IPSG september 2009 Stockholm

Transcription

1 IPSG september 2009 Stockholm MTP session The medium term priorities. Presentation and discussion on the draft of priorities Mr Henrik Frykman, IPSG chair

2 2 nd Draft- Memorandum 18 month Medium Term Priorities form EUPAN 31 August Introduction The final report on the task force on the future of EUPAN suggests several major changes of the network and on the key strategic document of the network, the medium term priorities 1 (MTP). The report suggests that the Director Generals should decide on a short strategic document presenting the priorities of EUPAN as an intergovernmental and informal network. Each permanent working group will then have the responsibility to draw up a proposed programme for activities and a schedule of meetings for an 18-month period. The work programmes should be maintained on a revolving basis, being revised every six months giving each Presidency the position to assess the proposed schedule in consultation with the Troika. The coming MTP, that will be approved during the 53 rd DG meeting and implemented by the ES-BE-HU Presidencies, marks the first MTP of the new order presented in the report on the task force on the future of EUPAN. The new process means establishing a new routine in the network on how to develop the MTP. The main difference from the previous process is that the new MTP is a set of, more strategic areas of work to guide the network, rather than a detailed work programme. The more detailed suggestion of activities will be developed in the work programmes. Another important aspect is that the incoming presidencies, who will be implementing the programs, are more involved in drafting them. A successful MTP process should strive to strike a balance between an effective and inclusive process. Through the strengthened role of the Troika Secretariat the forthcoming three presidencies will be more involved in setting the MTP, a fact that will connect the content carried out by each presidency harder to the MTP. On the other hand there have to be a process between all members of EUPAN in order to capture input from all members in the network. The representatives of the Troika secretariat will also have to take an important role in coordinating the member states interest and activities in all three working groups. The next MTP will be proposed to the 53 rd DG meeting for approval, and the implementation will start under of the Spanish Presidency. 1 Final report on the task force on the future of EUPAN November 30 th, 2008

3 Suggested process The Swedish ambition is to develop both the priorities and the work programmes during the coming Presidency. This means that Sweden together with the Troika and Hungary will have to work parallel with developing priorities and the three work programmes. The future MTP will consist of two parts: priorities and work programmes for egov, IPSG and HRWG. The priorities will be general and strategic whereas the working programmes will be more operational, preferably described as concrete activities for the period between 1 of January 2010 and 1 of July Example of operational activities could be to establish a learning team on a specific topic, cooperation between one or several of EUPAN working groups, a joint project between EUPAN and EIPA, IIAS/EGPA or OECD or a study among the 27 MS. In this aspect the extended Troika realizes the importance of EIPA in the network and acknowledges the role the institute has played in the development of EUPAN Priorities In order to be able to present the priorities and subsequent work programmes during the Swedish Presidency it is very important for the Troika and Hungary to establish a first draft of priorities before the end of June. This in order to have the possibility to circulate them among the representatives of the three working groups during the summer months. The Swedish Presidency will then work in comments and suggestions into a second draft that will be presented to during the first integrated working group meetings in Stockholm on the 14 and 15 of September. The meeting will start with a joint session between all three groups where the MTP process and chosen approach is described. After this session we will have ordinary working group sessions in egov, IPSG and HRWG. These sessions will start with a follow up of the present MTP. The main questions for this follow up are: What in the present MTP has been implemented, what has not been implemented, what relevant areas and topics can and should be preserved for the coming priorities and work programmes? For this follow up Sweden, together with documents already structured by Spain, will distribute material where the previous EUPAN activities (studies and projects) of all three working groups found at the CIRCA web is presented. This material will be used to get a clearer picture of what has already been done within the network. For this session Sweden suggests that all working groups are divided into sub-groups. The sub-groups report their findings in plenum and Sweden will gather these findings into a shorter memorandum that will be disseminated within the network shortly after the first working group meeting.

