Written Answers. - Departmental Studies.
Mary O'Rourke
Ceist:
93
Mrs. O'Rourke
asked the
Minister for Enterprise and Employment
the studies, if any, carried out by either internal personnel or external personnel on management practices and staff morale at his Department; the person who carried out the studies; the findings, if any; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4773/96]
My Department is currently engaged in reviewing management procedures as part of the wider strategic management initiative. The Deputy will be aware of this review from my written reply to her question of 14 February last.
As part of this process, and in order to ensure the effective delivery of the Department's policies, four working groups were established under the direction of a special strategic management board to examine the following areas: human resources; departmental structure and organisation; communications, and resources and outputs.
While the majority of the work was carried out by Departmental personnel, my Department commissioned Hay Management Consultants Ltd. to carry out a staff perception survey among all staff of the Department in 1995. The report drew attention to specific difficulties with regard to motivation, communication and, particularly in so far as the clerical grades are concerned, lack of challenge and responsibility.
The consultants recognised that the Department of Enterprise and Employment is different from other public sector organisations in terms of the speed with which work must sometimes be completed and acknowledged this characteristic to be evident in the flexibility with which work is carried out.
On the basis of the recommendations of the working groups, and taking account of the findings of the survey, the strategic management board decided on a realignment of some Departmental structures and approved a framework of action in relation to human resources and communications issues. Cross-divisional teams are currently implementing the recommendations on an ongoing basis.
In addition in the context of the decentralisation of the Patents Office to Kilkenny, a team from the Department of Finance is currently undertaking a study of that office to establish the necessary management structure, business processes and information technology requirements to ensure a successful relocation.
