# Shared Services Canada Procures Call-Centre Replacement

An Office of the Auditor General of Canada review found that Shared Services Canada’s 2015 effort to modernize call-centre services across 220 centres and 43 federal organizations lacked procurement rigour and accountability. The initiative was abandoned in 2020 after reaching only eight departments, with spending rising from an initial $16 million estimate to $52 million. The IBM contract was amended ten times after a tender pricing error went uncorrected; its projected total value is $251 million by 2028. Shared Services Canada began procuring a replacement system in October 2024, with activation planned for mid-2028 ahead of the current IBM system’s December 2028 end of life.

- The cost growth and limited rollout highlight the importance of defensible pricing, documented change control, and measurable performance oversight in large, multi-agency technology procurements.
- The replacement system’s planned mid-2028 activation precedes the IBM system’s December 2028 end of life, creating a significant delivery and transition window for the federal departments relying on the service.
- Companies pursuing or supporting the replacement should build clear cost assumptions, delivery milestones, and transition plans into their proposals; these areas directly reflect the audit findings and the stated system timeline.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** October 30, 2026

### Government Entities
- Shared Services Canada (SSC)
- Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG)
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)

### Vendors
- IBM (awardee)

### Sources
- [Call centre contracts lack ‘rigour’ and ‘accountability,’ AG probe finds - The Hill Times - The Hill Times](https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/10/29/call-centre-contracts-lack-rigour-and-accountability-ag-probe-finds/524006) - The Hill Times
- [Federal call centre upgrade hit $52 million on a $16 million budget, auditor finds - Rebel News](https://www.rebelnews.com/federal_call_centre_upgrade_hit_52_million_on_a_16_million_budget_auditor_finds) - Rebel News