4 For this meeting the forthcoming Swedish Presidency has also invited the chairs/cochairs of three of IIAS/EGPAs permanent study groups (PSG): PSG E-government, PSG Performance in Public Sector and PSG Personnel Policies. The purpose here is to get input from a research perspective: what trends and issues can the IIAS/EGPA scholars identify in the areas e-government, performance in public sector and personnel policies? What research is IIAS/EGPA presently conducting in this area and how can the two organisations coordinate their activities in order to avoid duplication between the two organisations? During this meeting there will also be a discussion on the 2 nd draft of priorities that has been developed by the Troika and Hungary. At this state the Swedish Presidency will also initiate a discussion with OECD/GOV on how the organisation can contribute to the MTP process. The input and comments on the 2 nd draft of priorities will then be worked into a 3 rd draft of priorities that will be presented to the Troika secretariat on the 19 th of October. The Swedish Presidency will also invite representatives of the forthcoming Hungarian Presidency to this meeting. This draft will then be disseminated to the Director Generals in the networks for comments and feedback. After these measures we will hopefully have preliminary priorities that are valid for the 53 rd DG meeting in Stockholm in December. Work programmes After establishing a preliminary draft of the priorities the Swedish Presidency will invite representatives of all the working groups of the Troika and Hungary to a meeting in Stockholm for a discussion on how the priorities could be transformed in to concrete activities and work programmes for the three working groups egov, IPSG and HRWG. This meeting will start with a joint session with representatives of all of the three groups. Then will the group be divided into three subgroups consisting of the representatives of each working groups. The ambition of this meeting is to develop first draft of work programmes for all three groups 2. The first draft of work programmes will then be sent out to all WG members and will be the base for the discussions on the second integrated working group meeting in Malmö on the 17 th and 18 th of November. To this meeting the forthcoming Swedish Presidency has invited representatives of the OECD. The purpose of this is to input and insight from current OECD projects, specifically the OECD Government at a Glance project, and to initiate a discussion on the added value on increased cooperation between EUPAN and OECD: how can the OECD enhance the goals of EUPAN and vice versa and to what extent can OECD s projects be integrated into the work programmes? 2 If any of the countries lack representation on this meeting the forthcoming Swedish Presidency will have to presume that the other MS representatives has the mandate to represent the states working groups and it s interest.

5 After this meeting the Swedish Presidency will incorporate the reactions and comments from the working groups into a 2 nd work programme draft. This draft will then be disseminated to the working groups for comments, reactions and preliminary approval. A final draft will then be presented to the DG Troika on its second meeting on 2 nd of December together with the priorities for preliminary approval. The priorities and the three work programmes will then be sent out to the Director Generals for final approval on the 53 rd DG meeting in Stockholm. Work schedule Table 1 Suggested work plan Phase Date Meeting Activity Additional 19 May Troika Secretariat, Prague Information about MTP process, meetings and calendar Start 9 June Telephone conference Telephone conference between SW, CZ, ES, BE, HU to develop a first draft of priorities 24 June Troika Secretariat, Stockholm Presentation of 1 st draft of priorities Priorities June August Circulation of 1 st draft priorities to DG s and EUPAN WG delegates. Possibility for member states to comment process and priorities. August September Circulation of 2 nd draft priorities to EUPAN WG delegates Discussion in WGs September 19 October Troika Secretariat, Stockholm Presentation of final draft based on input and comments from WG discussions

6 October Circulation of final draft to EUPAN Director Generals 6 7 October Additional meeting, Brussels Meeting between SW, CZ, ES, BE, HU to develop a first draft of work programme for the WG s Representatives from all WG s should be present Work Programme October November WG Meetings, Malmo Circulation of draft work programmes to EUPAN WG delegates Finalization of work programmes for all WG s November Final circulation of work programmes Decision making 2 December DG Troika Preliminary approval of MTP 10 December DG Meeting Approval by the DG s Suggested priority areas The analysis in this document is based on three vertical themes that in our understanding reflect the major concerns of European governments in a medium term. They are by nature relatively broad, and have to become more focused and specific in the final version of the MTP and the work programme. As opposed to the working programmes these high level priority areas should be valid for all three working groups. The theme a performing public administration would cover issue related to improving the appropriateness, cost efficiency, quality, output and outcome of public and publicly financed activities. Activities with a potential for inclusion in the MTP and/or work programme include result-oriented governance arrangements, follow up and evaluation of reforms and public efforts, arrangements for cooperation with private sub-contractors and service providers, and competency-oriented human resource arrangements. The theme an administration serving the citizens would cover issues related to service management and service provision, including the exercise of public authority. Activities with a potential for inclusion in the MTP and/or work programme include innovative forms of providing public services, multi-channel service delivery, increased accessibility, service charters, citizen/customer trust and satisfaction measuring and the promotion of integrity and appropriate ethics.

