The ACT Public Service has kicked off a three-year modernisation of its core human resources and payroll technology is underway, two years after shelving a $77.6 million replacement program [pdf].
The territory will upgrade its existing Frontier Software technology stack, comprising Chris21 and HR21, and implement a new time and attendance rostering system.
“The program will upgrade existing payroll and HR systems to the latest versions so that they continue to be stable, secure, and well governed; offer increased process automation (where possible), additional payroll process functionality and offer enhancements to the HR self-service portal for ACT public service staff,” an ACT government spokesperson told Digital Nation.
Last year, the ACT government renewed its relationship with Frontier Software for another five years, having first deployed Chris21 in 2005. The $8.4 million deal covers licensing for up to 33,000 ACT government employees [pdf].
The upgrade program follows the ACT government’s decision to terminate a project to entirely replace its Chris21 HR system with SAP SuccessFactors.
Known as the Human Resources Information Management Systems (HRIMS) program, the ACT government program was first established in 2017 with a budget of $15 million.
However, by the time the program was scrapped in July 2023, $77.63 million had been spent, but only one module, the learning management system, was delivered in what an audit described as a “significant failure for the territory” [pdf].