Federal government selects SAP for next phase of pay solution pilot
Posted Mar 6, 2020 07:34:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The federal government is taking another step toward fixing the Phoenix pay system debacle that has seen thousands of employees paid too much or not at all over the past four years, but not everyone is happy about it.
German-based corporation SAP, which makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations, was selected Friday to work with the Canadian government on a pilot to test the complexities of the government's HR and pay requirements.
Minister of Digital Government Joyce Murray made the announcement following what he calls a rigorous evaluation process involving three qualified vendors over the past several months. All three vendors — SAP, Ceridian and Workday — remain part of the qualified list of suppliers for future HR and pay work with the government.
Some, like President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) Debi Daviau, see it as a major positive.
“This marks a significant step towards building an HR and pay solution that works,” she said. “Our members have been called on to support building a new solution that serves their needs, and I am pleased to see that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.”
But Public Service Alliance of Canada National President Chris Aylward wishes his members could have been more involved in this decision. He wrote:
“We would like to know why SAP was chosen above the other two vendors. We have not received any information about the three proposals since the vendors were shortlisted many months ago.
It will also be important to determine exactly how the piloting process will work – including information like which departments will be included and how success will be measured.
PSAC members make up the bulk of the government's compensation staff and they should have an active role in this process.
It's not clear to us how the government intends to not repeat the mistakes of the past when entire pilot projects are announced without the knowledge of those who do the work, or their union.”
The government says public servants, as well as bargaining agents, have been involved throughout the process and the government says its committed to continuing to work with them in the next stages of the project.
“Canada's hard-working employees should be paid accurately and on time,” said Minister Murray. “[Friday]'s announcement is an important milestone towards building an efficient next generation solution that is better aligned with the complexity of the federal government's HR and pay structure. I am focused on moving this forward while taking the time to get it right.”
Long-term work to stabilize the Phoenix Pay System will continue with Public Services and Procurement Canada.
