; Dalen said evaluation panels will include subject matter experts from business areas as well as IT, and that the exact membership list was not available in the meeting.

Background figures cited by ETS
Dalen said the state’s current ACFR (annual financial report) process can take roughly six months; he said a modern EFS could reduce that time to less than a month by automating reporting and transactions.

Next steps: The project team will complete the AG review and publish the RFP timeline and schedule to HyPro. Committee members requested further detail on deliverables, acceptance criteria and IV&V (independent verification and validation) work for the project; ETS indicated IV&V funding is requested in the budget and that the procurement design will include accountability mechanisms.

Ending: ETS characterized the procurement as a multi‑step process designed to be fair and transparent, with public posting, vendor demonstrations and a structured evaluation intended to select a vendor that meets functional, security and implementation requirements.