In accordance with the Public Service Management Act 1997, each Secretary General/Head of Office is required to submit a draft Strategy Statement to their Minister within six months of the appointment of a new Minister, and at the expiration of a three year period since the last Strategy Statement was prepared. Accordingly, Departments and relevant Offices are now required to prepare a revised Strategy Statement for the three year period 2011-2013.
A Strategy Statement shall, as defined by the Public Service Management Act, 1997, “comprise the key objectives, outputs and related strategies (including use of resources)” of the Department or Office. Essentially, it is a forward looking document that serves as a framework for action by the Department/Office.
While the Public Service Management Act 1997 permits the issue of formal directions by the Government in relation to the drafting of Statements of Strategy, it is considered that broad guidelines, as contained in the document under, are more appropriate given the complexity and diversity of the Civil Service.
These Guidelines, which should be taken as a guide to best practice in the preparation of Statements of Strategy rather than a prescriptive template, aim to provide a framework for consideration by Departments and Offices as they develop their own unique plans.