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

imperatives, improvements to systems and ways of working, innovation, and a continuingfocus on citizen-centred public service.Indeed, the Review proceeded on the basis that changes to the structure of the public serviceorganisations are difficult, affect real people in different ways – not all of which arecomfortable, are sometimes expensive, and should not occur in the absence of a sound casefor change. The Review has been reluctant to propose further change in areas that have beenthe subject of recent (and in some cases regular) reorganisation without good cause. It hasnot pursued an agenda of change for change’s sake, but has focussed on overcomingstructural impediments to enhanced performance.As the national capital approaches its Centenary in 2013, and ACT self governmentcelebrates its 21 st birthday, the Review provided a timely opportunity to pause and reflect onthose milestones and consider the structures, skills and ways of working that will be requiredif the ACTPS is to serve the Government better and through it, the citizenry of Canberra in itssecond century.Issues Canvassed in Consultations and SubmissionsA very consistent set of issues was raised in consultations and Submissions. While the rangeof proposed solutions was diverse, there was a striking consensus about both the areas inwhich improvements can be made, and the areas in which current structures are appropriate.These themes are discussed in more detail in later chapters, but are summarised here toprovide initial context for what follows.There is a sense within the ACTPS and among stakeholders that Government priorities couldbe more clearly articulated, and more coherently and consistently pursued. There is a viewthat some of the ACTPS’s structures are fragmented and that others are over-engineered for acity state government. One Submission to the Review, argued:many of the problems impinging on the ACT public sector's ability to perform effectively canbe traced back to an intrinsic failure to achieve an integrated approach across agenciesworking to implement government policy. There is evidence of a silo effect occurringbetween departments and divisions.There is a view, especially within the ACTPS, that on occasion life is made harder than itneeds to be by self imposed red tape, or entrenched and inefficient ways of working. Acommonly expressed view amongst officials is that the ACTPS sometimes hinders its ownperformance through the imposition of more and more layers of reporting at the expense ofdelivering the required results.There is a view that the Government’s strategic priority setting and resource allocationprocesses could be enhanced and better aligned.It must be recognised, however, that the ACTPS is not broken. Contributors to the Reviewhighlighted aspects of what the ACTPS does on a daily basis that are at the forefront ofleading practice. While there will always be room for improvement, the citizenry of the ACTBackground to the Review: 27