COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, June 09, 2008

HEADED ITEM NO. 5(e)

REPORT OF ADJOURNED ORGANISATION, PROCEDURE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, 5th June, 2008

Report on OECD Review of the Public Service

The following report was presented to the Members at the Adjourned Organisation Procedure and Finance Committee meeting held on 5^th June 2008:

“The Irish Public Service is composed of a Civil Service, commercial and non-commercial bodies that provide services on behalf of the State as agencies, public hospitals, schools, defence and security services, etc., and local government.

Irish Public Service has played a central role in ensuring that the right economic, regulatory, educational and social conditions are in place to facilitate growth and development. There has been a continuous effort to modernise and reform Public Service systems and practices to ensure that it can continue to meet the needs and expectations of government and citizens.   Ireland is now looking for new directions in which to further renew its agenda for public service modernisation and the OECD review provides a new and different kind of analysis of the Irish Public Service.

There has been significant change in IPS since the mid 1990's which have focused on a broad range of internal processes and it is considered prudent now to focus on citizens and their expectations, and on targeting delivery of services from their perspective so as to achieve broader societal goals. In essence, the Irish Public Service now needs to become more outward focused. In order to meet citizens’ expectations, the IPS needs to think about the Public Service as an integrated system.

The challenge is now dealing with the segmented nature of the Public Service and achieving an integrated Public Service. Targeted actions which are interdependent in a number of areas are now required as follows: 

• Improved dialogue is needed to address fragmentation and disconnects between departments, their Offices and agencies, 
• the use of networks to bring together relevant players from across the Public Service needs to be expanded;
• performance measures need to look at outcomes rather than inputs and processes, and flexibility is needed to allow managers to achieve those outcomes;
• budget frameworks are needed to facilitate prioritisation and reallocation of spending;
• renewed emphasis is needed on the role of ICT and e-government in strengthening information sharing and integrated service delivery;
• greater mobility is needed to help develop and broaden the skills and competency base of generalist staff, including increased open recruitment which will allow the Public Service to acquire necessary skills and competencies that cannot be easily located in the short-term among the existing generalist public servants
• strong leadership at political and administrative levels to move from a traditional control position, to one of vision, support and direction in developing the modernisation and change agenda

The report recognises that success of reform depends on changing behaviour.  Developing a successful implementation plan in response to the assessment and recommendations in this Review could lead to profound and innovative changes in the Irish Public Service and place Ireland at the forefront of new ways of thinking regarding management and delivery of public services.” End of Committee Report.

Following discussion it was agreed to convene a seminar to assess the recommendations and make provision for implementation of these recommendations as appropriate to South Dublin County Council.  This seminar to be held in September 2008.