Page 325 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 20 February 1990
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emphasised. For this reason the Alliance Government, as the Chief Minister has already mentioned, has begun the development of a detailed strategy for government services. To achieve this we will consult with the community and the business sector and encourage them to follow suit.
One of the most important tools of management in public administration is the budget process. This is where the Government can translate its goals and objectives for social reform into concrete funded targets and the relationship between competing goals can be examined. The budget process is one of the first targets of the social equity strategy. In the 1990-91 budget program, program managers will be asked to identify more fully the effects of their program on the quality and equity of the services provided. This will reduce the narrow emphasis on cost of programs alone.
An important point to note at this stage is that social equity can be achieved through better management and redistribution of resources. An increase in overall funding is not anticipated by this Government. To emphasise the importance of social management and the achievement of equality, it is planned that the Alliance Government will make a separate statement at the time of the budget detailing our contribution and objectives to social equity.
This budget is only one tool of public administration. The program management framework offers another opportunity to demonstrate the Government's commitment to social equity. For example, this may take the form of a measure that encompasses the closeness of the match between the community groups or individuals who would be expected to use a government service and those who are actually using the service. This will indicate if some segments of the community, such as the disabled, are being denied the opportunity to use services that they need to use. Another example would be the closeness of match between those members of the community affected by a decision and those consulted about decision. Another measure of social equity might be the number of families who do not have access to essential services such as energy, transport, housing, education and medical treatment. When these indicators are put into place, they should become part of the objectives and machinery of government. This leads to a long-term but inevitable achievement of the goals of social equity in the ACT Government services.
To speed up the process it will also be expected that specific areas of the ACT Government services will be reviewed to improve social equity in the short term. A review of concessions is a beginning of this process. An important aspect of this strategy for social equity will be education campaigns which inform public servants, business and the community about the meaning and practical objectives of social equity. If everyone understands the common goals we are working towards, then communication and
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