In my last blog in August, “Next Generation HR and Pay, and how we’re going to do things differently”, I invited people to submit their thoughts on what a next-generation pay system should be capable of, and how it should work.
Since then, the next-gen team has received some great suggestions from current and former public servants with direct experience in the complexities of pay policy, including a retiree and former pay-policy trainer.
I want to thank everyone who provided their thoughts and opinions. Your experience and advice are valuable, and I’m very thankful for the good, constructive feedback. I’ve read every one of your e-mails. For me, it’s part of putting people’s needs and experiences at the centre of the initiative, and involving them at all stages of system design and delivery.
One person thought we should keep in mind the lessons learned from the Australian experience, when they tried and failed to implement a pay system like Phoenix, and should work closely with them to see how they were able to fix their pay issues.
There was also a suggestion that we fix Phoenix rather than ripping it out and implementing a new solution, because it’s already integrated in our systems — and creating a new solution would “be more expensive and more of a mess.”
Another person was “overjoyed to hear about the open and transparent approach to design and the call-out for feedback from any interested party,” saying it’s “a refreshing take on problem-solving that challenges existing cultures and can only lead to important shifts in government technology.”
I’m excited and encouraged that people are not only contributing their ideas, they’re also asking whether they can help with designing and developing the system. They see this initiative as a new way of working as a government, and they want to be part of it.
And they’re right! This is about being involved in a more nimble form of government. It’s about working in a culture of openness, innovation and agility — one that gives us more freedom to experiment with technology, and breaks down the old risk-averse bureaucratic culture.
So developing the new pay system is about more than just bits and bytes; it’s an exciting culture shift and new way of working that employees fully support.
Please keep the comments coming! There are a lot of smart people out there, and we look forward to hearing from all of you.
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Comments
Hr & Pay - failures and building trust
Submitted by Guy Levert on September 26, 2018 - 4:32 PM
New Pay System should be developed as Open Source Software
Submitted by Alexandre Leroux on September 27, 2018 - 1:07 PM
Agree, open source software, avoid vendor lock-in and stagnation
Submitted by Eric von Graevenitz on January 29, 2019 - 11:57 PM
Thoughts n the next pay system
Submitted by John (former C… on October 09, 2018 - 3:16 AM
HR & Pay Gate 2 evaluation criteria
Submitted by Guy Levert on December 03, 2018 - 3:43 PM