Murray handed reins of developing Phoenix replacement – iPolitics.ca

Digital Government Minister Joyce Murray has been tasked with leading work on a next generation human resources and pay system to replace the problematic Phoenix program that has caused headaches for public servants since its introduction in 2016.

Shes also been tapped to lead the renewal of Shared Services Canada so that it is properly resourced and aligned to deliver common IT infrastructure that is reliable and secure. Shared Services is the federal agency responsible for consolidated IT services that has drawn the ire of critics both inside and outside government for its slow progress in completing major projects.

Murray was tasked with the responsibilities, as well as others, in her new mandate letter from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, publicly released on Friday.

READ MORE: Murray handed responsibility for Shared Services Canada

Of course, the rocky rollout of the Phoenix pay system has seen thousands of pubic servants miss payments, or be overpaid or underpaid, or deal with other payment related issues. With the backlog of issues still to this day in the thousands, the Trudeau government committed near the end of its last mandate to replace Phoenix.

As part of her duties, Murray has also been asked to lead work across government to transition to a more digital government in order to improve citizen service and oversee the chief information officer and the Canadian Digital Service as they work with departments to develop solutions that will benefit Canadians and enhance the capacity to use modern tools and methodologies across government.

And Murray has been tasked with leading the work to analyze and improve the delivery of information technology within government, including identifying all core and at-risk IT systems and platforms.

As iPolitics reported last month, Murray replaced the public services and procurement minister as the responsible minister for Shared Services.

This past March, Murray was named president of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government after Jane Philpott resigned from the role amid the SNC-Lavalin scandal. In last months cabinet shuffle, she retained the digital government portfolio but was replaced as president of the Treasury Board by Jean-Yves Duclos.

Debi Daviau told iPolitics in November that she believed that developing the replacement to the troubled Phoenix pay system would eventually find its way under Shared Services (or Shared Services would at least have a role in it), as it was a task that fell under Treasury Board.

Murrays office still falls under the Treasury Board Secretariat.

In her retooled ministerial posting, Murray has also been tasked with working with the families, children and social development minister and national revenue minister to implement a voluntary, real-time e-payroll system with an initial focus on small businesses.

Her other priorities outlined in the mandate letter include:

READ MORE: Joly tasked with creating new technology and commercial support fund for Western Canada

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Murray handed reins of developing Phoenix replacement - iPolitics.ca