Page 35 - Linkline Spring 2017
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Tracking the Department of Transport’s Statement of Strategy
Last December, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport published its Statement of Strategy, which serves as the department’s framework of action for 2016-19. Economist Tom Ferris looks at how these strategies and goals are monitored and tracked from their conception to implementation.
Tom Ferris
  Government departments have responsibility for delivering the commitments that are set-out in
each Programme for Government. Under the Public Service Management Act 1997, each department is required to prepare a strategy statement within six months of the appointment of a new minister. These statements serve as frameworks for action. While government
strategy statements. Oireachtas members, as representatives of the public, have a responsibility to ensure that departments deliver on their commitments.
Measuring Success of Strategy Statements
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has set high level goals to be achieved in the transport sector over the next three years.
Land Transport: to best serve the needs of society and the economy through safe, sustainable and competitive transport networks and services.
Aviation: to maximise air transport connectivity with a safe, competitive, cost-effective and sustainable aviation sector.
Maritime: to facilitate safe and sustainable maritime transport and the delivery of emergency management services.
The extent to which these goals can be seen to have succeeded (or failed) depends on the how well outputs for each sector can be measured. Where possible, departments should identify easily quantifiable indicators or milestones that can be used to evaluate progress. So what indicators did the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport produce for transport for the years 2016 through 2019? Table 1 provides an overview of 18 indicators – nine for maritime, seven for land transport and two for aviation.
Table 1: find at the bottom
 departments have become very experienced at producing strategy statements over the course of the past twenty years, what is different about the current statements is that they are prepared in the face of much greater economic and fiscal challenges than previously. They have been prepared (and will have to be delivered) with reduced resources and increased demands, as the gap between revenue and expenditure in the public finances continues to be addressed. At the same time, departments have to do much more to help create conditions in the economy that can foster economic growth, contribute to fiscal stability and stimulate employment growth.
Accountability to the Oireachtas
Deciding the strategies and goals is only part of the process though. Departments also have to specify what outcomes they hope to achieve. Having good output targets – performance measures or indicators - makes it possible to gage the extent to which goals are being achieved. It is interesting to note that the current Programme for Government gives a bigger role to the Oireachtas when it comes to preparation of
 The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport 35
  STATEMENT OF STRATEGY

















































































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