Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 1 Hansard (13 February) . . Page.. 65 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

provide service and information to citizens. Innovation through the streamlining and rationalisation of supporting processes and business rules will provide a key foundation for improved service.

I want management processes which take the viewpoint of the citizen: processes that do not over regulate, that are simple, that break down the present barriers between agencies; processes that take advantage of the benefits of technology but are not a slave to technology. I want re-worked processes that ensure that we avoid the digital divide and provide the people of Canberra with the services and information that they need. This will be achieved through a delivery mechanism that is most useful to them and information in a form that is most helpful to them.

I believe that there is also scope for substantial innovation in the wider area of public administration. As part of our overall public service renewal program, the Commission for Public Administration and the chief executive of my department will host a public seminar on innovation in public sector management in the first half of the year.

A central element of my government's commitment to innovation is the development of an ACT innovation framework. Preparation of the framework has been under way for some time in consultation with business and academic leaders. To be finalised by April, this framework will build on Canberra's natural strengths as a centre for innovation and position the ACT to take maximum benefit from the Prime Minister's recent announcement. As I have already indicated, innovation will be a key theme in our 2001-02 budget.

Performance

The third requirement for the public service is a focus on performance at both the individual and agency level. At the executive level we already have employment contracts which include annual performance agreements, but I believe there is scope for improvement. We need clearer and more specific deliverables and an assessment of not only the outcomes that have been achieved but also the way in which those outcomes have been achieved. I am keen that the focus on performance is extended below the executive level. To meet that objective a new AWA remuneration framework has been introduced for the manager grades below the senior executive service. This framework allows the use of selective attraction and retention bonuses where needed and introduces a common structure performance assessment system with the opportunity for performance-based advancement or regression through salary increments across much wider pay bands.

As part of this year's budget, all agencies will be reviewing the quality and relevance of the measures that are used to assess performance against key result areas. Too many of these measures focus on inputs rather than outputs and rely on measures of activity that have little real meaning. We have a very good budget framework but we can do better.

Henry Taylor, a 19th century British civil servant, wrote this about reward in the civil service:

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .