Why is it so hard to fix Phoenix?
Is it really so complicated to implement a payroll system for a large organization like the federal public service? After months of inexplicable glitches and gaffes, not to mention tens of millions of dollars, there are still public servants not getting paid enough, others too much and some not at all. I’ve heard stories in the past week of people who were given advances and then ordered to repay them, even though the government still hadn’t caught up on missing back pay. Someone else was warned that a slight change in a payroll deduction could lead to her not being paid at all.
The only sure thing about Phoenix seems to be the mounting cost. There doesn’t seem to be any issue with processing the cheques to the supplier responsible for this mess. At what point would it make sense to simply scrap the system and start over? Or just go back to whatever was being used before. Whatever the flaws of that system, at least people got paid. Here’s another idea: tell the contractor responsible for Phoenix that until every single public servant gets paid properly, they won’t get paid at all.
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Tax Accountant at Allen's Accounting and Tax Services
7 年So Hilarious, this is making the adage that they couldn't run a hotdog cart to be too true. It's a payroll system not like everyone else doesn't have one, Some even sell it as a service. Why did they fail so miserably to manage the most basic of systems. I'll let you know the answer, 2/3rds bureaucracy, and 1/3rd politics. If you think this is a clusterFk wait until they roll out the redesigned individual tax assessment system, originally pegged at $150 million. It really is a special project to get all those pre-retirees to be assigned to the group so they could bring the top-down thinking that made the first system so er, great?!
Helping media companies, podcasters and broadcasters grow and thrive in the midst of rapid change
7 年Great observations Mark. Clearly, in a private business situation this would never go on as long as it has. People's lives are being adversely affected and the supplier has to have some skin in this game too.
Common sense and large projects (public or private sector) just don't mix. It is never that easy. There is blame to go around and not just on the contractor. Probably too late to go back. Lots of smart people looking at the problem and lots of egos, careers, opinions etc in the way if a solution.
Professor - Business and Creative Industries at Loyalist College
7 年Great comment Mark. My wife has been working on this from the PSAC end for 18 months now. Lots of stress to say the least.
Sculptor
7 年Yes, of course if they walkaway it will get worse. The core issue is procurement practices which the feds do badly.