Governing the City State - Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate ...

• conducting evaluations to a high standard, and from an overall perspective ofsustainability; and• making evaluation count – by communicating results and acting on recommendations.The proposed Chief Minister’s Department will be responsible for coordinating andmonitoring evaluation activity across government. The Chief Executive will chair theExpenditure Review and Evaluation Committee which exists to:• examine, the appropriateness, effectiveness, and, in particular, the efficiency ofDirectorate programs, functions and activities;• identify possible cost savings, more effective service delivery methods, and opportunitiesfor better coordination of activities; and• report these findings to the Government for consideration in developing the annualbudget.Results LogicThe way in which agencies share information and work together in the preparation of theBudget has a significant bearing on the quality of that process, and the support and adviceprovided to Cabinet. An issue that emerged in consultations within the ACTPS was a lack ofclarity about “how we do things around here”, especially for new staff including SeniorExecutive Service officers. A system that relies on learning by observation is onecondemned to repeat ingrained bad behaviour. A system that relies on clear and commonlyunderstood rules and behavioural norms is one which culturally facilitates collaboration,sharing of information, and the preparation of comprehensive advice to the Cabinet.Much of how the design and assessment of policies and programs in the ACTPS, and centralagencies in particular, is undertaken can be described as based on a model where:results logic is your understanding of how the services your agency delivers contributeto results for the community. The ‘logic’ describes the link between what your agencydoes (services) and the desirable impact that it will have on society (results), through aseries of logical steps (intermediate results) … The logic explains your assumptionsabout how your services work. … As you ‘step down’ through the hierarchy, youragency will have a greater level of influence over the results. This will be matched by agreater level of accountability. 303A view emerged in consultations with ACTPS staff that a preference for preserving the “darkarts of budget process” and its often antagonistic approach results in significant wasted effortand energy, where a more open, commonly understood process and genuine collaborationwould deliver better results for the Government. That is not to say that Directorates shouldalways agree, or that Finance should roll over and accept the first set of estimates provided toit. There are distinct and proper roles to be played by Directorates, but how they are playedcan very significantly affect the outcomes of that interaction.303 New South Wales Treasury (2006) What You Do and Why - An Agency Guide to Defining Results and Services New SouthWales Government, Sydney, p.3.Strategy, Resource Allocation and the Vacant Middle Ground: 232