Winnipeg, Manitoba — Manitoba Public Insurance’s move to an online platform has been wrought with delays since it was first announced in 2019, though the provincial insurer said Wednesday that it will be hiring a consultant to oversee the project through to its new launch date in the 2025/26 fiscal year.
The consultant that will be tasked with heading up MPI’s $290 million Project Nova will provide “expert advice and coaching that will result in measurable gain,” according to communications obtained by the Winnipeg Free Press.
Eric Herbelin, CEO of MPI, said in December that the former projected launch date of this coming April “was not realistic and not reasonable for a number of reasons.
“MPI never had the chance to tackle such [a] large project and was not ready to deliver at the pace needed,” he said.
When Project Nova does eventually take shape, customers will be able to file claims, renew licenses and access other basic services online.
The first phase of Project Nova—the online transition of MPI’s Special Risk Extension service—was implemented in January.
“This is just the beginning—the first planned phase for Project Nova, which will ultimately improve customer experience and introduce new online service options for Manitobans,” Herbelin said at the time.
“We are committed to delivering Project Nova on time and on budget and are confident in our approach to achieve our objectives.”
Manitoba’s provincial insurer is likely hoping to avoid the pitfalls Quebec’s SAAQ recently fell into, with the shaky launch of the “SAAQClic” online platform resulting in massive service backlogs that the province doesn’t expect to pull out of until late April.
One Response