Novopay documents detail problems

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Novopay documents detail problems

3News NZ

The Ministry of Education has dumped a mass of documents which reveal there were problems with the payroll system Novopay from the start.

Bugs in the software, obligations not being met and accusations of contract breaches - it's all in there and the severely strained relationship between the Ministry and Novopay creator Talent2.

As teachers plan for the start of term they're already preparing for what's set to be the worst pay-run under Novopay yet.

A massive drop of documents by the Ministry of Education shows the flaws were glaring from the start. Two months before the system went live, 147 bugs remained in the system and nearly 6000 pay errors were made during a test run.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education and three Government Ministers signed it off.

Novopay was originally supposed to go live in May 2010 but was delayed three times because of problems with the system.

The documents show a severely strained relationship between the Ministry and Talent2.

In May 2011 Novopay demanded more money suggesting “if the Ministry wasn't willing to provide it, the project would be pared back”. The Ministry refused and six months later put Talent2 on notice saying it was “very disappointed” about the fact “services are not being performed in accordance with our contract”. In April 2012 the Ministry gave Talent2 an official warning it “continued to be in default on a number of contractual obligations”, which Talent2 denied.

Embarrassingly the Ministry's document dump was also fumbled - in its haste it put redacted documents online but the redactions could be removed.

Just two months after Novopay went live, the Ministry was already financially penalising Talent2 for failing to meet obligations. Steven Joyce says they're learning to work together - he's given them no choice.

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Comments

4/02/2013 7:17:07 a.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Yeah exactly Kathy. You know they have nothing to 'crow' about when all they can do is attack the messengers or blame the left...its pathetic and its all they've got. They often use a 'Strawman type of approach when they argue, where they build up a false picture of 'what they say' the left is, (the strawman) and then rail and rant against the misguided entity they've created. The same trend and using bullying tactics,has been happening in the US with the extreme right in the Republican Party. National have had their true colours exposed with the release of the Novopay documents showing they pushed the role of Labour in the debacle while they were completely conceding their control and integrity in the negotiations with Talentless2. They were the party that had full control of the deal and went forward knowing the payroll computer system was totally flawed. They had the option to stay the move to online and declined when threatened by the Aussie scheisters. As a result NZ's teaching staff went through 6 months of stressful hell and lost 12 million dollars in salaries....why bother with the inquiry when the answer is obvious. Get on with the contingency plan and get back to LBN....Life Before Novopay...you know when teachers went to work and didn't even worry about their pay being in their accounts on payday.....the ineptitude from this admin has got way past appalling and borders on the surreal. Keep up the fight Kathy.

3/02/2013 6:31:05 p.m.

Kathy wrote:

@Katubaldy. What I have noticed is that given any opportunity National Party mouthpieces (the ones being paid by the National Party to post online all day long like Mike) all suggested it was the schools fault or the fault of unions, or even more desperate, that it was labours fault. If you dared to disagree with nasty people like Mike, Mark or Sanbe, they would insinuate that you were a whore if you were a female poster. That shows that National hasnt changed in many decades... its still everyone elses fault and women know nothing and how dare they question a National Party man!!! A group of nastier, sexest bigots you could never find. But they represent what the National Party is all about, blaming everyone else, and absolutely belittling people for questioning them, even though most of them sem barely educated.

2/02/2013 2:47:38 p.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Anyone else notice a conspicuous lack of attack dogs from the right across the board on this issue. How adamant were they it was, the fault of data inputers at the various schools and then it was, not that many teachers affected anyway, and then it was, somehow the unions and then it was, the same when Datacom was introduced and then.....whatever! Just glad that the truth came out. National must feel like the guy who thought his camouflage was working awesomely, just before he got severely 'paint balled'....Fix It for the teachers is the only priority (and pay out David Bain while you're at it).

2/02/2013 9:06:11 a.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Bang on Max. The only person to evaluate the situation correctly and state in writing that Talentless2 were out of their depth, gets asked to resign...what does that tell you about the lack of character in those who remain. There the quickest scapegoaters in all the land. Want someone to take the blame for your mistakes? Call National for expert advice on the 'scaping of goats'....(gutless government strikes again). First time I've seen Joyce slightly off his game and umming and ahhing, but at least he got the whole picture out there.

