The Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., has today, May 20th 2008, announced the establishment of a Task Force to develop a new Action Plan for the Public Service of the 21st Century in the light of the recent comprehensive Review by the OECD. The Task Force draws on the leadership of the public service and the expertise of distinguished figures from the private sector.
The Task Force will comprise:
Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General to the Government and
Secretary General, Department of Taoiseach (Chair)
Mark Ryan, Country Managing Director, Accenture
John Moloney, Group Managing Director, Glanbia PLC
Breege O’Donoghue, Director, Penneys Primark
Paul Haran, Principal, College of Business and Law, UCD
Ciarán Connolly, Secretary General, PSMD, Department of Finance
Brigid McManus, Secretary General, Department of Education and Science
Michael Scanlan, Secretary General, Department of Health and Children
Geraldine Tallon, Secretary General, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The Terms of Reference for the Task Force are to prepare for consideration by the Government, a comprehensive framework for renewal of the public service, which takes into account the analysis and conclusions of the OECD Report – Towards an Integrated Public Service, as well as the lessons to be drawn from the Strategic Management Initiative, the Organisational Review Programme and the Efficiency Review, and to recommend, in particular, how best to secure
an overarching policy for an Integrated Public Service, that enables increased flexibility, mobility and staff development; and supports the competencies and practices necessary for new networked ways of working within and across the broader Public Service;
the basis for determining the contribution which a Senior Public Service could make to an integrated and cohesive Public Service;
a set of criteria to inform the way in which the business of government is structured and organised, with a strategy to enable necessary changes to be planned and implemented successfully;
the benefits of greater use of shared services across all sectors of the public service;
an appropriate framework for reviewing the establishment, operation and governance of State agencies;
a strategy by which e-government delivers coherent and citizen-focused services, and more closely supports greater efficiency in administrative processes;
an implementation plan, specifying the tasks, and responsibilities necessary for the successful implementation of the renewal agenda, including the ways in which the principle of partnership with public servants and their representatives will be applied.
The Task Force will consult with the public service unions in developing its recommendations and will complete its work by the end of the summer.
ENDS