The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
STATES OF JERSEY
r
THE PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM PROGRAMME (P.A.C.3/2015): RESPONSE OF THE
CHIEF MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
Presented to the States on 23rd November 2015 by the Public Accounts Committee
STATES GREFFE
2015 Price code: A P.A.C.3 Res.
THE PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM PROGRAMME (P.A.C.3/2015): RESPONSE OF THE CHIEF MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Response to: P.A.C.3/2015
Response required by: 16th November 2015
Review title: The Public Sector Reform Programme
INTRODUCTION
In today's world, people expect governments to produce – and demonstrate – tangible results. This is why many government reform programmes are placing a greater focus on outcomes – thinking about the impact of their strategies and policies rather than functional service delivery.
This rationale underpins the current development of a new strategic planning system and long-term vision for Jersey. The initiative aims to provide a consistent framework for long-term planning, improve the co-ordination of delivery strategies, and actively use outcome measures to monitor and manage progress.
Fundamentally, the new framework will move Jersey to a position where the Island is clear about its future social, economic and environmental ambitions.
The Long-Term Plan identifies the trends and pressures which the States of Jersey needs to respond to. The ageing demographic and health pressures, a lowering of income, the need to increase competitiveness, and the need to respond to customer pressure and use of the Internet provides a clear call to action, to continue to invest in our infrastructure, and to respond to the pressures in spending that the changing demographic brings.
In addition, we are taking the opportunity to modernise our working practices, policies and terms and conditions through our workforce modernisation programme, which in itself is a powerful enabler for change.
As we cannot, in the short term, rely on economic growth to pay for the increase in financial pressures that these trends bring, we must rely on the reprioritisation of existing resources to meet this challenge. This is why Public Sector Reform (PSR) is important.
Ultimately, PSR is a programme which helps to provide the sustainability of public services in the longer term.
RECOMMENDATIONS
| Recommendations | To | Accept/ Reject | Comments (to include confirmation of responsible Accounting Officer where relevant) | Target date of action/ completion |
1 | The Chief Minister's Department should ensure without delay that the government website www.gov.je offers a readily accessible and definitive summary of the vision, aims and objectives of, and the timescale for completion of, the PSR programme. | CMD | Accept (with qualification) | This recommendation is accepted. Public Services affect every Islander, and therefore the reform to the public sector should have meaningful public engagement and input. However, there needs to be appropriate work done to prepare our Internet pages for such information; and an understanding needs to be arrived at as to the form of public engagement. It must also be acknowledged that Phase 1 of public sector reform focused on preparing the organisation internally for change, and developing enabling work to prepare for the change period we are now entering. It was therefore wholly appropriate that communication focused internally using the States intranet pages, rather than externally focusing on public engagement on our Internet pages. | June 2016 |
2 | The Chief Minister's Department should ensure that the accounts for the Public Sector Reform programme properly reflect the programme scope as approved by the Council of Ministers. | CMD | Accept | This is accepted, and work will continue between the Public Sector Reform team and the Treasury to ensure the 2015 accounts reflect this recommendation. | May 2016 |
3 | The Public Sector Reform programme Ministerial Oversight/Steering Group should be properly reconstituted by the Council of Ministers without delay. | CMD with CoM | Accept | This is accepted. The Council of Ministers, at its meeting on 24th September 2015, agreed this principle; and a meeting of the Political Oversight Group, as intended to be constituted, met on 16th November 2015. Terms of reference have been agreed by this Group, and it is intended that these and its membership will be discussed and agreed by the Council of Ministers on 25th November 2015. | Nov. 2015 |
Page - 3
P.A.C.3/2015 Res.
| Recommendations | To | Accept/ Reject | Comments (to include confirmation of responsible Accounting Officer where relevant) | Target date of action/ completion |
4 | To maintain accountability, the membership and terms of reference of future Ministerial Oversight/Steering Groups established by the Council of Ministers to progress any matters falling within the functions of the Council1 must be recorded in the minutes of Council meetings. | CMD with CoM | Accept | This is accepted, and the Political Oversight Group will report back regularly to the Council of Ministers and, therefore, the minutes will record such items. | Dec. 2015 |
5 | The Ministerial Oversight/Steering Group should commission an evaluation of Phase 1 of the Public Sector Reform programme without delay and submit the evaluation to the Council of Ministers, which should in turn report the findings to the States Assembly promptly. | CMD with CoM | Accept (with qualification) | A review of Phase 1 has commenced, and will focus on the "story so far". This review will look at what Phase 1 has delivered, and will provide a platform for the Phase 2 vision and direction. This document will be produced for December 2015 and will be available publicly. | Dec. 2015 |
CONCLUSION
The Chief Minister's Department would like to thank the Public Accounts Committee for its interest and review of the Public Sector Reform programme to date.
Reforming public services to the benefit of Islanders and the Island is a critical activity to enable longer-term sustainability and the ability for the Island to weather longer- term societal trends. The findings of the Public Accounts Committee have been acknowledged and will be incorporated into future PSR work programmes. The timing of the PAC report has been beneficial as the Public Sector Reform programme moves from the initial phase of preparing the organisation for structural change to the second phase of delivering the significant change programme.
1 as defined by Article 18(2) of the States of Jersey Law 2005