Vol. 564 No. 5
79 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Finance the specific steps it is intended to take to meet the commitments to modernisation of the public service given in Sustaining Progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9724/03]
The commitments to modernisation set out in Sustaining Progress represent an ambitious agenda for change in the public service within a tight timeframe. In order that the commitments are met within this timeframe it is essential that there is no delay in implementing them. To this end, all secretaries general and other heads of offices have been requested by my Department to take early action to put in place the necessary measures to ensure that their organisations, other bodies under their aegis and the other sectors of the public service for which they are responsible will deliver on the change and modernisation commitments set out in Sustaining Progress. The SMI implementation group of secretaries general has also taken on the crucial roles of promoting the modernisation agenda over the duration of the agreement, of ensuring that action is taken to meet the commitments in the agreement, and of monitoring progress in this regard.
Payment of the final two phases of the benchmarking increases and the general round increases is dependent, in the case of each sector, organisation and grade in the public service on verification of satisfactory achievement of the various commitments in the agreement, including satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation. The parties to the agreement have therefore agreed to put appropriate arrangements in place to verify that the conditions for the payment of these increases have been met.
The central feature of these arrangements is the establishment of performance verification groups for each sector of the public service which will make an assessment of progress no later than one month before each of the four payment dates specified in the agreement. These assessments will be made in relation to action plans for each organisation derived from the commitments in the agreement which have been agreed by each performance verification group, as well as on an assessment of progress achieved in the relevant sector provided by the secretary general responsible. The agreement also provides that each sectoral performance verification group will maintain close contact with each of the organisations under its remit throughout the reporting period; this degree of contact will also help ensure that action to implement commitments will be early, consistent and effective.
Work has begun in my Department – and in each of the Departments responsible for the other sectors of the public service – to ensure that, as provided in the agreement, each performance verification group will be in place not later than one month after ratification of the agreement.
