24 June 2002
PANEL OF EXPERTS APPOINTED TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW
First Minister, Rt Hon David Trimble MP, MLA , and Deputy First Minister, Mark Durkan MLA, today announced the appointment of a six-strong panel of experts to support the Review of Public Administration.
Following consultation with the Executive, Ministers agreed to appoint a high-level panel of independent experts drawn from Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States. The panel will be chaired by Tom Frawley, Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, and other members will be James B King; Sir Neil McIntosh; Desmond Mitchell; Anne O’Keeffe; and Lucy Woods.
Mr Trimble said: "The Review of Public Administration is one of the most challenging tasks ever undertaken by the Executive. We need to take a fundamental look at the way we run our public services and how they are delivered to our citizens.
"While the Executive will lead this review we are determined there will be a strong independent element provided by this high-level panel of experts.
"The Executive has cast its net widely to identify candidates with the necessary wealth of experience in the field of governance and organisational change. We feel the panel announced today represents a good balance in terms of the expertise, experience and knowledge they can bring to the review.
"Their first task will be to quality assure the Terms of Reference for the review before we seek the endorsement of the Assembly."
Mr Durkan said: "We are delighted that the experts have agreed to commit their valuable time to help progress this important review. We are confident that the combination of creativity and innovation they will bring to this process will help us move towards a significantly improved system of public administration in Northern Ireland.
"Consultation will be a key element of this review and the Executive is determined it will be conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner. We want everyone to feel their views have been listened to and look forward to a widespread and constructive debate on this significant issue.
"The experts will play a full role in all elements of the review and will work closely with the team of officials and the Executive. We expect to launch the review formally before the end of June."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Details of the panel of independent experts are as follows:
Chair - Tom Frawley
Tom Frawley is currently the Northern Ireland Assembly Ombudsman and Commissioner for Complaints. Prior to taking up this position on 1 September 2000 he was the General Manager of the Western Health & Social Services Board. He joined the Board in 1981 held various posts within it including Chief Administrative Officer and District Administrative Officer.
He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 1971 when he joined the National Health Service as a Graduate Trainee before moving to the Ulster Hospital as the Unit Administrator.
Mr Frawley has also held many public appointments including being a member of the Central Services Agency for Health & Social Services (NI) 1989-96, Distinction & Meritorious Service Awards Committee 1996-2000, the NI Health & Social Services Training Council 1987-99 and the Public Service Training Council from1989-93.
Sir Neil McIntosh
Sir Neil is currently the Commissioner at the UK Electoral Commission and was until Autumn 2001 Convener of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.
He has held various Chief Executive posts including Strathclyde Region, the UK’s largest authority until it was disbanded in 1996. He was formerly the Country’s Chief Counting Officer for Scotland during the Scottish Parliament referendum count in 1997. He was Chairman of the government-appointed "Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament," (McIntosh Commission) The Commission reported to the First Minister, Donald Dewar in 1999, recommending new ways of running councils and managing local government finance. Sir Neil is also a member of the Renewing Local Democracy Group (the Kerley Committee) and the Crown Agents Advisor on Institutional Management to the Shanghai Municipal Government. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire in 1998 and received an honorary Doctorate of Law from Glasgow Caledonian University in November 1999. He was also knighted for services to the community in June 2000 Birthday Honours list.
James B. King
Mr King is currently taking a sabbatical, having recently completed a four-year Presidential Fellowship at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he taught "Public Policy and the Media" (among his other responsibilities).
King was a director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) under President Clinton. He was involved in the reinventing government programme promoted by the Clinton administration. He has been involved in policymaking and administration in local, state and national government, and at major universities for more than 30 years. He has received six presidential commissions. King was born in Ludlow, Massachusetts, and early in his career taught school and worked in community action programs. He left his position as a director of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to serve as a Special Assistant to President Jimmy Carter for Presidential Personnel. He was appointed to the National Transportation Safety Board and became its’ chair, a post he held with Presidents Carter and Reagan. King returned to Massachusetts to be an Associate Vice President at Harvard University and later became a Senior Vice President at Northeastern University in Boston. He has been a Special Assistant to Senator Edward Kennedy and Chief of Staff to Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. King was a Fellow of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, and has been past President of the Massachusetts Cultural Alliance. He is a past commander of Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 94, Ludlow, Massachusetts. In addition to serving as OPM Director, King had been the first Chair of the National Partnership Council, a member of the President’s Management Council, and served as a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellows.
Anne O’Keeffe
Ms O’Keeffe is currently the Executive Director of the Institute of Public Administration in Dublin. She is responsible for the design and delivery of IPA Training and Education Services to Irish local authorities, Health Boards and Civil Service. This involves responsibility for approximately 20 staff and a budget of £3m.
She has held many posts throughout her career including Human Resources Manager and Training Specialist. Anne has been nominated to many key commissions or groups at National Level. These include the Town Government Commission, the Devolution Commission, the National Working Groups of Training for Elected Members and Guidelines for Strategic Policy Committees, and the Chairperson of the Housing Working Group of Ballymun Regeneration Ltd. She has been involved in many consultancy studies both in Ireland and internationally as Project Director /Team Leader. These include the Support of Integration of Local Government and Local Development, National Training Needs Analysis of Local Government and the Establishment of Training Institute in Northern Province, South Africa.
Lucy Woods
Is the Chief Executive of World Com Europe, Middle East and Africa. She graduated from the University of London, Imperial College in 1980 with a Mechanical Engineering Degree and Associateship of the City and Guilds Institute. She worked briefly for British Aerospace before joining British Telecom where she held various posts until her appointment as Chief Executive of BT Northern Ireland in 1997.She has also held other positions including Director of the Industrial Development Board, Director of the CBI, Board Member of Business in the Community, Director of Laganside Corporation and served on the Patten Commission on Policing of NI.
Desmond Mitchell
Mr Mitchell is currently a part-time Consultant and Advisor on Public Sector Policy. This involves work with the Strategic Planning Framework for Northern Ireland Negotiating Council – LGSC, Policy Asset Management policy and technical guidelines for local authority, Community consultation and policy development advice seminars and training, assisting preparation of EU and DFID project and programme bids in Eastern Europe and Local Government Management Programmes. Dessie is recently retired from the position of Clerk and Chief Executive of Armagh City and District Council, a post he held from 1988 - 2000. Previous to this he was the Clerk and Chief Executive of Omagh District Council from 1973 – 1988. He has also undertaken many International Consultancy Assignments including a Scoping visit for Regional Development in Romania and assisting Regional Local Government Governance programme in Russia.
Mr Mitchell has also held numerous other positions, current include Trustee of Navan at Armagh Management Ltd, Director of Armagh Business Centre Ltd, Governor of Armagh Royal School and Advisor to Institute of Governance, Queens University, Belfast.
For further information contact Clare Baxter, Review of Public Administration on 028 9037 8225.
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