Renewing the civil service: how the new plan could hammer home accountability, transparency and efficiency

The Civil Service renewal plan launched last week received modest coverage in the media, and most of that (predictably) focused on elements that relate to managing under-performance.

I think the plan is much more than that – it sets out how Ireland could develop a Civil Service that brings more accountability, transparency and efficiency. If it succeeds, it will contribute to Irish competitiveness and to improved living standards. Consequently business should monitor its implementation and civil society groups should do likewise to ensure better services and value for the taxpayer. Several elements of the plan suggest real progress is possible.

The plan starts by acknowledging the need for the Civil Service to undergo a “fundamental transformation” and “fundamental cultural change”. This is essential given the adage that culture eats strategy for breakfast. The signatures of the Taoiseach, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and all of the secretaries general mean these individuals are now on the line. Without these endorsements, the document would not be worth the paper it is written on.

The plan, in contrast to many Irish planning documents, is well-conceived, researched and written. Indeed it could not be further from many earlier documents which lacked coherence as they sought to be all things to all people. They were impenetrable to anyone outside the Irish public system (and possibly to some within). This document is succinct – it defines four goals, identifies why actions are needed to realise them and how specific interventions will help achieve these goals. In defining what a strong capable Civil Service needs to be, it hones in on virtually all of the major weaknesses identified in recent years.

Extra-departmental optics

In relation to the goal of unity, the plan effectively recognises that silos are the norm across departments and across units within departments – each watching out for itself rather than for the interests of good government.

The signalled move to dissolving silo mentalities is crucial and will challenge established behaviours – and, unless the leadership of the Cabinet and the secretaries general is strong, success will be limited.

The goal of professionalism covers underperformance – and crucially the plan recognises that management must have the skills, commitment and systems to handle it. The plan looks for open recruitment (long objected to by many interest groups) to become the norm at a range of entry levels. If this happens, it means an end to a separate “Civil Service labour market” – movements between the Civil Service and the rest of the labour force will become common rather than exceptional. As a consequence, we should see a greater variety of career paths and experiences contributing to a more dynamic service.

Expert skills

Achieving the goal of greater responsiveness will require greater investment in skillsets (economics, psychology, law, statistics, etc). This recognises explicitly that we must move away from the current generalist model. Today’s world requires multiple specialist skills. The Civil Service will fail to attract bright people – and especially young people – if it does not see opportunities to develop these skills when working for government.

Supports for the fourth goal of openness and accountability must build on recent developments, such as naming those responsible for service delivery and providing evidence on Government websites of both progress and failure to achieve stated goals.

Of course the plan has its limitations as recognised by the Minister, who stated at the launch that this is not the final word on renewal. Significantly, he indicated the Rafter Committee’s proposal there should be a head of the Civil Service has been put on the shelf but not into the fire.

What might come next? Rather than the plan’s suggestion of regular reviews of departments, a better approach might be to establish an external board for each department. Such a board would monitor progress in delivering on this plan and on improvements in service delivery. It would report to the Minster but not seek to influence policy.

The plan virtually ignores the wider public service. Since many public service agencies in Ireland produce services undertaken by the civil service in other countries, they should be part of the renewal process.

Finally, since critical analysis and robust evidence are necessary for accountability, transparency and efficiency, my hope that renewal will see the Civil Service making greater use of research to inform policy will come as no surprise.

Dr Frances Ruane is director of the Economic and Social Research Institute