7 The theme a sustainable public administration would cover issues related to economic as well as social and ecological sustainability. Activities with a potential for inclusion in the MTP and/or work programme include the administration s contribution to a sustainable society and the sustainability of its own management arrangements. The latter group would include such issues as the financial sustainability of public organisations and services, the sustainability of systems for retirement benefits and the effects of the demographic evolution on the public administrations staffing. The theme would also cover issues related to democratic fundamentals of a public administration; that is transparency, integrity and government by law. The continuity dimension One of the ambitions behind the decision at the 33 rd meeting of Director Generals in Helsinki in 1999 was to improve the continuity of EUPAN s work through the introduction of multi-annual planning. The first medium term programme was adopted at the 35 th meeting of Director Generals in Uppsala in An example of this extensive multi-annual planning took place during the sequential Irish, Dutch, Luxembourg and British Presidencies during 2004 and This continuity ambition cannot be delimited by the 18 month MTP periods. Attention has to be given to work undertaken and initiated during the previous MTP period so that it can be continued, if appropriate, during the next MTP period. EUPAN is also engaged in a number of activities that represent on-going activities, and these activities are expected to be continued throughout the new MTP-period, unless the Director Generals have decided elsewise. These ongoing activities and/or deliveries are summarised in table 1. Their continuation should not be seen as assured. Instead, good management practices would indicate that the drafting of each new MTP should be seen as an opportunity to assess the added value of a continuation of these activities and/or deliveries. A choice can then be made between continuation, reorientation and termination. As presented in the work plan above the Swedish Presidency will start the first working group meeting in September with a session for following up the present MTP. The main questions for this follow up are: What in the present MTP has been implemented, what has not been implemented, what relevant areas and topics can and should be preserved for the coming priorities and work programmes? Nor should the continuation of the existing working groups be taken for granted. Each new MTP should be seen as an opportunity to assess each working group's relevance and possible continuation. One of the improvements agreed to at the 51 st meeting of Director Generals in Paris in December 2008 was to expand and deepen the cooperation with the Public Governance and Territorial Development Directorate (GOV) of the OECD and with European Group of Public Administration (EGPA) within the IIAS. In the words of

8 professor Geert Bouckart of EGPA, the demand of EUPAN has to be combined with the supply of GOV and EGPA. Of course EIPA should be added to this collaboration as well. These organisations will therefore also be involved in the deliberations about the new MTP and work programme. Table 2 On-going EUPAN activities/deliveries A performing public administration An administration serving the citizens A sustainable public administration DG-meetings Innovative Public Services Group Human Resource Management Group Common Assessment Framework (CAF) European Quality Conferences European Quality Conferences Customer Satisfaction Management E-government group Learning Teams Other activities executed by other organisations in collaboration with EUPAN ICT Professionalization and knowledge standards Human Resources Management Performance Assessment Civil Service in the Europe of 27 The innovative dimension The responsibility for implementing the new MTP rests with the future Spanish, Belgian and Hungarian Presidencies. The discussion in this chapter is intended to assist this process. Table 2 below summarises the ideas and proposals that has come forward so far during the preparations for the Swedish Presidency. These should be seen as suggestions intended to fuel continued discussions, and alternative suggestions are possible. Table 3 Inventory of potential new EUPAN deliveries

9 Themes A performing public administration An administration serving the citizens A sustainable public administration Arenas DG-meetings The public administrations contributions to growth and competitiveness Financial stability and sustainability of public administrations Innovative Public Services Group Horizontal coordination of public activities The public administrations contributions to growth and competitiveness Sectoral addendum to the Global Reporting Initiative framework Prerequisites for an improved performance orientation. Human Resource Management Group The public administrations contributions to growth and competitiveness Prerequisites for an improved performance orientation Managing the interface between politicians and civil servants Policies and practices for a more representative public workforce Ethics in public administration Social dialogue traditions in the member states Prerequisites for an improved performance orientation E-government group Social dialogue traditions in the member states The public administrations contributions to growth and competitiveness Strategic management of e-government Strategic management of e-government

