Public Service Performance

Ireland’s Experience

Ronnie Downes Department of Finance 27 August 2008

Overview

 Background to Strategic Management Developments  Performance Initiatives  OECD Review of Ireland’s Public Service 2008

Background

 Michael Collins  Exchequer & Audit Departments Act 1866  Votes, Subheads  It works...

Modernisation in the Public Service Milestones

 Strategic Management Initiative 1994  “Delivering Better Government” 1996  Public Service Management Act 1997  Evaluation of SMI/DBG 2002  New Initiatives 2006

Modernisation in the Public Service Some Reforms

 Quality Customer Service Initiative  Openness and Transparency  FOI Act 1997  Better Regulation  Human Resource Management - PMDS  Financial Management Programmes - MIF  Information Technology – eGovernment

Modernisation in the Public Service



Some Reforms

Expenditure Review  VFM & Policy Reviews  VFM Framework – appraisal, responsibility  Budgetary reforms  Multi-annual capital budgeting 2004   Unified budget 2007 Annual Output Statements 2007  Efficiency Reviews 2008

Performance Initiatives

        SMI / DBG – “results-focused civil service” Mission Statements – strategic impact indicators Management Information Framework – Non financial Performance Indicators Business planning, PMDS Annual Output Statements – integration Value-for-Money framework, evaluation National Development Plan – impact indicators Partnership agreements – Performance verification

Consolidation - Progress

FINANCIAL INPUTS MISSION STATEMENT PROGRAMME AREAS HIGH- LEVEL OBJECTIVES BUSINESS PLANNING PMDS OUTPUTS ANNUAL REPORT ANNUAL OUTPUT STATEMENT

Achievements?

   Stronger strategic focus – more effective Operational level – integration challenges   Traditional input-based infrastructure Cumulative “strategic” initiatives     Strategy Statements Annual Strategy Reports Financial Budget processes Annual Output Statements Intermediate stage – Further consolidation needed

Taoiseach’s Initiatives



New Modernisation Initiatives announced by Taoiseach in 2006:



System-wide review by OECD



Organisational health checks - ORP

OECD Review

OECD were asked:   to

benchmark

the Public Service in Ireland against other comparable countries, and  to

make recommendations

as to future directions for Public Service reform to the delivery of world-class services to the citizen within existing resources and will contribute to sustainable national competitive advantage A “first”  Report published 28 th April 2008

OECD Research

 

Fact-finding

The OECD met with over 100 key stakeholders at political and administrative levels as well as representatives of the Social Partnership pillars and academics.

Public consultation

  a media campaign an invitation to the public, Social Partners and other interested parties to make submissions,  dialogue between the OECD and a Consultative Panel. Over 930 submissions were received from private individuals and organisations.

A Twin Track Approach

 A review of the key institutional dimensions in the public sector as a whole looking in particular at the key areas of budgeting, ICT and e-government, and public employment and management  Case studies examining key questions in illustrative sectoral areas

Main Themes

   Ensuring Capacity Mobilising skills across the Public Service and allocating them where most needed Motivating Performance Motivating a performance culture that is self reinforcing and focussed on value for money A Citizen-centred Approach Presenting a unified front for integrated service delivery and achieving back office efficiencies through shared services  Strengthening Governance Reinforcing performance structures and accountability arrangements in support of all of the above

OECD Review – Main Conclusions

 Ireland has a relatively low level of total Public Service Employment in international terms;  Ireland is on track in terms of public service reform – “sound trajectory of modernisation”  The Irish Public Service has given Ireland a competitive advantage by providing high quality services, but with slowing growth & global competitiveness it needs to work smarter.

OECD Review – Main Recommendations

 a

more integrated

Public Service  a

networked approach

structures to allow greater connectivity between different sectors; to working across current  for

greater mobility and flexibility of staff

public service; across the  a Senior Public Service to provide a

single Public Service leadership cadre

.

OECD Review - Main Recommendations

 move towards a

performance focus

  More information on outputs and outcomes Alignment of PI with overarching outcomes / goals 

greater prioritisation

within budgetary frameworks   Using PI for resource allocation decisions Longer-term, more strategic budgetary frameworks  for

improved governance and performance

dialogue between the central civil service and the wider public service, including clear guidelines for establishing new agencies & for operating existing ones;  to use

eGovernmen

t more widely to achieve a more citizen centred approach;  for a

strong leadership role for the centre

of Government.

Motivating Performance

      Reinforce a performance culture by linking performance information and decision-making processes  Building on Annual Output Statement approach Establish a performance dialogue between departments and agencies  Rather than traditional financial monitoring Create a more coherent performance approach Improve quality of performance indicators and information Improving performance through competition Move from micro to macro spending controls and increase budget flexibility and transparency

Strengthening Governance

 Prioritise the Reform Programme throughout the Public Service  Improve Public Service Responsiveness  Review the government agencification framework  Refocus on whole-of-government objectives

Summary of OECD Findings

 Initiatives to date have been effective  No new initiatives needed    Integration of existing initiatives … in support of Performance agenda   Performance dialogue NL and UK put forward as examples of good practice Basic message – deepening connections, integration at all levels – has lessons for other countries

Next Steps

 Appointment of Taskforce  Chaired by Secretary General to the Government   Secretaries General of four key sectoral Departments Four external members  Terms of Reference  to prepare a comprehensive framework for renewal of the public service, which takes into account the analysis/conclusions of OECD Report as well as lessons to be drawn from the SMI, ORP and Efficiency Review Process  To report by end Summer

4 th International Public Management Summer Institute 25-28 August 2008, Tukums, Latvia