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

LETTER OF TRANSMITTALMr Jon Stanhope MLAChief Minister of the ACTACT Legislative AssemblyCIVIC SQUARE ACT 2600Review of ACT Public Sector Structures and CapacityI am pleased to provide you with the Report on ACT Public Sector Structures and Capacity inaccordance with your Press Release announcing a Review on 3 September 2010.The aim of the Review was to ensure the configuration of the ACT public sector remainsappropriate for meeting the Government’s needs and delivering its future agenda. As such, ittook place concurrently with other work looking at different aspects of the Government’soperations, namely:• the review of taxation by former ACT Treasurer, Mr Ted Quinlan;• Canberra 2030 – Time to Talk; and• continuation of the Expenditure Review and Evaluation Committee’s work.Twenty one years since the granting of self government to the ACT, and mid-way through theGovernment’s third term, the Review presented a timely opportunity to take stock of wherethe ACT Public Service (ACTPS) has come from, where it is now and how it needs to bepositioned for the future.In making recommendations for improvement and enhancing performance, the Review hasconcluded the ACTPS is not broken and that there is much to be celebrated in what theACTPS does on a daily basis.Consultations and Submissions to the Review nevertheless highlighted two key areas ofconcern:• first, the current arrangements in relation to land and planning are, at best, hindering if notactively obstructing and frustrating achievement of the Government’s priorities; and• second, there are clear opportunities, and a significant need, for greater coordination andalignment of the efforts of the ACTPS in delivering the Government's policy priorities,and supporting its decision making processes.The Review’s key recommendation is that all existing Administrative Units be abolished andthe ACTPS reconfigured as a single entity, reporting to a single Chief Executive who is Headof the ACTPS. This will support a “One ACT Government – One ACT Public Service”culture and way of working, and enhance coordination, cohesion and alignment of officials’effort. It will be supported by rebasing the specification of Government priorities, together