Transcript Document
Civil Service Renewal Plan
A Vision and Three Year Action Plan for the Civil Service –
October 2014
Development of Plan
Civil Service Renewal Taskforce;
Engagement Process – “Town Hall” Meetings;
Key Challenge is to Strengthen:
Capacity;
Capability;
Accountability; and
Leadership;
Independent Panel on strengthening Civil Service
Accountability and Performance
Civil Service Statistics
34,707 employed in whole-time equivalents;
1% abroad, 53% outside Dublin & 46% in Dublin
73% aged 40+;
60% are women & 1/3rd of Senior managers are women;
1 in 5 have over 30 years service;
1/8th will reach 60 years of age in the next 6 years;
<2% of the total national workforce;
€53 billion of public expenditure managed by the civil
service in 2013
Operating Environment
Economic Crisis – 6 years of austerity!
Robust Reform Agenda;
“Doing Better with less”;
Hostility from the media;
Greater levels of expectation;
Cost extraction;
Significantly reduced resources.
Action under 4 Headings
Identified in Plan
• A Unified Civil Service;
• A Professional Civil
Service;
• A Responsive Civil Service;
• An Open and Accountable
Civil Service;
New Challenges for the Civil Service
Fiscal Restraint & Cost Reduction;
Multiple major reform programmes;
Influencing international policy choices;
Anticipating future challenges and maintaining a longterm strategic view;
Raising morale and productivity amongst staff; and
Restoring public confidence and trust
Civil Service Mission
Objective and evidence informed advice to
Government;
Serving citizens and stakeholders in a system that is
open accountable and transparent.
Commitments to Staff
Encourage creative thinking and innovation;
Merit based recruitment and life long learning;
Nurturing and rewarding talent.
Strategic HR Capability
Strategic HR Model within the Department of Public
Expenditure and Reform;
New HR Professional Stream;
Leadership Supports to Develop HR Capabilities;
Simplify Central HR policies;
Share best practice in people management.
Open Recruitment and Promotion
Open competitions or civil service wide interdepartmental competitions;
Improve gender balance at each level;
Establish A Graduate Programme;
Review recruitment processes.
Learning and Development
Develop a unified Learning and Development
Strategy;
Establish a new shared delivery model with greater
emphasis on evaluation of outcomes;
Undertake Regular Skills Audits and establish Skills
Register;
Review Civil Service Competency Framework;
Induction Programme and Continuing Professional
Development (CPD).
Talent Management Programmes
Development centre Approach to Leadership for
senior managers;
Initiate similar schemes for more junior levels;
Selection for Programmes based on merit;
Performance Management
Replace rating system with new Assessment Model;
Revise feedback mechanisms;
Revise Disciplinary Code to enable more effective
action on under-performance;
More support for managers;
Simplify performance management system
Other Issues
Performance Review process for Secretaries General
and Assistant Secretaries;
Public Recognition for Staff excellence and
innovation;
Strengthen expertise in Corporate functions;
Expand career mobility opportunities;
Re-design organisational and grade structures;
Other Issues (Continued)
Improve Project Management Capacity;
Delegate more responsibility to Departments and
agencies;
Improve ICT capacity by creating common systems
and infrastructure;
Organisational Capability Reviews;
Publish framework for assignment of responsibilities
for all Departments;
Nominated Civil Service
Spokesperson
Spokesperson selected is Robert Watt,
Secretary General of the Department
of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Oversight Arrangements
Accountability Board
To Strengthen Performance and
Accountability;
Chaired by Taoiseach plus civil
service and external
membership;
Focus on limited number of
“cross-cutting” priorities and
capacity to deliver including
performance management for
Secretaries General.
Management Board
To strengthen Collective
Leadership;
Chaired by the Secretary General
to the Government;
Focus on managing the
performance and operation of
the civil service.
Implementation
Civil Service Management Board;
Secretaries General of the Departments of the
Taoiseach of Public Expenditure and Reform;
Regular reports to Taoiseach and Minister for Public
Expenditure and Reform;
Secretaries General & Project Managers for specific
actions assigned to them;
Regular engagement with staff