The Northern Ireland Civil Service today published an ‘Outcomes Delivery Plan’ (ODP) for 2018–19 which will provide temporary cover for the implementation of the 2016–21 Programme for Government, in the absence of a working Executive.

Speaking at a today’s launch, Head of Civil Service David Sterling said that until ministers return to office and the Executive is restored, departments need to ensure that the operational business of government is discharged as effectively as possible.

He said: “This delivery plan sets out the actions that departments will take to give effect to the previous Executive’s stated objective of Improving Wellbeing for All– by tackling disadvantage and driving economic growth.”

“The plan provides direction for those who deliver public services and provides a measure of transparency about what the NICS will be doing, particularly at a time when the Executive and the Assembly are not functioning.”

How does the NICS plan differ from the PFG?

PFG= contains 14 outcomes

ODP= contains 12 outcomes

Omitted outcomes (from PFG to ODP)

• We have high quality public services

• We are a confident, welcoming, outward–looking society

In addition to a reduction in outcomes, The NICS ODP contains fewer indicators for each outcome.

This is demonstrated below for Outcome “We prosper through a strong, competitive regionally balanced economy” having 5 indicators, as opposed to the PFG which has 18 indicators for the same Outcome.

  Outcome 1: We prosper through a strong, competitive regionally balanced economy  

One welcome divergence between the newly published ODP and PFG is the ‘ACTION’ focused planning schedule which creates tangible and specific targets.

Commitments such as ‘Support up to 400 companies to engage in innovation activities for the first time‘ will allow for close monitoring and scrutiny over what is a short space of time in public policy terms.

 

Excerpt from NICA Outcome Delivery Plan

The newly published ODP states

“In keeping with the direction set by the previous Executive, members of the NICS Board who were previously appointed as “outcome owners” remain charged with leading engagement and collaboration across departments to deliver progress where they can in the relevant areas and to coordinate the work of the senior staff with responsibility for the actions contained in the plan.”

Analysis

For well over a year now, businesses and interest groups have been asking about the Programme for Government and whether or not it would continue as the vehicle from which to deliver public policy in Northern Ireland.

Clearly NICS did not feel they could fully implement the PFG as was, so have opted to adapt the main areas of policy and create measurable actions which will allow for progress to take place over a shorter 1 year period.

In the continued political vacuum, this will be viewed as a proactive and welcome step which will hopefully deliver some normality to departmental activity.

It seems unlikely that the newly published document will be subject to legal challenge (as the main bulk was agreed previously), therefore it looks like NICS is seeking to deliver continuity through the implementation of public services for a one year period.