I thank the Chairman. We are glad of the opportunity to address the committee on the strategy statement for the Department of the Taoiseach for the period ahead. It aims to set out a direction for the Department's activities for the period ending 2007. This is the fifth strategy statement we have prepared. In this one we have sought, in particular, to demonstrate our capacity to add value to the effective functioning of Government by strengthening our efforts to show how we contribute towards ensuring that maximum value is achieved from public expenditure in terms of defined outputs and outcomes.
Given its central role in support of policy co-ordination, especially in cross-cutting issues, the Department faces a unique challenge in seeking to achieve outcomes for which, in many cases, it does not have direct responsibility. Nevertheless, the link between inputs, outputs and outcomes are more clearly identified in this document than heretofore and we will continue develop this approach over the period of this strategy statement.
Our overall strategic objective is to support the Taoiseach, Ministers and the rest of the Government in carrying out their constitutional statutory functions. We do this in three ways. First, we support the efficient functioning of Government by providing a secretariat to the Government, liaising with the President and the Houses of the Oireachtas and providing Government press and information services. Second, we support Government policy direction and the co-ordination of major national priorities by providing the Taoiseach and Ministers with an overview of key policy priorities, providing timely and relevant information and advice as well as support for longer-term vision and approach. The priority policy areas identified in the current strategy statement are as follows: Northern Ireland; EU and international affairs; economic and social policy; social partnership; public service modernisation; and the knowledge society and e-Government. Third, we provide administrative support to the Taoiseach and Ministers, including private office, corporate and protocol services, as well as the drafting of speeches and messages, preparation of replies to parliamentary questions and the managing of responses to freedom of information requests.
By its nature, the Department is heavily influenced by the priorities of the Taoiseach and Government of the day. Our objectives and priorities are framed in the context of both the external and internal environment in which we operate and how we propose to anticipate, respond to and influence changes in accordance with Government policy.
Among the factors which influence how our objectives are framed are: the need to continue to make progress towards the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement; manage Ireland's economic and social progress in an increasingly interconnected world, ensuring that employment remains high and, on the basis of sustainable growth, pursuing the development of a fair and inclusive society; meet growing expectations of the citizen for new and higher quality public services while also achieving value for money; continue to maintain and develop social partnership; give effect to the ongoing work to pursue national priorities within an ever more effective European Union, including achieving the aims of the Lisbon Agenda and tackling the challenges and opportunities of globalisation through engagement with the wider world; and be at the forefront of science and technology internationally to build on knowledge society developments during the last decade.
A key focus of the current strategy statement is to show that we are achieving maximum value for money through the delivery of quality outputs and by linking these to outcomes. When I appeared before this committee recently I briefed members on the implementation of the modernisation programme across the Civil Service. I will now outline how this wider modernisation agenda is being implemented within my Department to achieve our overall aim of delivering quality services on a value-for-money basis.
In general, the Department does not deliver programmes or services to the public in the same way as other Departments. Nevertheless, we interact with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including members of the Government, other public representatives, other Departments, offices and agencies, the institutions and political parties in Northern Ireland, other governments and international institutions, and a wide range of actors from outside the public service, such as the social partners. Our customer base differs from other Departments, therefore, but our objective is the same — to provide quality services and value for money.
The Department published its customer charter last year and, since then, we have employed a number of mechanisms to measure whether we are meeting the standards set out in the charter. These include annual customer surveys, so-called "mystery shopping" exercises, and independent audits and evaluations of our services. The findings of these surveys show significantly high satisfaction ratings with the quality of the Department's services and the efficiency and courtesy of its staff. The findings highlight the dedication of our staff to providing a quality service.
However, we are conscious that this excellent standard of service needs to be maintained and we constantly examine the scope for improvement. In this context, we are commissioning an independent review of our three websites with the aim of ensuring we have a dynamic web presence which meets all users' needs and expectations. We hope this review will be completed in early autumn and that the implementation of its recommendations will commence immediately thereafter.
