Ruairí Quinn
Ceist:16 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach the number of occasions on which the Strategic Management Initiative Co-ordinating Group has met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13390/98]
Ceisteanna — Questions. - Strategic Management Initiative.
The Strategic Management Initiative Co-ordinating Group was established in 1996 to oversee the implementation of the recommendations made in the report, Delivering Better Government, which was published in May 1996. The group is made up of representatives from the social partners, academics and senior civil servants and has met on eight occasions, the last being in November 1997.
The terms of reference of the group are to oversee the implementation of the Government's programme for change in the Civil Service; to validate reviews of programmes as requested by Government; and to report regularly to Government on progress.
Following the establishment of the Implementation Group of Secretaries General and Heads of Office last July, with a mandate to drive the change process forward within the Civil Service, it was agreed that the co-ordinating group would discharge its role by considering and commenting on the regular progress reports to Government of the implementation group.
The co-ordinating group will meet again this month to consider the second report of the implementation group.
Has the Government asked the group to consider particular programmes in accordance with the second of its terms of reference?
The first programme presented to the Government by the implementation and co-ordinating groups offered their assessment on performance management, human resource management, information technology, financial management and regulatory reform. Their assessment of the areas of information technology and financial management have been acted on.
What concrete changes have arisen as a result of this process? There is always a suspicion that these reviews do nothing more than deplete the rain forests by creating an increased demand for paper.
I accept the Deputy's point. However, the co-ordinating and implementation groups are doing their best to avoid becoming tied down by jargon and to make effective changes. They are trying to ensure that improvements in information technology and the recommendations from the information society group are implemented effectively by Departments. They are doing a good job in that.
The groups also laid the groundwork for the Freedom of Information Act, a process which began last year and continued until April. In terms of smoothing the way to allow decisions to be made, they are doing a better job. The groups have a huge list of matters with which they intend to deal and I cannot inform the Deputy if they will complete their work in the next few years.
They obviously have many topics in mind.
I picked two areas in which the groups have made an impact. Many of the others will be dealt with in the future.
One of the matters addressed in the Taoiseach's original reply is performance pay — payment on the basis of results achieved — within the public service. What progress has been made in this area, will it be implemented service-wide and, if so, when?
I answered a similar question recently. Under Partnership 2000, a group will be established at senior level in each Department to work with the trade unions and members of staff associations to drive and implement changes identified by management groups in those Departments. The question to which I refer related to my Department, where those discussions have already begun. Performance pay will not be automatic, as per Partnership 2000, and must be negotiated within each Department. Payments will only be made on the basis of an assessment that real change can be implemented. The 2 per cent increase is not automatic and it will not be given if change does not occur or if new policies are not implemented.
Question No. 17 has been postponed so we will proceed to question No. 18.