‘Driving through focussed Change in Reforming the
Public Administration’
ICPS 7th Annual Public Sector Reform
Symposium
Robert Watt, Secretary General
Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Complex environment for change agenda
Backdrop to reform
Fiscal and
economic
crisis
Increased
demands for
public
services
Strong platform for change
further strengthened by:
Expenditure
consolidation
Rebuild
public trust
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Reduce
headcount
Maintain
industrial
peace
New government
formed in March 2011
Commitments under
the EU/IMF Programme
of Financial Assistance
Public Service Reform Plan
Set of central and sectoral level reforms around the following since 2011….
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Shared services
External services delivery (outsourcing of non core work)
Procurement reform
Property consolidation
eGovernment / ICT / Cloud strategies
Rationalisation of state agencies
Expenditure reforms
New wave of reforms to be launched in January 2014 aimed at strengthening the focus on
outcomes by driving efficiency, openness (including Government reform) and putting
service users at the centre of public service planning and delivery
Civil Service is uniquely placed to support and enable wider change given its central role
– assisting the other sectors of the Public Service to achieve their objectives, progress
reform and deliver Government priorities
Civil Service Renewal – a key strand of Reform Plan
What it is
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•
Led by
A ‘Civil Service wide’ engagement
initiative to work with those inside and
outside the Civil Service to identify
existing strengths to renew the vision
and strategy for the future of the Civil
Service – and to agree a set of
practical actions that can start to make
the vision a reality
•
A Taskforce of senior managers from
across the Civil Service
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Jointly sponsored by the Secretaries
General of the D/Taoiseach and the
D/PER (myself), and supported by
visible leadership from all Secretaries
General
By focussing on the Civil Service
sector in this way, it is hoped to set out
a shared and cohesive reform plan for
Government Departments and Offices
•
Strategic Oversight of Cabinet
Committee on Public Service Reform
Civil Service Renewal Process
A new way to develop a civil service reform agenda….
• Working through an open, collaborative process - engaging staff at all levels and inviting
external input and challenge at key stages
• Engagement approach (circa 1,000 staff so far) - workshops; regional town hall meetings;
online channels; senior management sessions; focus groups; project teams under the
leadership of Taskforce members; trade unions; political system; other external interests
incl. academic and business interests
• Ideas scheme open to all
Emerging ideas for Q1 2014 + around….
High performance culture
Organisational performance
Cross-departmental working
Innovative capability
Developing people
Empowering staff
Communicating the role of the CS
Talent management