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Wisconsin IT Projects Reviewed by the Legislative Audit Bureau

Most problems occurred in planning for complex high-risk projects.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin's Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB) released a report on the state's IT projects. LAB identified 184 IT projects completed in fiscal year (FY) 2004-05 and FY 2005-06 or ongoing at the beginning of FY 2006-07 which at completion are expected to cost $291.7 million.

"Some state agencies have experienced widely reported difficulties in completing complex and costly IT projects within budget and according to schedule," said LAB in its summary. "To address the resulting concerns of legislators and the public, and at the direction of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, we:
  • Estimated IT-related expenditures and staffing for executive branch agencies in FY 2005-06
  • Compiled an inventory that describes each of the 184 projects we identified and provides information on their costs and timeliness
  • Identified large, high-risk IT projects and reviewed the development of 7 of these projects in some detail
  • Assessed the Department of Administration's (DOA's) initiatives to consolidate certain IT infrastructure and software, as well as structures in place to ensure appropriate oversight by both DOA and the Legislature.
The report highlights summary said that most problems occurred in planning for complex high-risk projects, saying that oversight of high-risk projects has been inadequate. The report includes recommendations for planning, monitoring and oversight.
Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.