Departments have developed draft Action Plans covering their Business Units, Next Steps Agencies and some other related bodies whose business is relevant to New TSN. The Plans run from 1 January 2000 for 3 years. The draft Plans are published for consultation at Annexes 1 to 7 of this Report. The process of developing the draft Plans, arrangements for tracking progress on the final Plans and for evaluating New TSN are discussed in this Section. Section 6 sets out the issues on which Departments are consulting and indicates how comments can be contributed.

External consultants were engaged to help Departments review their activities in order to identify the business areas in which there was scope for skewing efforts and resources towards those who were most disadvantaged and to make recommendations which would help Departments draft their Plans. The review process was managed by CCRU’s Research Branch, while the involvement of senior members of all Departments on the Project Board ensured a consistent approach. The reviews were completed in the Spring of 1999.

In general the areas which were judged not to be relevant to New TSN were those providing personnel, accommodation and other functions in support of Departments; those with legislative or regulatory responsibilities; and those whose duties were laid down in legislation or EU regulations in such a way that it would be impossible for them to target either their efforts or resources differently. The latter included, for example, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland (DANI) administration of farm subsidies.

In tandem with Departments’ work on the New TSN Action Plans, this Subgroup is conducting a cross-Departmental review to:

Although draft New TSN Action Plans were produced by the respective Departments there was close co-ordination on all aspects of the process. CCRU provided guidance which delineated the broad areas to be covered, the nature of the objectives and targets to be set and the way in which the Action Plans should be structured. Participation of Senior Civil Servants (Grade 5) from all Departments in the SSG Subgroup on New TSN Action Plans fostered a co-ordinated approach and coherence between the Departments’ plans, facilitated consideration of cross-Departmental issues and enabled joint working where this was required.

In setting the objectives and targets in their Action Plans, Departments took account of information from a range of sources. These included administrative and research data where these were available, the outcomes of the Departmental reviews, the views of key partner organisations, and lessons learned from the earlier Targeting Social Need initiative.

The draft New TSN Action Plans for each of the Northern Ireland Departments and the NIO are published for consultation in Annexes 1 to 7 of this Report. For each Departmental business area, the Action Plans identify the social need to be tackled and the desired outcomes. They indicate how Departments intend to embed New TSN in their organisational plans and culture; how they will target their efforts and resources more closely on people, groups and areas in greatest need; and how they will gather the necessary data to identify need and track progress. They list New TSN objectives, and show the targets or actions required to achieve them and the timescales within which these will be completed.

The objectives in the draft Action Plans complement work the Government is doing to tackle poverty across the UK. Taken together, the action proposed in the draft Plans will:

Relevant NDPBs are to have their New TSN Action Plans in place by January 2001. Where appropriate, the Departments’ Plans show how they will work with these Public Bodies to ensure that they have the information, understanding and guidance they need to produce their own Action Plans.

Final Action Plans produced following the consultation will be published. Progress will be reported, and the Plans updated, in future Annual Reports – so the public and relevant organisations will be able to see the progress Departments are making in turning the New TSN vision into practice. The next Annual Report is due in September 2000.

Departments will also account for progress on their objectives in quarterly updates to the SSG Subgroup on New TSN Action Plans. And, where necessary, CCRU will challenge Departments on the contents of these updates. Ministers will expect timely achievement of the actions and targets in the Plans and will be fully informed of developments across Departments.

Progress on all aspects of the Partnership for Equality White Paper will be evaluated in 2005. In addition to this, New TSN will be evaluated by the end of 2002 so that lessons learned can inform the development of a second round of Plans. CCRU's Research Branch is leading the development of an evaluation strategy to begin in 2000.