This month, we’re featuring a guest read from our partner at the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Program Manager Marde Mensinger shares an inside look at the agency’s platform for managing navigable waterways.
Fulcrum is a program that aims to create a single database of information for the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) by taking a massive leap forward in how the agency manages data, protects public resources, and serves the public.
For years, IDL staff have battled a fragmented system of more than six disconnected databases. None of historic systems could seamlessly bridge the gap between the agency’s complex programmatic work and financial tracking. To get the job done, staff have had to resort to double-entering data, maintaining personal spreadsheets, and juggling manual reminders. This outdated method drained staff time and created security risks and made it difficult to give customers fast, accurate information.
Fulcrum is changing all of that. Built in partnership with ITS, Fulcrum is a new, secure, single database solution designed by IDL programs, for IDL programs.
Fulcrum Provides Clear Benefits to IDL:
- One unified database for numerous IDL programs, eliminating silos created by the existing software.
- Managing individual workloads entirely within a single, user-friendly system as opposed to double-entering data and managing disconnected personal spreadsheets.
- Built from the ground up to protect against sophisticated cyber-attacks.
- Lays the foundation for faster response times and future public-facing tools to pull quick information for customers across different programs.
The transformation has already begun. The team recently went live with the first phase of Fulcrum, successfully importing historic encroachment permits and creating new permits.
This immediately eliminated one of the legacy, insecure databases. Now, data is more accessible and features focused, user-friendly information that any Department member can look up. Additionally, this eliminated the spreadsheets so staff can better track and manage workloads directly inside the system.
Unlike past off-the-shelf software attempts that missed the mark on the agency’s unique statutory responsibilities, this custom partnership with ITS is built to last. The development team is already collaborating with program staff on the next phase of Fulcrum to retire even more costly legacy databases.
More updates will come as this partnership continues building a smarter, more secure, and highly efficient IDL.
Background:
The Fulcrum project aims to replace IDL’s three legacy land‑instrument systems and eliminate dependencies on an outdated fiscal platform by delivering a modern, secure solution. The first module, Navigable Waterways, successfully went live on May 4, 2026, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the following project team members:
IDL – Marde Mensinger (IDL Product Owner), Robin Dunn, Chris Haines, and Tom Kearns.
ITS – Josie Hoang (Lead Business Analyst and Project Manager), Zach Rosenberger, Joel Atwood, Koni Waldron, Tsun Mok, Swetha Vuyyuru, Greg Creager, Brad Larson, Chris Gozzo, Tom Brown, and Elton Kelly.
