Irish Presidency Planning Review

Office of the Government27 June 2013

Topics

• Context

• Organisation

• Planning Process

• Administrative Arrangements

• Budget

Planning Context 2010-2012

• Steep Economic/Budgetary decline

• Challenging International Reputation

• Parliamentary Election

• EU and EP cycle

• Public Disenchantment with Public Service

• Gradual implementation of Lisbon Treaty

Organisation

• MFA led Administrative Planning

• PM led Policy Planning

• OPW led Facility Provision

• PM led Communications

• Police led Security

• Min. of Culture led Culture programme

Managing Relationships

Administrative Planning

• Close but informal coordination between PM/MFA/OPW on core approach

• Inter-Departmental Administrative Planning Group

• 2 Government decisions (but no legislation)• Small no. of staff on admin planning,

growing from 2 part-time to 12.

Balances

• Doing it right v Doing it cheap

• EU priority v National priority

• Tradition v Innovation

• 2004 v 2013

• Centrally organised v Devolved organisation

Key Administrative Decisions

• Centralisation of venue– Budget-driven– Better product– Legacy

• Number of Informals– Driven by business case– No dilution with “Ministerial Conferences”

• Single PRB premises

More Key Admin Decisions

• Centralisation of procurement/provision

• Staffing by re-deployment, interns, temporary staff and internal volunteers.

• Devolution of Culture programme with capped budget

• Least possible amount of “mementos”, publications etc.

• Some activation of State promotion (but no budget)

Budget

• General economic context

• Legacy of 2004 (and OSCE and 2011 visits)

• Top-down and Bottom-up Estimates

• Credibility factor important

• “Cost-effective” - not “cheap”

Budget Management• Core budgets for MFA/PM/OPW based on

solid estimates• Budgets for others linked to calendar and to

presence in Perm Rep• Security budget handled separately• Budgets published by each Ministry• Close control on core expenditure• Monthly report from each Ministry

Procurement

• Open approach - including PIN

• Central contracts for core services

• Framework contracts for common services

• Individual contracts for minor services

Major Expenditure areas

• Conference Centre – only Capital expenditure

• Staff – mainly 9/12 to 7/13

• Dublin Castle Operations

• Catering

• Website/Live Streaming

• Accreditation

• Branding

Sponsorship

• Open approach

• Centrally-managed

• Difficult market

• Added value v cost-reduction

• Opportunity to innovate

Single Contract

• Ministerial Hotels • Conference

Services (OPW)• Stationery• Mementos • Branding • Accreditation

• Ministerial Interpretation (SCIC)

• Ministerial transport• Most catering • Live Streaming

Framework

• non-Ministerial Transport

• non-Ministerial Interpretation

• non-Ministerial Photography

Individual

• non-Ministerial hotels

• Entertainment

• Ministerial gifts