Events
Presentation from Paul Reid, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
Date: 16/02/2019
On 16th February, Paul Reid, Programme Manager at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform delivered a briefing at the ACESA General Meeting, updating members on progress in the public sector reform programme. 40 ACESA members attended the meeting, held in a Dublin hotel.
Key Discussion Points
Paul Reid began by discussing value systems and highlighting his own experience in public, private and not for profit organisations. He outlined the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform priorities as:
• Recovery of fiscal position
• New frameworks to change how government works
• Public sector reform
None of these operates in isolation and all were placed in the context of the 5 commitments that lie at the core of the reform programme as laid out in the Department’s 17th November 2011 document, i.e.
• Customers at the core
• Innovative service channels
• Reducing costs/value for money
• Leading and working in new ways
• A focus on implementation and delivery.
He gave examples of developments to be sought in each, including priorities such as reducing public sector numbers, changes in annual leave and sick leave, pension reforms, performance budgeting, multi annual budgeting, and shared services in finance, banking, pensions and payroll. Members present raised a number of key questions, such as:
How is the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform managing its communications strategy on the need for services to be reduced – especially the need for the political sector to be on message?
Does reform mean “business re-engineering” or simply cutting resources?
They stressed a need for real leadership, which involves motivation of the workforce, and expressed concern that HR skills and expertise, which need to be of the highest standard in these current circumstances, might not be adequate.
It was felt that the redeployment scheme was not appropriately conceived or designed and a plea was made to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to move from ‘redeployment’ to ‘mobility’ arrangements. It was agreed that the Association would follow up with Paul Reid on certain projects/work streams, which were identified as follows:
• Services /supplier framework agreement
• Governance project
• Mobility project including Senior Public Service
• Letter to Croke Park NIB or Agency group