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The justification for pursuing NextGen is “the easier mandate (is) to find a replacement (to Phoenix).” Such a statement lacks credulity without a vetted business case. Anyone taking such a position is not heeding the lessons of the Phoenix experience.

By way of analogy, the West Block of Parliament was renovated not by the government itself, but in partnership with and led by qualified architects and general contractors. So why is the government again trying to perform complex business and IT services for which it does not have qualifying experience?

Some simple questions need answers. Where is the business case? Why is the government spending millions trying to figure out a successor to Phoenix, when it will likely inherently cost millions more in addition to Phoenix, including the risk of transitioning to a new system? Where is the oversight if Treasury Board and its Secretariat are doing the project?

The Phoenix problem was the result of hard-working people without the right experience leading a very complex implementation and transformation. With NextGen, the government leadership team again has insufficient experience to lead this new project. This would seem to fall into the legendary definition of insanity: doing the same thing again and expecting a different result.

This same NextGen leadership team mocks as “silly” those asking basic project management questions such as, “When will it (NextGen) be completed?” and “What is your budget?” Calling basic management questions silly is irresponsible. The government does not have infinite resources and one cannot measure progress or problems if basics such as schedules and budgets are not defined.