Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
187 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Government’s expenditure review initiative by reference to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on same. [17550/04]
View answerThe Comptroller and Auditor General published in January 2002 a value for money examination of the expenditure review initiative. The examination made several recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of the review. Key recommendations included: a comprehensive strategy for the development of the review should be put in place; stronger support mechanisms and central guidance should be provided; a systematic process of quality assessment of reviews should be implemented; a formal process for monitoring review impacts should be initiated; a clear set of principles should be established enabling areas of expenditure to be prioritised and scheduled for review; review reports should be published where possible.
The expenditure review process has taken on board many of the recommendations set out in the Comptroller and Auditor General's study. In 2001 and 2002, the Government approved a series of reforms to the initiative on foot of a Department of Finance and expenditure review central steering committee review of the review process and taking into account the Comptroller and Auditor General's findings. These reforms included the establishment of criteria for the selection of programmes for review, the provision of dedicated central supports for the review process, a process for assessing the impact of expenditure reviews, and steps to address the cross-departmental aspects of the initiative. Arrangements for drawing up the terms of reference for reviews have been strengthened. A system of external quality assessment of reviews has operated since mid-2003 and 12 reviews have been subject to this form of assessment. An expenditure reviewers' network has been established and direct training has been provided centrally to civil servants involved in the conduct of reviews. The Government decided that completed expenditure review reports should be published by Departments and offices using their websites and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. In addition, the steering committee has initiated a rolling series of meetings with secretaries general and heads of office to discuss the impact of the review in their respective Departments and offices.
The initiative has enabled greater attention to be directed to the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of programmes and areas reviewed as well as helping to foster the development of an evaluation culture within Departments and offices. The steering committee is preparing a progress report on the initiative since 2002 which will be broadly along the lines suggested in paragraph 4.55 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.
