45126-Invest. Qual-No111

Investment in QualityHuman resource management (HRM) including pay is highlycentralised in the civil service. The evaluation of the SMI in thecivil service by PA Consulting Group found that many seniormanagers argued that they did not have the tools to rewardexcellence and to improve performance where it was deficient.Work is underway on legislation to allow for some decentralisationof recruitment in the civil service. There is also a review underwayof the Civil Service Regulations Act, 1956 that could lead to someappropriate decentralisation of HRM regulations. The Councilconsiders that some decentralisation of HRM issues in the civilservice is desirable.Changing customer preferences and expectations point to the needfor greater organisational adaptability and flexibility. The need forgreater organisational flexibility was recognised in the PPFincluding new forms of work organisation, multi-grade and crossstreamteams and broadbanding. The PA evaluation found that theredid not appear to be much progress in addressing these issues. Theynoted that the distinction between general grades on the one handand technical, professional and departmental grades on the otherhand was virtually undiminished in most departments and there waslittle evidence of action being taken to address the range of gradesacross the civil service. The Council recommends that the issue oforganisational flexibility should be advanced with greater urgency.The Council is strongly committed to securing improvements in thedelivery of public services. A public service that is fairly remuneratedand characterised by a high level of organisation flexibility isa prerequisite for the achievement of this objective. The Council’srecommendations on benchmarking are presented below.6.6 OPTIONS FOR IRELAND6.6.1 Analytical and International Guidance: Learning Aheadof FailureIn a changing international context it is not easy to derive clearprinciples from theory or identify which are the best countries to282