St Helena : St HelenaStrategic Policy and Planning Unit
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Nathan Prince) 19.07.2010 (Article Archived on 02.08.2010)
One of the components of the Public Sector Modernisation Programme (PSMP) was to provide support in strengthening Governance and Institutional Arrangements for Public Sector Management.
Strategic Policy and Planning Unit
One of the components of the Public Sector Modernisation Programme (PSMP) was to provide support in strengthening Governance and Institutional Arrangements for Public Sector Management.
As a result, it was agreed to establish a Strategic Policy & Planning Unit within the Office of the Chief Secretary, to improve arrangements for policy co-ordination that would strengthen the policy making process.
This article gives an overview of the purpose and responsibility of the Unit.
What is the Strategic Planning and Policy Unit?
The Strategic Planning and Policy Unit (SPPU) is a newly established function within SHG. It sits at the centre of Government with an overarching purpose of coordinating the business of government with a view to making SHG work in a more coherent, efficient manner.
Why do we need a Strategic Planning and Policy Unit?
The SPPU has an overarching role. This means that it is able to identify issues which cut across more than one area of Government and make recommendations to ensure that these issues are properly addressed within the relevant departments.
What are the areas of responsibility within the SPPU?
The broad areas of responsibility within the SPPU include:
§ Providing corporate direction and strategy by managing government’s annual policy review and strategic planning process
§ Maintaining oversight of the policy formulation and management process and specific major policy initiatives across government
§ Implementing and managing a corporate performance system which monitors performance across the whole of government and provides regular performance reports to Elected Members and SHG Officials.
§ Implementing and monitoring a corporate risk management strategy
§ Monitoring the use of external sources of advice such as visiting advisers and consultants, to ensure that external advice is properly integrated into SHG’s policy process, and that clear decisions are made on which recommendations are to be accepted and implemented, by whom and in what time-scale
§ Managing the business of Government to ensure that initiatives and priorities are appropriately sequenced and effectively dealt with through the administrative and political process
What is policy and how does the SPPU contribute to the policy formulation process?
Policy is understood in the SPPU as the intention of an SHG action in the past, present or future to achieve a specified outcome.
The setting of policy and strategy is a political responsibility and remains the remit of the Council Committees. Similarly the drafting of policy remains the responsibility of Council Committees together with the relevant departments. The SPPU will oversee and provide support at various stages of the policy development process and ensure best practice is followed.
Strategic Planning Co-ordinator
Office of the Chief Secretary
14 July 2010
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