Major Challenges for NCSSBs & Departmental Principals
Public Sector Times
The Croke Park Agreement presents significant challenges for Non-Commercial State Sponsored Bodies and officials in parent Departments who are responsible for managing these bodies/agencies.
The Agreement highlights imperatives in areas relating to headcount reduction, the elimination of bodies/agencies, personnel redeployment, rationalisation/restructuring, performance management and service delivery change. As such, the focus has shifted from incremental to transformative change and key questions arise in respect of both the NCSSBs’ ability to justify bids for funding, as well as parent Departments’ management of these organisations.
Of particular significance is the stipulation that where activities or programmes reach conclusion, associated positions should be deemed to be surplus to requirements and available for redeployment across the broader public service. Parent Departments are therefore required to work with their NCSSBs to identify scope to redeploy personnel and deliver ongoing efficiency enhancements.
Despite the potential for conflicts of interest, such developments emphasise the need to clearly articulate output/outcome objectives and report on performance. It is in this context that interest in the use of performance contracts/agreements has become more prevalent. Indeed, the Task Force has recommended the adoption of a ‘new performance framework’ between Departments and their agencies and it is certain that a new government will insist on the use of performance contracts to enhance accountability and achieve greater value for money. Where NCSSBs have difficulty articulating priority objectives and achievements, they can expect to face a very uncertain future.
UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and RA Consulting have developed an executive education programme which addresses many of these challenges and reflects progressive approaches to governance and organisational performance improvement.
The ‘Managing State Body and Agency Performance’ programme uses a tested framework and practical experience gained in implementing ‘performance contracts’ with a number of Bodies/Agencies operating under the aegis of one large Irish Government Department. Modules cover value for money, strategy and performance management, performance planning and KPIs, ‘principal’ and ‘agent’ relationships, information asymmetries, governance and the development of performance contracts/service level agreements.