COGE, not DOGE, is going well, says state CIO

Nearly six months into the term of New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the state’s chief information officer said the state’s government is turning its eye to IT efficiency. 

The gubernatorial transition is the third that Chief Information Officer Denis Goulet has seen during his time with the state, after serving under Maggie Hassan and Chris Sununu. Goulet said Ayotte has pushed a “positive message” about increasing government efficiency. One of her first actions as governor last January was creating the New Hampshire Commission on Government Efficiency, or COGE.

“We want to do the right thing for our citizens and state government, but it’s not something we can fix in a day or a week or a month, but something more long term planning and strategy. So, I’ve been pleased that our viewpoints on how to run it correctly seem to be reasonably well aligned. So, so far so good,” Goulet said. 

Other states, such as Texas, have established similar governmental bodies named after Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Goulet said the creation of COGE initially caused some anxiety. But he said his experience as one of the longest serving CIOs in the country has shown him that creating momentum in state government has to be measured and strategic and he thinks COGE members are doing just that. 

“No recommendations have been made yet, but I feel like they’re doing the right things,” he said. “They’re taking the long view on what the right things to do for efficiency in New Hampshire and particularly around the IT space, and what we should be doing.”