10 The motives for including the different ideas in the matrix above are as follows: The public administrations contributions to growth and competitiveness relates to the so called Lisbon strategy for growth and competitiveness adopted by the European Council in This strategy has acquired an augmented urgency given the present economic and financial crisis. Instead of merely seeing public activities as expenditures, it is important to focus on how their contributions to growth and economic recovery can be strengthened. The horizontal co-ordination of public activities relates the ubiquitous problem of 'stovepiping', that is of sub-optimal planning and implementation in parallel public departments or ministries. This is also the subject a newly initiated EIPA study. The financial stability and sustainability of public administrations have been seriously challenged by the present economic and financial crisis, and public employers have in all EUPAN countries been forced to lay off staff. It might therefore appropriate to assess the experiences from these events and how the administrations ability to meet similar challenges might be improved. Also, effects of crisis management on public administrations could be covered, such as the consequences of remuneration cuts and the increased importance of stable jobs on recruitment, or public servant s satisfaction level. The prerequisites for an improved performance orientation reflects the need for an increased performance orientation of the public administrations was a focus issue in all countries even before the financial stress caused by the present economic crisis. Achieving this necessitates appropriate arrangements and competences. One specific issue might be the competences and supporting arrangements necessary for a stronger performance orientation within public administrations and organisations. Another issue might be the development of a European performance assessment framework model such as further development of CAF, with the purpose of making it suitable also for institutional performance assessment, or an EU 27 survey of national performance assessment methods in use. Managing the interface between politicians and civil servants relates to the need to establish professional and competent professional management of the public administration, and to satisfy the dual goals of the political neutrality and the political responsiveness of the public administration. It could involve the mechanisms for selection and appointments of senior civil servants as well as the management of stock of senior civil servants. Policies and practices for a more representative public workforce relates to the increased diversity of the populations of EU member countries and to the need to ensure that all citizens have equal access to public employment. More representative public workforces will also be important for maintaining trust in the public administrations and public services. Furthermore, this theme is the subject of a new OECD/GOV project just initiated and discussions within EUPAN could both benefit from and contribute to this project. Social dialogue traditions in the member states was originally an initiative during the French Presidency. The purpose of the Swedish study is to in more in depth describe the social dialogue traditions in a selection of member states.

11 Ethics in public administration is a theme that EUPAN previously has covered from several different angels. The focus of the Swedish initiative will be connected to the concept of sustainable development and will focus on ethical issues that mainly do not concern corruption. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a multi-national non-governmental effort to include sustainability in the reporting of economic organisations. Its reporting framework has to adapted to the specificities of different types of activites. There is an interes in some public administrations for adhering to the GRI framework, but this requires the development of an agreed sectoral addendum for public administrations. The strategic management of e-government has been a somewhat overlooked e- government theme. Previous e-government studies have focused on the transformation of the outputs of the public administrations that is of making public services and authorities available on line and of the internal changes in administration arrangements that this entails. Management studies have on the other hand mainly dealt with financial and human resource management. The matrix is not complete, and there is scope for entering more suggestions and options into the matrix. First, there are a number of administrative and/or organisational issues outstanding from the Task Force on the future of EUPAN and the ensuing decisions at the 51 st meeting of Director Generals in Paris in December Questions relating to the implementation and follow up of these issues and decisions will have to be handled in an appropriate manner by the coming Presidencies. The consequences which this may have for the new MTP have not fully been taken into account in drawing up this draft. Second, setting up a new Learning Team involves an interactive process for drafting its Terms of Reference and for signing up a sufficient number of participants in and contributors to the work of the Learning Team. The team leader and the organisation responsible for a Learning Team may represent another member country than the Troika/Trio countries. No new learning teams are therefore suggested in this document/at this time. Third, the ongoing test phase with more formal arrangements for the European social sector dialogue for the central government administrations will end and be debriefed at the 53 rd meeting of Director Generals in Stockholm in December The Director Generals will then have to decide on EUPANs involvement in a European social dialogue from 2010 and onwards. The consequences which this may have for the new MTP have not been taken into account in drawing up this draft.

12 Annex 1 A selection of previous studies and projects that the working groups have participated in Human Resource Working Group (HRWG) 2001, Swedish Presidency Report on Social Dialogue 2001, Swedish Presidency The Modernisation of the Commission and its effects on National Administrations 2001, Belgian Presidency New Approaches in the field of Human Resources Management in the Public Administrations of the Member States of the European Union Feasiblity Study for an Observatory of European Civil Servants Network of National Contact Points and database of jobs open to Nationals of the Member States of the EU Recognition, Seniority and Professional Experience of Civil Servants in the Member States of the European Union. Study on the administrative practices in the Member States of the European Union 2002, Danish Presidency Facing the challenges of demographic evolution: Focusing on recruitment policies as a way to enhance the attractiveness of public employment 2003, Italian Presidency European Best Practices in Performance related pay for public service managers 2003, Greek Presidency Study on the Training Needs Methodologies in Public Administration & Training 2003, Greek Presidency Career development systems as an effective tool to enhance the attractiveness of Public Employment 2003, Italian Presidency Current And Future Use Of New Technology In Human Resources Management In European Public Administrations

