This is the fourth progress report on Public Service Reform which has been published since 2011 and the second such report on the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-16. These reports outline the significant progress made in implementing the Public Service Reform programme since the first Public Service Reform Plan was published in late 2011.

This report has focused on setting out just some of the progress in 2015 on the implementation of the cross-cutting reform actions from the Public Service Reform Plan 2014-16. The report complements this with examples of reforms at organisational and sectoral level in 2015 that reflect the key themes of the Reform Plan. Finally, the report briefly reflects some of the progress made since 2011 through the graphics at the end of each of the four main sections.

The final year of the implementation of the current three year Public Service Reform Plan commenced in January 2016, and work is also continuing on implementing the Civil Service Renewal and other sectoral reform programmes.

For the remainder of 2016, the focus will remain firmly on the implementation of the plans that have been set out. In addition, the next phase of the Public Service Reform programme will be determined over the coming year, reflecting the reform priorities in the new Programme for Government.

Building on progress to date, it will be important to maintain a focus on Public Service Reform over the coming years, so that ongoing change and continuous improvement become the norm across all sectors. The reform programme needs to be further embedded and some major reforms are still in set-up or roll-out phase, or have yet to deliver the full range of planned benefits, in line with the normal lifecycle of major reform projects and programmes.

Public Service Reform was a central part of the response to the challenges of recent years. While the economy is recovering, budgets will remain constrained and significant demographic pressures mean that reform of the Public Service should continue to be a priority in 2016 and beyond.