1/02/2013 10:56:11 p.m.

max wrote:

So, wasn't it complete injustice to have made Ms Lesley Longstone the scapegoat for others' inefficiencies and poor judgement?

1/02/2013 9:39:33 p.m.

Michelle Martin wrote:

My husband and I are both teachers in HawkesBay - hence you may appreciate that my anxiety levels spike each fortnight when our pay checks are due. Last year we were short a couple of thousand at one point. Now just after this holiday period nova 'no' pay has decided to stop paying my husband altogether. I am devastated! The impact this is having is huge! We only know this prior to our pay slip arriving because my husbands principal knew how devastating this would be for us so has given us prior warning. I have changes due on mine so I am extremely nervous that we won't be Able to make our mortgage payments. This needs to be sorted its affecting people's health in a variety of ways! This is the last stress we need two days before we start back for our new year :-( from a very sad, frustrated and stressed teaching husband and wife! :-(

1/02/2013 9:29:56 p.m.

Kim wrote:

I think TV3 needs to look a little wider in its search for reasoning on why novapay is getting so many chances...Isn't it responsible for other Govt departments payrols..and NZpost...Are threats being made from talent 2 in resect to these contracts..I.E if you pull the plug on us we will pull it on you???? The loss of a 100 million contract would kill this company or at least give them a reason to pretend its dead to kill the existing contracts.

1/02/2013 8:57:03 p.m.

katubaldy wrote:

Just one question... How has the 1st month of the year,(they sold Auckland), gone for National?.Ahhh, more Novopay, more Bain 'Drain',(on their credibility),more affordable housing headaches and more Hekia 'the Hammer' Parata...Now they have people in parliament who can answer for her...while she's present,(that's totally silly). Actually,...no wonder cos when she does have a say, the nation's teachers go through one of the most stressful 'wastes of time' in living memory. Joe Key endorsed the 'Hammer' just a week or so ago, knowing she'd 'Green Lighted' the Novopay nightmare despite the obvious flaws. An excellent endorsement of his great judgement. But isn't it poetic justice,to see them outing each other in the aftermath. Damned if they do and damned if they don't, toss the Hammer from the 'tools-box'. The situations this govt get themselves into is becoming legendary and equally ridiculous..Credit to Stephen Joyce for having the guts to front Campbell Live and getting the relevant documents released...that is one bright spot in this fiasco. Otherwise we'd all be none the wiser. Nice one Steve.

1/02/2013 7:36:11 p.m.

Ron Pontifex wrote:

Novapay.... I work in software. I write software for others as well as the business I am associated with (my wife's Business) I also have experience of another NZ Govt organisation that most often writes and develops it's own software to serve the NZ Public and business. I have written payroll software. I content that for the size of business that we are talking that an in-house development would be quicker far more accurate and have a higher ROI. I just can not get into my head around why the Novapay screw up exists. Irrespective of how complicated the business rules for educator's pay is it must be definable. It therefore should be possible to define for as little a 100K people what where, when how and why of their pay should be. And just do it. as they say. After all every one knows it is wrong those are the people who can make it write????. Not hard. Take it in house and do it school by school it is not rocket science and it can be done efficiently. It will not be the first time a NZ Government dept has had to fire a big contractor. Remember how you eat an elephant? {One mouthful at a time}... Hope this helps.

1/02/2013 7:27:12 p.m.

Just Me wrote:

As per usual it will be the NZ taxpayer who will be footing the final bill of the Novopay debacle.The three current ministers that signed off the final go-live contract were probably secretly thrilled that it wasn't their personal finances that would be footing the bill.I am sure we haven't heard the last,if ever,of the Novopay debacle. Now research shows John Banks had shares,until May 2012,in Talent2(the Novopay organisation).He claims to have advised the cabinet office just after being made a minister(and perhaps just after the 2011 election).The previous Labour government signed for the Novopay contract in September 2008(if that's correct).John Banks would have had financial interest in it even back then.So whilst he was trying to be mayor of Auckland Super City etc he still had a finger in the pie for Novopay even after being elected as a minister in the 2011 general election. I am so beginning to get the impression that in the background this government MPs has personal financial interest in Novopay.