Tom Frawley on Administrative Reform

An address in December 2004 in Belfast, reported by Don Anderson

“It is generally much easier to kill an organisation than to change it substantially” – a quotation from K Kelly used by Northern Ireland Ombudsman Dr Tom Frawley to introduce his talk to us on administrative reform in Northern Ireland.

In the wider public arena, many have little knowledge of the important task allotted to Tom and his colleagues. Dr Frawley, probably best known as the Northern Ireland Ombudsman, but he is also chairman of the panel of experts attached to the review of public administration (RPA) begun by the Northern Ireland Executive. Here are its terms of reference. “To review the existing arrangements for the accountability, development, 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”

“It is all still at the interesting stage where no firm decision have been made,” he said. “But the work is still ongoing in the background. The purpose of this review is to develop a system of public administration which fully meets the needs of the people in Northern Ireland.”

The review has no mean job on its hands. The context is a place emerging from 30 years of conflict, a public service working in a situation of direct rule from Westminster with the Northern Ireland Executive suspended, an exceptionally complex settlement, mirrored in the arrangements for government in the meantime.

The Executive had commissioned a major review of the public service to examine fitness for purpose not least because of the set of new dynamics at play. There was, and remains, an urgent need for a new strategic approach. The new approach needed to address the legacy of last 30 years, needed to realise the opportunities and challenges presented by the peace, by social change and by technological change.

The review would need to enhances democracy and improve services to all. The starting point might look daunting. It consists of 11 government departments, 140 public bodies, 3 MEPs, 18 MPs, 108 MLAs, 564 Councillors, 60% GDP derived from Public Service, 32% of adult workforce employed in Public Service, 205,000 employed in the Public Sector

Councils and Quangos

In transforming the public service, one of the questions to be answered is how many local government organisations there should be in Northern Ireland. Dr Frawley said the RPA team had commissioned research looking at configurations of between 5 and 15 Councils. And how many health and social service bodies should there be? How many education bodies. How many quangos do we really need? (There are up to 100 at the moment).

Other issues include the management and accountability of agencies which are providing services, defining the role of the voluntary sector, the community sector and the private sector. In short, building high quality public services will be a long term project that requires patience, vision and integrity.”

His final wry quotation was from that old observer of government, Machiavelli. “It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to arrange, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes in a State's arrangements. The innovator makes enemies of all those who prospered under the old order, and only lukewarm support is forthcoming from those who would prosper under the new.”

If you want to know more about the reform of public administration, visit www.rpani.gov.uk.

The Executive had commissioned a major review of the public service to examine fitness for purpose not least because of the set of new dynamics at play. There was, and remains, an urgent need for a new strategic approach. The new approach needed to address the legacy of last 30 years, needed to realise the opportunities and challenges presented by the peace, by social change and by technological change.

The review would need to enhances democracy and improve services to all. The starting point might look daunting. It consists of 11 government departments

140 public bodies

3 MEPs

18 MPs

108 MLAs

564 Councillors

60% GDP derived from Public Service

32% of adult workforce employed in Public Service

205,000 employed in the Public Sector

In transforming the public service, one of the questions to be answered is how many local government organisations there should be in Northern Ireland. Dr Frawley said the RPA team had commissioned research looking at configurations of between 5 and 15 Councils using the following criteria:-

The optimum population size for effective planning & delivery of services taking account of the spread of populations in rural & urban areas

Equality & social need

Access to services

Employment patterns

Geography

The regional development strategy

Relative wealth as measured by the underlying rates base.

So how many health and social service bodies should there be? And how many education bodies. How many quangos do we really need? (There are up to 100 at the moment).

Other issues include the management and accountability of agencies which are providing services, defining the role of the voluntary sector, the community sector and the private sector. “The task was not just about structure or training and development,” observed Dr Frawley. “It was also about creating a future that generates creativity, initiative, dedication and commitment. In short,

building high quality public services will be a long term project that requires patience, vision and integrity.”

He was not minimising the task in hand and was well aware that others had trod the same path. “The definition of madness is doing the same thing again and again and hoping for a different outcome,” he commented, but added that to accomplish change, we had to overcome cynicism, which he called half a conversation.