The most consequential module was still unfinished
Kern County selected Workday and Guidehouse after receiving eight proposals for its Kern360 replacement of legacy finance and human-resources systems. The 2025–26 Grand Jury reported that human-capital management was scheduled for full deployment by January 31, 2027, while payroll—the function that determines whether employees are paid accurately and on time—had not yet been implemented when the review was conducted.
The report calls for at least three parallel payroll tests. Running the old and new calculations side by side does not guarantee a flawless launch, but it gives the county repeated opportunities to identify differences before the new system becomes the official record.
| Indicator | Reported status |
|---|---|
| Proposals received | 8 |
| Platform and implementer | Workday and Guidehouse |
| HCM target | January 31, 2027 |
| Minimum parallel payroll tests | 3 |
Training was not consistent across departments
The grand jury found inconsistent training and user errors, then recommended mandatory, documented instruction and individualized help for employees who need it. It also recommended temporary staffing services and another human-capital-management analyst to absorb the implementation workload.
Those recommendations convert a general technology risk into measurable controls: attendance records can show who was trained, help-desk and error data can identify where additional instruction is needed, and parallel-test results can show whether payroll discrepancies are falling.
The deadlines create a public checklist
Most recommendations carried a March 2, 2026 response deadline. A response is not the same thing as completion. The accountability test is whether the county can document adopted training rules, staffing decisions and three completed payroll comparisons before the planned cutover.
This finding does not establish that Workday will fail or that any employee has been underpaid. It establishes that the county's own independent review identified human and testing controls that need attention before the highest-risk phase goes live.
Method and limits
What's the Scoop With Broach reviewed the grand jury's Kern360 report, extracted the stated milestones and separated recommendations from completed actions. This is document analysis; no interview, system access or payroll test was performed by the newsroom.
The report does not publish the total implementation cost, the county's final response evidence or test results. Those records are needed to determine whether the recommendations were fully implemented.