Version 1, a company described as a leader in AI and digital transformation, has announced the significant award of a contract valued at up to €102.7 million by the Department of Education in Ireland. This substantial agreement spans a potential duration of up to 15 years and focuses on integrating Human Capital Management (HCM) and Payroll Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. The primary objective of implementing these new systems is to enable the timely, secure, and accurate processing of payroll for a vast number of employees within the Irish education sector.
Under the terms of the contract, Version 1 will take the lead role in the design, development, integration, and ongoing management of the technology systems. These systems are critical for servicing approximately 155,000 teaching and non-teaching staff members across Ireland, as well as managing payroll processes for retirees. To deliver on this major change program, Version 1 has partnered with The Access Group, combining their expertise to undertake the extensive modernization required for the national school employee payroll systems.
Enhancing Employee Self-Service
A key outcome expected from this project is a significant enhancement in the services provided to payees. The Department of Education aims to introduce employee self-service capabilities, which will include providing school employees and retirees with online access to their payroll-related information. This move towards self-service is intended to improve convenience and accessibility for staff. Version 1 brings proven, long-standing experience in delivering similar technology solutions for other public sector organizations, and they have stated they will work closely with the Department of Education throughout this change program. The company will be responsible for building, integrating, and managing the new systems, drawing on its reputation for consistent quality of delivery in public sector projects.
Harnessing Cloud for Modern Services
Commenting on the award of this major contract, Anne-Marie Sherkle, Chief Information Officer for the Department of Education, congratulated Version 1. She highlighted how the contract aligns with broader government strategy, stating, “Connecting Government 2030 highlights the need to harness cloud solutions so that we can deliver online services to our citizens.” Sherkle further explained the anticipated benefits of adopting cloud technology, noting, “Leveraging cloud will allow us to provide not just effective public-facing services but will help streamline back-end processes and systems,” indicating that the modernization will improve both user-facing interactions and the underlying administrative functions.
Improved Customer Service Benefits
Martin Clohessy, Assistant Secretary General with responsibility for Major Operations in the Department of Education, also commented positively on the forthcoming changes. He expressed a strong welcome for the expected improvements in customer service, stating, “I very much welcome the improved customer service benefits that will be provided to school employees, retirees, and our school administrators.” Clohessy conveyed the department’s anticipation of the collaboration, adding, “The department looks forward to working closely with Version 1 to ensure the successful delivery of this very important program of work,” underscoring the perceived importance and scale of the project.
Delivering on Customer Commitments
Ger O’Sullivan, Head of Public Sector Ireland at Version 1, shared his perspective on the contract award. He noted being “truly inspired by the vision and drive of the team at the Department of Education to meaningfully improve payroll-related services.” O’Sullivan also highlighted Version 1’s track record, stating, “Version 1 has industry-leading customer satisfaction scores because we deliver on our customer commitments.
” He concluded by expressing optimism for the ongoing relationship, saying, “We look forward to evolving this partnership even further to unlock this transformation,” suggesting that this contract is a step towards deeper collaboration and further modernization efforts in the future. The contract represents a significant investment by the Irish government in modernizing essential public services through digital transformation and cloud-based solutions.
