Enhancing Implementation & Evaluation in the Victorian Public Sector

Presentation to the Australasian Evaluation SocietyVictorian Branch – Seminar & Workshop Program23 May 2006

Jane Brockington Assistant Director Implementation Unit Department of Premier & Cabinet

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Outline

• Implementation and evaluation in the policy process

• Approaches to tackling public sector implementation in other jurisdictions

• Functions and scope of the Victorian Implementation Unit (IU)

• The IU approach to evaluation

• Challenges in evaluation

• Looking forward

• Questions

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Implementation & evaluation in the policy process

Policy formation

Policy implementation

Problem specification

Policy evaluation

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Building a culture of implementation and evaluation

Build into policy

Monitor and

report

Early Identification

Work to

solve

Lessons learnt

• Build implementation and evaluation up-front in policy development

• Monitor and report on progress

• Feed in lessons to next generation of policy

• Early identification of potential problems

• Work with other departments and stakeholders to solve identified problems

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

What’s happening elsewhere?

• UK: Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU)

• Commonwealth Cabinet Implementation Unit (CIU)

• QLD: Implementation Unit

• SA: Deputy Secretary, Policy Implementation, DPC

• New Zealand

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Why establish an Implementation Unit in Victoria?

To enhance delivery through:

• Bringing a sharper focus to the delivery of strategic objectives through monitoring and reporting of progress

• Improving joined-up government

• Lifting capabilities in implementation and evaluation across the VPS

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

The IU approach to evaluation

• Scope

– Focus on major government commitments in the first instance

• Evaluation planning at the outset

– Encourage better up-front planning for evaluation

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

The IU approach to evaluation (continued…)

• Reasonable expectations

– Evaluation framework to be commensurate with the size and complexity of the initiative

• Outcome-based measures

– Encourage inclusion of outcome-based performance measures in evaluation frameworks

– Linkages with macro-frameworks

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Emerging challenges in evaluation

• Complexity of the business of government

• Consistent understanding of terms & concepts

• Long term nature of many outcomes

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Emerging challenges in evaluation (continued…)

• Data availability & cost

- Avoiding costly duplication of performance measurement processes (fit-for-purpose)

• Competition via comparison

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Looking forward

We hope to:

• Understand capabilities

– Share knowledge and information

– Find opportunities

• Enhance the implementation and evaluation capacity of departments

• Work towards consistency in approach across the range of portfolio areas

DPC Implementation Unit – 23 May 2006

Questions?