Mar gheall go bhfuil fócas obair na Roinne dírithe go mórmhór ar ghnóthaí an Rialtais agus ó Ranna agus gníomhaireachtaí eile, ní fhaigheann muid mórán éilimh ón bpobal maidir lenár gcuid seirbhísí i nGaeilge. Mar sin féin, tá sé mar aidhm ag an Roinn na seirbhísí a chuireann sí ar fáil a sholáthar trí Ghaeilge chomh maith le cultúr dearfach a fhorbairt a spreagann úsáid na Gaeilge taobh istigh den Roinn agus lenár gcustaiméirí féin.
Sa scéim atá ullmhaithe againn faoi Alt 11d'Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus a thagann i bhfeidhm ar 1 Meán Fómhair 2005, tá coimitmint againn seirbhís a sholáthar i nGaeilge ata d'aonchaighdeán le ceann an Bhéarla. I measc na mbearta a thógfaidh muid le linn fhaid na scéime chun ár seirbhísí a mhéadú agus chun sofheictheacht na Gaeilge a mhéadú, tá na cinn seo a leanas. Chomh maith leis na doiciméid atá ar fáil i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge faoi láthair, an ráiteas straitéise agus na tuarascálacha bliantúla, beidh doiciméid eile á cur ar fáil againn san dá theanga freisin. Cuirfear traenáil ar fáil sa Roinn do dhaoine ar mhaith leo feabhas a chur ar a gcuid Gaeilge. Maidir le láithreáin ghréasáin na Roinne, beidh an téacs agus na grafaicí ar fáil ar na príomhleathanaigh i mBéarla agus i nGaeilge. Cinnteoidh muid go gcuirfear amach 20% dárn-eisiúintí preas i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla taobh istigh de dheireadh na scéime. Cuirfidh muid turas ar fáil Dé Sathairn timpeall Thithe an Rialtais i nGaeilge.
Given that support to policymaking is the core business of the Department, it is imperative that our internal systems perform at a high level so that the quality and efficiency of our staff can be applied to best effect in the context of rapidly changing circumstances. One of our principal objectives is to provide a comprehensive and effective service to the Government. In this regard, the e-Cabinet system went live last year. All drafting, circulation for observations and submission to Cabinet of Government memoranda is now handled by the e-Cabinet system.
Substantial benefits are being realised as electronic document transmission facilitates the faster and more efficient conduct of business than was previously possible. In the space of the past year, more than 5,500 users, spanning all Departments and the Office of the Attorney General, used the system to author or submit memoranda for Government, entailing more than 15,500 transactions.
With the electronic transmission of documentation, printing, copying and manual delivery time lags are eliminated. Typically a weekly distribution of Cabinet papers would involve, on average, 400 to 500 documents which used to be copied and hand delivered. Since last December this is now all done electronically, thus lessening the need for resources associated with manual document delivery.
Users have access to information much sooner and can transmit it onward as required. Specifically, Ministers must no longer wait until Cabinet papers are delivered by hand to the Cabinet secretariat and then redistributed again by hand. They have the information as soon as it is submitted and can be briefed in a timelier manner before meetings.
Ministers and higher level users have real time access to the evolving agenda, therefore eliminating the time lags of the previous system. A memorandum arriving into the Cabinet secretariat late on Friday evening is instantly available whereas previously typically it would not have reached most recipients until the following Monday.
The system facilitates interoperability across all Departments for Cabinet documents. It makes it easier to conduct consultations and, as a result, the range of consultation has in many cases been extended, thus benefiting the decision and policymaking processes.
The key features facility made available from February means that Ministers and high level users not only get the information faster, it is also presented in a way which allows for quicker absorption of the crucial information on screen without the need to print. Additional functionality will be added to the system later in the year to support the seeking and preparation of briefing by Departments on each memorandum for their Minister. All Government decisions will be circulated on the system, again removing the current manual process. Arrangements will also be introduced to provide a briefing interface for Ministers and other high level users to access Cabinet information on portable devices.
