Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 4

Written Answers. - Strategic Management Initiative.

John Bruton

Question:

184 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the updated achievement of each target set for his Department under the strategic management initiative; if the targets in question are sufficiently measurable, quantifiable and focused on outcomes rather than activities to be an effective tool of real accountability; and if not, if he proposes to refine the targets. [5180/02]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The Strategic Management Initiative, Launched in 1994, has required each Government Department to examine its role in relation to delivering better quality services to the public, providing better value to the taxpayer and improving it's contribution to national economic and social development.

The Public Service Management Act, 1997, requires each Department and office to produce a strategy statement which outlines the organisation's key objectives and performance indicators relating to the achievement of those objectives. My Department's latest strategy was finalised in November 2001 and outlined our targets for the three years 2001-04. My Department has also published a customer action plan which sets out specific targets in relation to the provision of quality service to customers of the Department over a similar three year period.

Business plans are produced annually by the Department and contain specific detailed commitments to be achieved in the year based on the content and direction of the strategy statement and customer action plan. Progress in relation to the achievement of the Department's strategies is outlined in the annual report of the Department.

Furthermore, under the terms of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness – PPF – all Departments-offices are required to produce a set of performance indicators which cover all the main aspects of the strategic management initiative – SMI – and against which the Department will report on progress.

The SMI is intended to address every important aspect of the work of the public service at a time of increasing complexity and challenge. I am satisfied that over the period in which the initiative has been in place, the public service has risen to the challenge and that the SMI has enabled a greater focus to be put on the delivery of the highest quality service to the Government and to citizens.

An independent evaluation of the progress of the SMI across the Civil Service commenced in October 2001, and will be finalised in the future. My Department participated fully in the evaluation and the recommendations which emerge will be taken on board in the context of moving forward with the SMI process in the period ahead.

Question No. 185 withdrawn.