Feds shell out $250K to bureaucrats for Phoenix-related financial losses
The government has doled out nearly $250,000 since September 2016 to cover financial losses public servants have incurred because of the Phoenix pay system, according to the Treasury Board, which unions say indicates the program is working well despite seemingly low engagement. From September 2016 to January 31, 2018, 1,452 claims have been processed government-wide, […]
Phoenix backlog down 4,000 cases last month, but could still climb, feds say
There was some good news for the public servants affected by the troubled Phoenix pay system today: for the first time in more than half a year, the backlog has dropped. The February update of a government website tracking the issue—known as the Public Service Pay Centre’s “dashboard”—showed 4,000 fewer open cases in the backlog […]
Unions cautiously optimistic about Treasury Board leading post-Phoenix fix, but worry about more delays
The two largest public service unions are applauding the decision in the 2018 federal budget to have the Treasury Board lead the search for a Phoenix pay system alternative, but caution the government can’t cut corners this time. Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service (PIPSC) […]
Delayed Amazon-like federal procurement system projected to go live in 2019
An online platform intended to speed up and simplify federal procurement is almost two years behind schedule, but now has a planned launch in 2019 following $197-million promised in the latest budget. The funding identified in the Feb. 27 budget is allocated over five years and when the new platform does go live, industry insiders […]
Feds move to do full PS staff survey yearly, not every three years
A comprehensive examination of how public servants feel about their workplaces will now be done yearly, instead of every three years, a move welcomed by union representatives, who say there needs to be meaningful action with the yearly results. According to a November memo prepared for Treasury Board secretary Yaprak Baltacioglu and obtained under the […]
Disputed new federal printer-buying system to be in place by summer: Shared Services
A disputed new Shared Services Canada procurement program reducing the number of eligible suppliers for printers and printing services to federal departments should be in operation by the summer, according to the department. Critics say the new procurement process will completely shut out small- and medium-sized suppliers. Twenty-nine suppliers of printers, photocopiers, and related services started […]
Printer suppliers protest Shared Services’ new procurement plan
A new Shared Services Canada procurement program consolidating the number of pre-approved suppliers for printers and printing services will completely shut out small- and medium-sized suppliers, leaving a handful of deep-pocketed multinationals competing for $60- to $100-million worth of contracts each year from the federal government, say members of a coalition formed in opposition to the […]
Unions applaud scrapping Phoenix pay system, but want more support for its current victims
The government’s plan to move away from the failing Phoenix payroll system is encouraging, say union reps, but the budget missed the mark when it comes to helping the thousands of public servants currently facing financial hardships. In its third financial plan, the Liberal government highlighted the continued failings of the two-year-old payroll system, stating […]
Federal departments resume purchasing own printers, other hardware in wake of changes to mandate of Shared Services Canada
Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough has not received a single request from any federal department or agency to perform select digital operations internally or seek out a provider other than Shared Services Canada since legislation was enacted last spring allowing them to partially opt-out of using the centralizing IT service, The Hill Times […]
DFAIT-CIDA merger has led to a foreign ministry dominated by development staff
It is always enjoyable to stay in touch with former foreign ministry colleagues in my “retryment.” Like “Godwin’s Law” of the internet, or any discussion of United States politics that leads to Donald Trump, it is inevitable when two or more former employees from the Department Now Known As Global Affairs gather together, the talk inevitably […]
