Report on the Preliminary Inquiry into Public Sector Efficiencies : Together with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee Relating to the Report, Written Submissions, Memoranda and the Minutes of

The full implications for Northern Ireland of the current deficit in UK public sector finances still have to emerge but the coming years will be a period of exceptional budgetary constraint for the local public sector.

Pressure is already mounting to maintain or even increase service delivery with decreasing resources.

This presents a challenge for the Executive for the future given the scale and immediacy of additional budgetary pressures and that the Northern Ireland Departments have already been working to achieve cumulative efficiencies of between 2 to 3 per cent over each of the last six years.

The Committee's aim in this inquiry was to examine how the Executive can maximise efficiencies without having an adverse impact on essential front line services and strategic policy priorities.

It also sought to clarify around the nature of proper efficiency gains and how they differ from straightforward budget cuts.

Also examined was how to monitor and oversee the delivery of efficiencies. Expert witnesses with experience of efficiency programmes locally and in other jurisdictions were examined and a wide range of other sources were drawn from and a literature review of best practice in this subject area.

Some key themes have emerged, the foremost of these is for the Executive to set out clearly the essential services and strategic policies which are to receive priority, in terms of ensuring the level and quality of services are not lessened as a result of the planned savings.