SIFARH: the return of the SAAQclic spectre in health?
The Government of Quebec is replaying a well‑known scenario, this time in the health sector. The SIFARH project, a human resources management system intended to unify administration across the healthcare network, is raising concerns reminiscent of the SAAQclic fiasco.
TL;DR
- The SIFARH project was meant to unify HR management across the health network.
- It has been entrusted to the same firm involved in the SAAQclic fiasco.
- The Ministry of Digital Affairs wants to halt the project, but Santé Québec opposes.
- Little public transparency on the technical and financial issues.
- Blue Fox offers a critical reading and suggestions for sound governance.
What we know (and what we read between the lines)
The SIFARH project promises centralised HR data, standardised processes and better operational efficiency. But its deployment is vague, its costs already rising and its governance opaque.
The MCN wants to stop it, citing the failed SAAQ experience. Santé Québec, for its part, believes the project is necessary for its transformation. A political‑technological clash is brewing.
Digital déjà‑vu: understanding the SAAQclic legacy
SAAQclic was supposed to modernise interactions between the SAAQ and citizens. In the end: systemic outages, long queues, compromised identities and deep mistrust of major government IT projects.
Do we really need to start again without a post‑mortem?
Three critical issues
⚠️ 1. Transparency and accountability
- No external audit has been published.
- Little technical information on the architecture, dependencies or security.
⚠️ 2. Fragmented IT governance
- Who is truly steering the project?
- Can such a large project be delivered without a clear cross‑functional strategy?
⚠️ 3. Digital sovereignty and privacy
- Will the system be hosted here? And if so, will it be in a digital ecosystem that respects the privacy of the people whose data is hosted?
- What laws govern the protection of sensitive HR data in these contexts?
- Given that Bill 25 is essentially ‘all bark, no bite’, how can we apply a healthy regulatory framework for managing these data?
If Blue Fox had a magic wand 🪄, it would propose: 1. An independent public audit covering architecture, costs, security and interoperability. 2. A collective reflection: Is it still relevant to aim for centralisation at all costs, or should we explore distributed, modular models based on open standards? 3. The creation of a citizen IT oversight committee including free‑software professionals (notably members of FACiL), HR specialists and cybersecurity experts. 4. A temporary moratorium on the project until these conditions are met.
If Blue Fox had a magic wand 🪄, it would propose:
1. An independent public audit covering architecture, costs, security and interoperability.
2. A collective reflection: Is it still relevant to aim for centralisation at all costs, or should we explore distributed, modular models based on open standards?
3. The creation of a citizen IT oversight committee including free‑software professionals (notably members of FACiL), HR specialists and cybersecurity experts.
4. A temporary moratorium on the project until these conditions are met.
Closing word
Quebec has the talent, skills and values to carry out ambitious technological projects. But ambition without accountability never works on the ground.
Citizens deserve better.
Health personnel too.
Main sources:
- Radio‑Canada – Tug of war over SIFARH
- Reddit - r/QuebecTI
- Blue Sky - Marc Pyl Lavoie