Inquiry into the salary processing problems of the City of Helsinki

Background

The City of Helsinki has attempted to tackle the issues with its trouble-ridden new salary processing solution, which it launched in the spring of 2022. VALOR was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the implementation of the solution and the related salary processing problems to avoid similar problems in the future and to learn from its mistakes in the implementation process.

The inquiry phases and results

VALOR studied the project materials used in the decision making, interviewed the key stakeholders involved and analyzed the root causes of the problems.

The inquiry was divided into three phases:

A description of the significant steps in the salary processing solution implementation
Assessment: a conclusion on the root causes of the problems
Future take-aways: how the City of Helsinki should update its general leadership, transformation project approach and organizational structure to avoid similar mistakes in the future and to smooth its future transformation projects

The Mayor of Helsinki has initiated measures to reform and clarify the City of Helsinki’s organization structure with a particular focus on the leadership model of its fully owned subsidiaries. The initiated measures also seek to reform how large transformations are planned, resourced and carried out.