Written Answers. - Strategic Management Initiative.
Richard Bruton
Question:
500
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the key indicators of input, output, outcome and performance which his Department monitors as part of the strategic management initiative; and the trend in these indicators in each year since 1997.
[18695/03]
The statements of strategy which my Department has published in recent years have set out the high level goals, objectives and related strategies covering each of the Department's policy and operational areas. My Department's new strategy statement 2003-05, Community Security and Equality, will be published shortly.
The Department monitors progress on the implementation of its policy and operational objectives by reference to performance indicators linked to the high level goals in the strategy statement. It achieves this through a comprehensive business planning process, specifically through twice-yearly reviews of the progress in implementing these business plans.
Overall progress on the implementation of my Department's policies and operations is reported in the Department's annual reports. The annual report for 2002 which is currently being prepared will report progress on strategy statement objectives, strategies and performance indicators.
Agencies under the aegis of my Department with specific administrative, regulatory or operational functions produce statements of strategy which include objectives, strategies and performance indicators relating to their functional responsibilities. These agencies report progress on the implementation of their strategy statement objectives, strategies and performance indicators in annual reports.
A specific set of performance indicators was also agreed for my Department in 2001 in respect of the change and modernisation programme under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. These performance indicators related to modernisation initiatives such as performance management and development, financial management, information technology and customer service. Progress on these and other modernisation initiatives was independently validated and this led to qualification by my Department for the 4% final phase pay increase under the programme in 2002.
My Department is currently in the process of drawing up a further set of performance indicators to address modernisation commitments contained in Sustaining Progress, the social partnership agreement. Again, my Department's performance in the period 2003-05 in relation to modernisation and the payment of the relevant pay increases will be the subject of independent verification, under the terms of Sustaining Progress. I should add that the agencies under the aegis of my Department are implementing similar modernisation requirements and will also be subject to independent verification in regard to the payment of pay increases.
