The Reform of Public Administration in Northern Ireland: A Squandered Opportunity?

The Review of Public Administration in Northern Ireland was heralded at itslaunch in 2002 by the then First Minister as an opportunity to put in place ‘amodern, accountable, effective system of public administration that candeliver a high quality set of public services’. Some ten years on, it remains awork in progress. The process of reform became enmeshed in the on-offpattern of devolution, at which point direct rule ministers in the NorthernIreland Office assumed control and reached ‘final’ decisions in 2006 toradically restructure local government, education, health and other publicbodies. With the restoration of devolution, local ministers felt no sense ofownership of the reforms and made significant changes. What started out as arational exercise in administrative reform became mired in party politics andis unlikely to complete until 2015.