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What is NextGen HR and Pay?
Welcome to the Next Generation HR & Pay Wiki!
This site serves as a repository for NextGen documents. The NextGen Team has committed to working in the open by sharing documents as they’re being created. While work continues to advance on the NextGen initiative, new documents will be posted here.
What is NextGen HR and Pay?
The Next Generation Human Resources and Pay (NextGen HR and Pay) initiative at Shared Services Canada (SSC) is testing human resources (HR) and pay systems to replace 34 HR systems across government and the current pay system. This high-profile initiative will produce options and recommendations for a future enterprise-wide NextGen HR and Pay system for the Government of Canada.
The Future of HR and Pay in the Government of Canada
The Next Generation HR and Pay initiative is working towards aligning the Government of Canada’s HR and Pay processes and systems with industry best practices. These practices are being identified by looking at organizations (governments, businesses, industry) that are recognized for their success in this field.
Through pilot projects with select federal departments, Next Generation HR and Pay is testing some of the best practices identified to determine what changes need to be made to our own processes and systems, in order to align with proven methods. This work includes:
- Finding the software solution that can do everything the federal public service needs - now, and into the future; and
- identifying changes in federal public service processes, policies, directives and collective agreements so that our HR and Pay business can fit into the framework of the powerful HR and Pay software solutions that are currently available.
Our mandate
- Test the proposed solution against the complexities of the Government of Canada’s HR and pay requirements.
- Prove there is a viable solution to solve the defined business problem.
- Seek clarity of business process redesign, change management activities and training required to adopt a new solution.
- Test viable working relationships with vendor(s).
At the end of this initiative, a software program and funding recommendation will be presented to the Treasury Board of Canada that will include a path forward to replace existing HR and pay systems within the current operating context of the Government of Canada.
Next Generation HR and Pay’s Vision
- Government of Canada employees need to be paid accurately and on time. In creating a solution, NextGen will adopt an iterative approach with key stakeholders, GC experts and their future vendor to solve this business problem starting with a pilot.
- NextGen’s vision ties to the overarching vision to deliver a modern end to end HR and Pay solution that addresses the business problem and enables Canada to be an employer of choice.
Dashboard (To be published at a later date)
Timelines
In early 2018, a Next Generation Human Resources and Pay team (NextGen HR and Pay) was established at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) to explore a future HR and pay solution for the Government of Canada. The HR and pay solution will be a digital solution that is mobile and accessible and will be built on the foundation of users’ needs and modern people management processes. The NextGen team was transferred from TBS to Shared Services Canada (SSC) on April 1, 2020. The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) at TBS remains the HR and pay policy owner as well as the lead on other GC HR transformation initiatives. For more information, see the full project timeline and milestones completed so far.
First NextGen Exploratory Phase with Canadian Heritage
In October 2020 the NextGen team began work with Canadian Heritage on the first exploratory phase of this project. Learnings and results from this exploratory phase will help inform and define the way forward.
As this is an iterative process where each step will inform the next, the exact dates for the future phases have yet not been determined. The exploratory phase is expected to last approximately six months, however, this timeframe could be shortened or lengthened depending on the findings. In this phase, the NextGen team will develop work products such as a business case, privacy impact assessment, change management and other planning considerations.
This approach reflects the government’s key digital principles — such as being open and iterative — based on modern best practices and lessons learned. The government is taking the time required to deliver a new system will work with the complexities of government human resources and pay. The NextGen team will continue to communicate openly on the status of this initiative and to engage regularly with employees and other stakeholders.
The exploratory phase will not affect employee’s pay. It will occur in a controlled environment that is separate from Phoenix. Canadian Heritage employees will continue to be paid through the Phoenix pay system while testing is completed. Canadian Heritage was selected as the first exploratory phase Department because their organization provides a good representation of the government’s human resources complexities, including multiple occupational groups, regional representation, overtime, and other considerations.
Engagement Update
Since the beginning of the exploratory phase in October 2020 the NextGen team has made progress on engagement with HR and pay stakeholders. The NextGen team has engaged with more 890 participants from 20 federal organizations in engagement activities that include workshops, working sessions and user research with HR and pay practitioners, end users, and technical experts. Leadership interviews have also been conducted with senior executives to gather their perspectives on the current and future operations of HR and pay teams. These engagement activities are providing the NextGen team with valuable information that will inform the next steps for the NextGen initiative.
Expansion of Pilot to New Departments
The NextGen HR and Pay initiative continues to advance. On July 27, 2021, the expansion of the pilot to additional government departments was announced by the Government of Canada. This follows the successful completion of the Exploratory Phase, which took place from October 2020 to April 2021.
Canadian Heritage was selected for the first pilot because the organization provides a modest representation of the government’s human resources complexities. Work will continue with Canadian Heritage.
To better understand the complexities of the human resources and pay systems in other federal departments, the pilot is now being expanded to test with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. Testing will take place in a controlled environment.
The pilot will also include Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED-Q) to ensure an effective user experience in French and confirm a product that works effectively in both official languages.
The pilot with CED-Q also allows the NextGen HR and Pay team to confirm that small and regional government organizations with headquarters outside of the National Capital Region will be served equally by the proposed software.
Throughout the Exploratory Phase, more than 890 participants from 20 federal organizations took part in engagement forums including 38 workshops and 90 working sessions. In total, there were more than 180 hours of workshops, 170 hours of working and follow-up sessions, and 2,400 workshop people hours. Learnings and results from the Exploratory Phase will continue to inform and define the way forward. The NextGen HR and Pay team continues to engage with employees and HR advisors who use the system, as well as with bargaining agents, in the development of a user-centric HR and Pay solution. Extensive consultation will continue throughout this initiative.
Using an agile and iterative approach, the NextGen HR and Pay team remains committed to taking the necessary time to let each step in the process inform the next.
For more information on the NextGen initiative, please visit our website to follow our progress and share your feedback!
