Estate issues
Lead Responsibility Within Government
Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP)
Chris Thompson – Telephone 028 9185 8044 (Internal 68044)
Latest news
The Minister of Finance and Personnel published the Framework to Underpin Decisions on the Location of Public Sector Jobs Resulting from the Review of Public Administration in November 2007:
The Minister for Finance and Personnel made a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday 24 September 2007 on Workplace 2010 and the Location of Public Sector Jobs.
The consultation referred to by the Minister can be downloaded here: Guiding Principles for the Location of Public Sector Jobs in Northern Ireland (PDF 490 KB).
Background
The RPA Estates sub-group has been set up as a DFP led cross-sectoral group reporting to the RPA Steering Group.
Its objectives are:
- to establish a base case of data on location of public sector jobs and other socioeconomic data to inform decisions and to update that case as decisions are taken so that progress can be monitored;
- to develop appropriate policies and guiding principles to use as a framework against which decisions on location can be taken; and
- to collate the estates strategies and plans in the various RPA areas and to stimulate their effective coordination (taking account of other reform programmes) so that decision making by Ministers and Local Authorities on the location of new bodies is well informed and soundly based, having regard to service delivery needs, providing the best value for money, and taking account of the rights of staff and consistent with Government’s wider social policy objectives and its statutory obligations, including those under S75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
The Group, chaired by the Permanent Secretary Bruce Robinson, includes membership of senior departmental representatives closely involved in the RPA implementation and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and representation from NILGA. It meets monthly and reports progress to the RPA Strategic Review Group.
Website links
The Relocation Guide provides information on the Scottish Executive's relocation policy and advice on the relocation process. It explains the stages involved in a location review and where further help can be found.
Shaping Our Future is a Regional Development Strategy which offers a strategic and long-term perspective on the future development of Northern Ireland up to the year 2025. It has been prepared in close consultation with the community and seeks to define an agreed vision for the Region and to frame an agenda which will lead to its achievement.