Organisational Capability Review Programme

Purpose of the Reviews
Methodology
Delivery and Oversight
Published Reviews and Implementation Plans
Synthesis Paper

Purpose of the Reviews

Action 20 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan (2014) provided for the implementation of a Programme of Organisational Capability Reviews aimed at embedding a culture of regular assessments of the capability of Departments and Offices to achieve their objectives. The programme has been underway since 2016, with seven reviews completed and an eight under way.

Methodology

Views are gathered on a confidential basis under the four themes of:

Leadership,
Policy-making
Delivery
Organisational Capability

Each review is informed by staff workshops and one-to-one interviews, internally and externally, as well as policy-related documents, corporate reports, the results of the most recent Civil Service Employee Engagement Surveys and other secondary research relating to the organisations reviewed.

Delivery and Oversight

The Programme involves participation and oversight as follows:

Capability Review Team : The reviews are undertaken by the Capability Review Team which is based is the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and operates independently in conducting its work. For each review, the Team prepares a draft report incorporating evidence, findings and recommendations for consideration by an External Review Panel.
External Review Panel : The Panel’s role is ‘to review, validate, edit and finalise the report prepared by the Team’, although it is not involved in undertaking the work of any review itself. It is comprised of three members drawn from senior management in the civil service, consultancy practice and academia, with membership refreshed on a rolling basis.
Management Board : When a Review Report is finalised, the Management Board of the organisation reviewed prepares an Implementation Plan that maps onto the recommendations put forward. Following Government approval, the Capability Review Report and Implementation Plan are published together by the organisation reviewed.
Sponsoring Group of Secretaries General : This group of four Secretaries General oversees the methodology for the programme and reports periodically to the Civil Service Management Board on such matters.

Published Reviews and Implementation Plans

The following reports arising from the Programme of Organisational Capability Reviews have been published to date:

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport - Review and Implementation Plan
Courts Service - Review and Implementation Plan
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation
Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government - Review and Implementation Plan
Department of Rural and Community Development
Department of Defence

Synthesis Paper

A Synthesis Paper, which draws together the principal findings from the six completed capability reviews, was prepared for the Civil Service Management Board in January, 2021 Synthesis Paper - Programme of Organisational Capability Reviews - Findings and Learnings

Additionally, a Journal Article, which summarises the Synthesis Paper, was published by the Institute of Public Administration in the spring edition of Administration IPA Article: Programme of Organisational Capability Reviews – Findings and Learnings