It is now two and half years since the Review of Public Administration was launched, raising hopes in the business community that our outdated model for delivering public services would be radically overhauled with big efficiency gains and cost-saving benefits for all. That the original timetable has slipped is not really the fault of the review team. Reviews of this nature will always take longer than planned.
The exercise has not been helped by the stop-go-stop record of devolution or by the recent decision by the Northern Ireland Office to order further work in the face of pressure from local politicians anxious to preserve as many of their councils as possible.
It now appears that the Government intends to publish a consultation document which will include a number of options for local council re-organisation and firmer proposals for health and education, within the next four days.
And in all this we are continuing to work on the assumption that devolution in Northern Ireland remains an obtainable objective, an assumption that is increasingly being challenged by the turn of events in the 'peace process'.
But assuming devolution, what can we expect from the future shape of public administration?
It is inevitable that supporters of radical reform will be disappointed.
The remit of the review was not all-embracing, which means fundamental issues such as the role and size of central government departments has received scant attention.
The public and political focus is on the number of councils, but this is only one small part of how we can improve the overall quality and efficiency of public administration.
Work done by PA Consulting in the UK and elsewhere can help us understand the drivers of restructuring in government and public services as well as the deeper changes that are needed.
And our experience tells us that issues around central government and policy formation are critical.
The socio-economic face of Northern Ireland is undergoing significant change, as it is in the rest of the UK.
Policy regarding the delivery of public services needs to take account of a host of influences, including increased life expectancy, changing birth rates, less traditional family structures, increased diversity, changing employment patterns including greater part-time working and the growing dominance of service industries.
The increasing spread of technology, the potential of e-government and mounting customer expectations of the quality and availability of services will also drive policy.
In Northern Ireland, central government departments should concentrate on policy and on the constant adjustments required to meet changing needs.
Government departments need to improve their understanding of how those changes will impact on the delivery of public services and must ensure that service quality is maintained.
In a future devolved administration, there is scope for amalgamating departments to sharpen the focus on policy in key areas, as well as to ensure value for money and efficiency.
In the delivery of public service, the performance of government and public bodies is now under the microscope.
Regardless of the shape of service delivery organisations, there are other challenges.
For instance, how can government instil a high-performance culture in organisations many of which still tend to lag behind private suppliers in their responsiveness and flexibility?
It will be critical to deliver value for money to people who will increasingly be asked not just to pay more for services but also to fund the borrowing required for capital investment.
Controlling costs and improving efficiency will call for greater private sector involvement, partnering with private suppliers or outsourcing some services.
There has been a general reluctance among locally elected politicians to embrace the opportunities offered by more private involvement.
Attitudes have been influenced by the high-profile examples in the UK of problematical PPP schemes and issues around complex technology projects that have run into difficulties.
However, if political promises are to be met and the potential of reform delivered, a fresh and pragmatic approach will be needed to working with and managing the private sector, learning from both mistakes and successes elsewhere.
Providing cost-effectiveness will need an innovative approach to delivering services.
In the past, we have been protected by high levels of subsidy and the traditional approach therefore sufficed.
Now, with Northern Ireland ratepayers being asked to pay the true cost of services the issue of finance may bring about a re-think on private sector involvement.
A huge question mark has always hung over the willingness of elected politicians to endorse sweeping changes. The RPA, as it is likely to turn out, is only part of a process that needs to be much more far-reaching and fundamental.
How we pay for public finances is changing and with it may come growing public pressure that will force politicians to realise that what has served us well in the past needs to be swept away and replaced by a modern system relevant to the needs of a small administrative area.
Quelle: The Belfast Telegraph, 21.03.2005
