Terms of Reference of Public Administration in Northern Ireland

"In line with the political agreement of 18 December 1998, which sets out policy responsibilities, and reflecting the Executive’s vision as described in the Programme for Government, to review the existing arrangements for the accountability, administration and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland, and to bring forward options for reform which are consistent with the arrangements and principles of the Belfast Agreement, within an appropriate framework of political and financial accountability."

The system of public administration should enable the effective implementation of the values and priorities that are set out in the Programme for Government. It should, in particular, seek to fulfil the following characteristics:

Democratic accountability

The Review should consider the appropriate democratic oversight of public services, ensuring that elected representatives, both locally and regionally, can play their full role. That role includes decision making about services within their area of responsibility and holding to account, on behalf of the public, those delivering other services. The relationship between the different tiers of government, and their respective roles in the context of devolution should be clarified.

Community responsiveness

There is, additionally, the wider issue on a community level of how responsive services are to local needs and variations in those needs. Lessons from the voluntary/community sector, and in particular the various partnership arrangements involved in administering EU and other funding, should be examined for best practice.

Cross-community concerns

The review should take into account, both in the way it carries out its consultation and in its proposals, the concerns of communities which are in a minority in differing parts of Northern Ireland, particularly in terms of the input they can make to the delivery and accountability of services and ensuring proper protection

Equality and human rights (including equity of access)

It will be essential to ensure that the provision and delivery of services are provided fairly to all throughout Northern Ireland and the review should examine issues of equity of access to services and the upholding of human rights. It should also ensure that section 75 and TSN policies are fully considered and that the opportunities to decentralise services, and related employment opportunities, are also examined. The Review itself will be conducted in a manner consistent with equality and human rights legislation and policies.

Subsidiarity

The principle of subsidiarity should also be examined. In particular, consideration needs to be given to which services are best developed, overseen and delivered at local level, sub-regional and regional levels. The extent to which politicians at the different levels influence policy decisions, and give political direction on the delivery of services also needs to be examined. The role of social partners will be considered. Consideration should also be given to the co-ordination of policy-making and service delivery.

Quality of service

Citizens have the right to expect a certain quality of service (as well as a particular level of service in their areas). While it is important to ensure that services are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible, this must be done to certain quality standards. In this the impact of information technology should also be considered, along with alternative ways of delivering services – e.g. one-stop shops, partnership working etc.

Co-ordination and integration of services

In many instances there needs to be co-operation between different types of services to deliver cross-cutting policies. This is an important aspect of the Programme for Government, and any future system should take this into account. In considering sub-regional or local service delivery mechanisms it may therefore be sensible to examine the potential of creating the same geographical units for the organisation of functions and how far this might allow better co-ordination, including services provided on a cross-border basis. Many individual services are delivered not only at regional but also at sub-regional and even local levels. Thus, for example, in education a number of central departments are involved while Boards act at sub-regional level. An integrated approach to a review, which examines the connections between different levels of government in the development and implementation of services, has value. An integrated approach also needs to examine how best we can facilitate the essential interconnection between key public services such as social services, housing and education. It will also be necessary to review the different advisory and related services that support those public services.

Scope of the public sector

We will wish to consider the appropriateness of services being delivered from the public purse, the method of delivery and how to ensure this represents value for money. In addition, the role of the private sector, and the community/voluntary sector in contributing to better public services should be considered, including how business techniques can be harnessed and the scope for increased exchange of personnel and expertise between the public and other sectors. We also need to consider how best to tap into the expertise and experience of individuals in civic society.

Efficiency and effectiveness

We need to consider the best use of our budget and ensure that any re-organisation creates the most effective and efficient services to the public, avoiding duplication and enabling managerial and bureaucratic expenditure to be minimised while the maximum resources are spent on front line services. The balance between the number of units delivering services (for example, there are currently 26 local councils but five Education and Library Boards) and the potential efficiency of a more centralised or a more decentralised structure will also need to be explored. We also need to examine issues of professional accountability, ensuring that appropriate professional expertise is also applied to the direction and delivery of services.

Innovation and business organisation

We need to be forward-looking, examining not just what people want now, but what their needs will be in five and ten years time. Opportunities from new technology need to be addressed as well as better ways of delivering services including one-stop shops and the potential location of services in different areas. High quality, appropriately skilled staff should be retained and attracted to provide better, more modern services, taking advantage of the opportunities posed by new technologies and taking account of rising public expectations.