Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a shared services expert with extensive experience in the field will join the reform and delivery office of his Department. [11226/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Shared services is a key aspect of the Public Service Reform Plan. The benefits of shared services are well documented internationally, including in public service contexts. They include:

· standardisation of processes allowing for greater transparency and

accessibility;

· reduced duplication;

· the elimination of waste; and

· significant cost reductions in the medium term.

The Government has given my Department a strong mandate to advance the actions necessary to ensure that we deliver on the very ambitious commitments made in the Reform Plan. Good progress is already being made. Work on a shared service approach to Human Resources for the Civil Service is currently ongoing.

A dedicated Shared Services Transformation Manager with global experience of shared service delivery joined the Reform and Delivery Office of my Department last week and I am confident that this additional expertise will help to accelerate the progression of this important agenda to drive greater value for money in how the relevant services are delivered.

In line with the Public Service Reform Plan, we are taking a sectoral approach to the development of shared services. This means that within each of the sectors of Health, Education, Justice, Local Government and Defence a lead official will be charged with preparing and delivering on a strategic shared services plan appropriate to that sector by the end of June. The Shared Services Transformation Manager will lead on the Civil Service plan and will also provide central support and guidance on shared service best practice. In addition, and in line with project management best practice, Senior Responsible Owners and Project Managers are being identified for the Civil Service back-office projects as we move into the design and implementation phases.