Based on completion at the end of 2005, it is forecast that the project will cost just under €5 million, including VAT. This is substantially less than originally budgeted for, and includes enhancements not envisaged at the time of the original cost projections. Annual running costs of €195,000, excluding VAT, will be substantially less than the estimated savings arising over time in areas such as staffing, the cost of paper, etc.
The e-Cabinet initiative is just one element of a comprehensive information and communications technology strategy developed by the Department to meet our current and anticipated business needs. The development of this strategy has allowed the Department to define its core technologies and realign resources to better meet business needs.
The objective of the management information framework, MIF, is to provide Departments with a flexible system of financial management, integrated with performance and output measurement to enhance efficiency, performance and accountability. As well as providing the standard functions of a modem financial system, MIF envisages internal and, in time, external reports covering both the financial and non-financial aspects of performance.
The Department of the Taoiseach was one of the first three Departments to introduce this new financial management system in July 2002. The new system provides integrated functionality for cash and accrual accounting, budgeting, management reporting and costing. Its implementation has resulted in benefits arising from streamlined electronic processes, such as electronic funds transfer, EFT, which is now used for all staff payments and is available as a payment option for all suppliers. The new system has also resulted in improved financial control systems.
MIF can incorporate non-financial data for each accounting period and each budget holder's area of responsibility so that expenditure can be related not only to inputs but also to outputs and outcomes. This performance information will be available for inclusion on management reports to cater for performance reporting against stated objectives.
Following work by our internal performance indicators group, including the development of a framework for reporting on performance and its piloting across a number of divisions, indicators have now been incorporated into the Department's business planning processes and we have included the higher level element of them in our new strategy statement. Risk management is an ongoing process through which risks are identified, their potential impact assessed and the most effective way of responding to them determined. Risk management has also been incorporated into the business planning processes thus strengthening our internal control environment.
A business planning review process has also been introduced, whereby each head of division reports bi-annually to the management advisory committee, MAC, of the Department. The first review focuses on the key outputs of the division for the year ahead while the second review, held towards the end of the year, focuses on the progress made during the year. Heads of divisions are expected to include performance indicators and their risk management analyses in their reports.
High level monthly financial reports to MAC have been available electronically since January 2003 and are a standard MAC agenda item each month. More detailed expenditure reports are circulated each month to heads of divisions to facilitate budget monitoring and other processes in line with delegated financial responsibility.
It can be seen, therefore, that a system of MAC reports, incorporating financial and non-financial information, has been developed and refined over the past two years and work is ongoing to enhance this system further. This will ensure the achievement of high quality outputs while maintaining value for money.
The capability and commitment of our staff is central to ensuring that the Department delivers on its mission and provides the requisite quality of services. It is essential, therefore, that we continue to attract and retain high calibre individuals and to manage and develop them from induction onwards. To achieve this aim, the Department has developed a comprehensive human resources strategy which is informed by employee opinion surveys and good practice across the Civil Service generally. The strategy includes a range of actions designed to attract and retain high quality staff, develop their skills and ensure that they are satisfied and motivated in their work and have appropriate opportunities for personal and career development.
Some of the actions that have been progressed so far include the implementation of a new computerised personnel administration system, a staff mobility policy which allows staff the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and competencies, and active implementation of the performance management and development system, PMDS, which is central to achieving the goal of a modern, dynamic, high performance Civil Service. We are finalising plans to integrate PMDS into wider human resource policies and processes within the Department. We are also in the process of finalising agreement with the unions within the Department on the introduction of a 100% competitive promotions framework within a defined timescale.
I hope that the joint committee will see that considerable effort is being put into creating the conditions that will allow us as a Department to implement fully the strategies outlined in the new strategy statement and achieve our overriding aim of providing a quality service to the Taoiseach and the Government while maximising value for money.
