ARCHIVED - Management of Large Public IT Projects - Canada

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2.2 Integrated Resource Management System (IRMS) Program

The Integrated Resource Management System (IRMS) integrates human resources, finance and materiel management services for the Canadian House of Commons. Implemented within budget over a 14-month period, IRMS has fundamentally changed the way the House works by providing Members of Parliament and the Administration with single-window Intranet access to enhanced tools, services and information.

Objectives and scope

A 1997 review of the services and systems of the finance, materiel management and human resources functions of the House of Commons concluded that existing systems were limited in their long-term capability. The seven existing systems were stand-alone and centralized, and required duplicate data entry and data reconciliation. The age and limitations of the technology employed meant that essential requirements could not be met efficiently or at reasonable cost.

Management identified the objectives of developing a new integrated management system that would: align and streamline finance, materiel and human resource management services; transform administrative staff from transaction processors to service providers; and provide clients (Members and managers) with secure desktop access to timely, accurate and integrated information on budgets, purchases, assets and staff costs, plus information management tools.

The IRMS Program was supported by a sound governance structure led by two project sponsors. From the outset, a key to the program's success has been the active participation of both clients and functional users (i.e. management and staff of the finance, materiel management and human resource functions) in all stages from planning the overall strategy to implementation of sub projects. More than 200 clients and users participated in extensive consultations, and many performed a variety of roles in individual IRMS projects.

Costs and benefits

IRMS was the largest investment made to date in people, tools and services for Members and the institution. The business case projected the total cost to be $13.6 million over five years. If the cost of maintaining the existing systems ($5.4 million) is offset, the net new funding required was $8.2 million. Planned savings were $2.2 million in administrative costs.

Qualitative benefits delivered to date include: facilitating House-wide information management policy; building linkages between policies and procedures across functions; and making available tombstone information for a corporate web-enabled telephone directory. Members will enjoy single-window Intranet access to frequently used forms, and "next day" budget information. On-line ordering and payment for purchases is the next step.

Critical success factors

The impact of the IRMS program has been far-reaching in its effect on internal policies and procedures. Recognizing the potential impact of these changes on people, the program plan set out a comprehensive strategy for managing change. This included targeted communications, training and user support plans. One priority was to provide a seamless transition from old to new with minimal disruption for Members.

Management of the program required a special blend of experience and skill. The program was complex, requiring a huge operational transition from old to new systems of financial management, coding and fiscal year reporting. IRMS integrated the services, information systems and cultures of three previously discrete functions, and included many external players.

The governance of IRMS reflected the complexity of this challenge. Initially an Ad Hoc team of the House Management Forum was set up. Since then governance has shifted structure and focus to meet the program's evolving needs, from consultation, inclusiveness and dialogue, to the practicalities of implementation.

The responsibility for day-to-day management of IRMS has been shared, reflecting the scope of the challenge. An in-house manager provided essential knowledge about the House, its organization, key players and management processes, program functions and requirements, while outside consultants offered technical and functional expertise in implementing large-scale systems.

Risk Mitigation Strategy

The IRMS program was regarded as a high-risk project. It involved a significant investment of resources over a number of years; and its scope was virtually unparalleled in the history of the House of Commons. Risk management was an essential component of the management process. The risk management strategy included the following major elements:

• The overall strategy identified risk management as a critical element of the program as a whole as well as for individual projects.
• A formal risk assessment was conducted of the IRMS Software Evaluation Project. It identified approximately 50 program risks, as well as appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
• A comprehensive business case review was undertaken of various options for addressing the objectives of IRMS. The review included a detailed assessment of the risks associated with each of four main options.
• Two Systems Under Development (SUD) reviews of the full IRMS program were conducted: during the planning phase; and during the analysis phase. The objective was to identify potential obstacles to the success of the program. The reviews prioritized risks and proposed appropriate mitigation strategies in four key areas: project management framework, implementation plan, data integrity and security, and change management, communication and organizational readiness.
• A comprehensive evaluation framework ensures on-going assessment of the IRMS program.

By helping to avert problems before they occur, the risk management approach has resulted in significant savings for the program.

Project management plan

The IRMS management framework was based on the Treasury Board Secretariat's Enhanced Management Framework. The project management framework included detailed project plans, regular progress reporting, well-defined objectives and a formal risk management strategy. A change management process ensured that proposed changes to the IRMS implementation plan had to be documented and reviewed.

The program's governance framework established a clear accountability structure, specifying roles and decision-making responsibilities for each authority level. One of the strengths of the IRMS management plan was its emphasis on "up-front" analysis and planning, and careful review and assessment at key stages during both the planning and implementation phases. Decision-making approaches included the following:

• Development of a business case defining the system requirements and analyzing the benefits to Members and managers, as well as the risks and costs of four options for addressing current and future service and system needs;
• Analysis of software options including a detailed assessment of costs and benefits associated with suitable commercial software products, evaluation and selection of a systems integrator, and development of an implementation plan and budget;
• Analysis of the fit between the new system and user service requirements to ensure that user interests were identified and represented;
• A roll-out approach to implementation, beginning in functional areas and proceeding to House managers and then to Members and their staff.

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