The Committee for Employment and Learning welcomes the opportunity to respond to the proposed Terms of Reference for the Review of Public Administration. We acknowledge that the scope of the proposed review will have less impact on areas within the remit of the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) than other departments. The Committee has set out below a few key themes arising from their recent work in areas impacting on the proposed Terms of Reference.

1. Training

1. Members of the various boards etc must receive adequate training and have relevant experience. The Committee for Employment and Learning has experienced at first hand the weaknesses in this area in respect of the Board of Governors of Further Education Colleges. The Committee is concerned about the lack of adequate training and experience and made the following recommendation in its recent report.

Recommendation 13 - Members of Boards of Governors must receive effective training on their roles and responsibilities. Source: Committee for Employment and Learning: Report on the Inquiry into Education and Training for Industry.

2. The Committee for Employment and Learning have been particularly concerned in respect of the financial management expertise of Board of Governors of Further Education Colleges. The out-workings of this is a sector with too many financial problems, some of which are discovered by default. This has resulted in the necessity to use large amounts of further public money to attempt to rectify the situation. Selection criteria must ensure members of boards have sufficient financial management or accounting expertise and this should be addressed in the review.
3. It is vital that the weaknesses, experienced in the further education sector are noted and not repeated in the outcomes of this review.

2. Consistency

Again I will use the further education example.

1. The further education sector receives considerable public sector funding, (£142m in 2001/02 and £154m in 2002/03), yet there are several anomalies:-

1. Assembly Ombudsman - staff complaints against the FE sector do not currently fall within the remit of the Ombudsman. Again, the Committee is seeking this to be rectified, as set out in the recommendation below.

   Recommendation 14 - Further Education Colleges should come under the remit of the Assembly Ombudsman. Source: Committee for Employment and Learning: Report on the Inquiry into Education and Training for Industry.

2. Northern Ireland Audit Office - has only rights of inspection to the FE sector as opposed to full auditing rights. The Committee is concerned that this is again inconsistent when almost 90% of the income comes directly from the public purse.

2. Training and Employment Agency - It is also worth noting another variation of the theme with DEL removing a Next Steps Agency, Training and Employment Agency, and subsuming it within the Department. The review needs to produce a structure that is consistent and easily understood by all.

3. Accountability and democratic accountability

1. The final Terms of Reference whilst encompassing the need for streamlining and rationalisation, must not lose the strength of local accountability and indeed democratic accountability. Indeed, members of the Committee for Employment and Learning feel enhanced democratic accountability and accountability of the final structures should be clearly addressed within the Terms of Reference.

In conclusion, the outcome and thus the Terms of Reference must address these needs clearly highlighted by the Committee for Employment and Learning.