13 2004, Irish and Dutch Presidency Ethics in the Public Services of the European Union Member States 2004, Irish and Dutch Presidency EIPA Working Towards Common Elements in the Fields of Ethics and Integrity 2004, Irish and Dutch Presidency Who is a civil servant and who is not and why? 2004 Netherlands Presidency Sustainability of Pension Schemes for Public Sector Employees in EU Member States 2005, Luxembourg s Presidency Human Resources management strategies to support organizational changes 2005, Luxembourg s Presidency A New Space for Public Administrations and Services of General Interest in an Enlarged Union 2005, Luxembourg s Presidency Are civil servants different because they are civil servants? 2005, Luxembourg s Presidency The flexibilisation of the employment status of civil servants: From life tenure to more flexible employment relations 2005, United Kingdoms Presidency Innovative HR Strategies Project 2006, Austrian Presidency Cross-Border Mobility of Public Sector Workers 2006, Austrian Presidency CAF works better service for the citizens by using CAF 2006, Austrian Presidency Decentralisation and Accountability as Focus of Public Administration Modernisation 2007, German Presidency Possibilities and Limitations of a Further Development of the Social Dialogue at the EU Level for the Public Services of the Member States Social Dialogue within the Scope of EUPAN 2007, German Presidency Performance Assessment in the Public Services of the EU Member States 2007, Portuguese Presidency The impact of individual assessment on organizational performance in the public services of EU member states - Procedure for performance appraisal, for employee interviews and target agreements 2007, Portuguese Presidency Competencies Management in EU Public Administrations

14 2007, Portuguese Presidency National Contact Points Evaluation of the Questionnaire Results 2008, Slovenian Presidency What are Public Services Good at? Success of Public Services in the Field of Human Resource Management 2008, Slovenian Presidency Leadership Competencies for Change Management 2008, Slovenian Presidency The promotion of cross-border mobility of civil servants between EU Member States public administration 2008, French Presidency Top Public Managers in Europe Management and Working Conditions of the Senior Civil Servants in European Union Member States 2008, French Presidency Comparative Analysis of the Social Dialogue in Central Public Administrations of the European Union Member States 2008, French Presidency Human Resources Performance Survey of public administration services in the European Union (The study conducted by Ernst & Young at the request of the French Presidency of the European Union provides an overview of ongoing changes in the world of HR and, at the same time, gives some hints at what lies ahead.) e-governmental (egov) 2001, Swedish Presidency Public e-services within the European Union today 2001, Belgian Presidency The electronic identification of citizens and organisations in the European Union: State of Affairs 2002, Danish Presidency Value Creation in egovernment projects - An exploratory analysis conducted for the Danish presidency of the egovernment workgroup of the Directors General Rationalising e-government Policies in the European Union A review of egovernment Working Groups Evolution of the e-government in the European Union 2003, Italian Presidency Central-Local relationship in EU in the field of electronic government

15 2003, Greek Presidency E-Economics Study 2003, Greek Presidency Public Key Infrastructure Services in the Public Sector of the European Union Member States Italian Presidency Summary Report Web-based Survey on Electronic Public Services (results of the second measurement: April 2002) 2004, Irish Presidency Key Principals of an Interoperability Architecture 2004, Dutch Presidency Does e-government Pay Off? Study on the effective use of ICT in the public sector in Europe, in search for European exemplary public services EUREXEMPs 2004 Dutch Presidency Central-Local Relationship In The European Union Member States In The Field Of Electronic Government 2005, Luxembourgian Presidency Organisational Changes, Skills and the Role of Leadership required by egovernment 2005, Luxembourgian Presidency Interoperability of egovernment systems The identification number, data sharing and data protection issues 2007, Portuguese Presidency The Lisbon Ministerial Declaration set out in the 4th Ministerial egovernment Conference Innovative Public Services Group (IPSG) 2001, Belgium Presidency Reference Indicators for Public Policies in the EU-Final Report of the consultant CAF Questionnaire Synthesis Report Quality Activities in the Public Administrations of the European Union Member States (IPSG) Performance Benchmarking in the Public Sector: The United Kingdom experience

16 Survey regarding quality activities in the public administrations of the European Union Member States Public Sector Modernisation: A new Agenda 2002, Danish Presidency Assessment of the Innovative Public Service Group 2003, Greek Presidency Public Sector Performance measurement systems & indicators in the EU 2003, Italian Presidency Study on Implementation of CAF among the member States European event on CAF 2004, Irish Presidency Review of the CAF Resource Centre at EIPA 2005, Luxembourgian Presidency EPAN Administrative Framework Communication Plan EUPAN CIRCA Protocols 2005 Luxembourgian Presidency IPSG & e-gov study: Good Practices Information Systems for public administrations in Europe 2005 Luxembourgian Presidency Study on the use of the Common Assessment Framework in European Public Administrations 2007, Portuguese Presidency 4th Quality Conference Impact Assessment Study