IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS RICHARD CLEAL Acting Director, Implementation Unit Department of the Premier and Cabinet March 2005

HISTORY Implementation Unit was put in place after the state election in February Part of Policy Division of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Previously there was a Strategic Policy Unit which carried out some implementation functions. Designed to ensure full delivery of State Government policy.

HISTORY cont. “A policy which is embraced by a Minister, approved by Cabinet, announced publicly, but inadequately delivered is worse than no policy at all.” Dr Peter Shergold Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

HISTORY cont. Set up in three components: –Reporting –Performance Analysis –Policy Research. Reporting and Performance Analysis have since been combined. Clients are the Premier and the Queensland Cabinet.

REPORTING Monitoring overdue Cabinet and CBRC decisions. –Regular report to Cabinet. –Concentration to date has been quantitative but moving to more qualitative i.e. those items at risk. –Main emphasis is on the Cabinet system.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS Implementation plans and sections (policy approval process). –From 2005 most Cabinet and CBRC decisions require an implementation section => when, who, how, what. –Also require an implementation plan where it is a significant policy proposal (Cabinet handbook). –Implementation plan template.

PERF. ANALYSIS cont. –Aim = precise Cabinet recommendations including dates. Emphasis on how we will know when a project is finished. –We are checking and providing feedback. –Will continue to monitor implementation plans and sections.

Key Initiatives Charter letters Government Priorities OTHER MONITORING PROCESSES

CHALLENGES Moving from monitoring to implementation. Using / checking implementation sections and plans without taking over role of departments. Implementation of the policy process including earlier involvement of the Implementation Unit. Implementation as part of the development of legislation.

CHALLENGES cont. Implementation as part of the budget process. Not just check if a policy was implemented => also evaluate whether it was the best way to implement the policy and whether it should have been implemented at all (need to set up some analytical tools and criteria).

AIM TO ACHIEVE Better policy and legislation. Better delivery of government policy. Early warning of “at risk” issues. More awareness of what has been put in place.

TO DATE Clearer timelines and actions in recommendations which we can now check. Implementation plans for major policies which the unit can continue to monitor. Some evidence that the process of doing implementation plans and sections has improved policy development process.

LASTLY Evaluation.