Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hipkins Chris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 28 November 2012. Volume:686;Page:6862. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: What is the difference between a trial and a test when it comes to ICT systems in light of his answer to a supplementary question on Oral Question No 10 yesterday? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS (Associate Minister of Education) 
: 
 In relation to the Novopay information and communications technology payroll system the difference is that a trial would have involved actual users inputting their data into a live system. A test would include a range of simulation activities such as running a virtual pay. The Ministry of Education and the Novopay board decided to undertake substantial testing and not a trial. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Were the results of the pre-implementation testing considered prior to the decision to go live with the new system; if not why not? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Yes they were. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I say to members that I take it that their colleague is asking serious questions and therefore we should not have loud raucous interjections because we cannot hear answers if we do. 
Chris Hipkins 
: What was the point of the pre-implementation testing of the Novopay system given that those tests revealed a multitude of problems including 757 individuals being paid incorrectly 1321 staff leave records being calculated incorrectly 3159 staff service accumulation records being calculated incorrectly and other problems and yet the implementation went ahead anyway? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Most of that question he should address to the Novopay board and the ministry but I fully acknowledge that the first two pay rounds were not at all satisfactory and quite regrettable for those who were responsible for it. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I actually addressed my question to him. He is the Minister. I know there was quite a bit to it but it was a relatively straightforward question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I guess though the Minister in answering can claim that it is an operational matter. That is his right to claim that. People can make their—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! The member should not interject. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! The member should not interject like that. I am making no judgment over the quality of an answer. I am just accepting that that is an answer. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Why did he sign off on the implementation of the Novopay payroll system given that the pre-implementation testing revealed a string of errors such as those I listed in my previous question? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I followed the recommendation of the expert panel the Ministry of Education and the Novopay board which recommended to me after considering all such matters that Novopay go live. 
Chris Hipkins 
: Why did the actual implementation process differ from the original plan to roll out Novopay only in the South Island first and then in the North Island several months later? 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: I am glad the member asked that because there have been many changes to the implementation of Novopay. The first change was in 2005 when the Labour Government contracted— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The question asked very simply why the decision was made to roll out the Novopay system nationwide instead of first in the South Island. The member is certainly welcome to add context information once he has answered the question but he should answer the question first. 
Hon CRAIG FOSS 
: Because that was the recommendation of the ministry and the Novopay board. There have been many changes to the original plans of Novopay which was first contracted by the Labour Government in 2005 which contract was rescinded by the Labour Government in 2007 and was re-contracted by the Labour Government in 2005 by the current senior education spokesman for Labour. There have been many changes to the implementation of Novopay over the last 5 or 6 years. 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a relatively simple question which asked why the implementation process was different from that contained in the document— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! But the Minister has answered that. He said it was because he was advised to do it and that is an answer. Members can judge the quality of the answer as they choose but that is an answer. He was advised to allow that change.