This article examines the impact of the reform and modernization agenda of the United Kingdom Home Civil Service on the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which has always existed as a separate civil service. It seeks to identify the differentiation in responses to the main UK reform initiatives in recent years and, in particular, to consider in this context the first comprehensive reform document to be produced by the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which appeared in 2004. A typology of four different influences is examined to explain the diversity of responses categorized as parity, integration, devolution and direct rule. Consideration is given to the significance of a separate civil service in the pattern of adjustments to Home Civil Service reforms and in facilitating other distinctive approaches. Comment is also made on the possible relevance of Northern Ireland experience to the absence of a separate civil service in Scotland and Wales following devolution.
Bell, E. (1985) `What People Should Know About the Role of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland since 1968', Belfast Telegraph (29 January): 12.
2.
Bell, P.N. (1987) `Direct Rule in Northern Ireland', in R. Rose (ed.) Ministers and Ministries: A Functional Analysis. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
3.
Bloomfield, K. (1997) `Central Government and its Operations' in Chief Executives Forum, Review of Northern Ireland Administrative ArrangementsBelfast: Chief Executives Forum.
4.
Cabinet Office (2000) Executive Agencies, Cm4658, London: The Stationery Office.
5.
Cabinet Office (2002) Composite Review of Fair Employment and Treatment in the Northern Ireland Home Civil Service. London: The Stationery Office.
6.
Cabinet Office (2004) Civil Service Reform Delivery and Values. London: The Stationery Office.
7.
Carmichael, P. (2001) `The Northern Ireland Civil Service', Public Money and Management21(2): 33—8.
8.
Carmichael, P. (2002) `The Northern Ireland Civil Service: Characteristics and Trends since 1970', Public Administration80(1): 23—49.
9.
Carmichael, P. and Osborne, R. (2003) `The Northern Ireland Civil Service Under Direct Rule and Devolution', International Review of Administrative Sciences69(2): 205—17.
10.
Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland (2005) Annual Report 2004/2005. Belfast : Office of Civil Service Commissioners.
11.
Cole, A., with Jones, J.B. and Storer, A. (2003) `The Welsh Civil Service Under Devolution', Political Quarterly74(2): 223—32.
12.
Department of Finance and Personnel (1983) Financial Management Initiative within the Northern Ireland Departments. Belfast: HMSO.
13.
Department of Finance and Personnel (2001) `News Release: 5 March 2001', Belfast, URL (consulted April 2006): http://www.nics.gov.uk/press/dtp/0103556-dtp.htm .
14.
Department of Finance and Personnel (2004) `Fit for Purpose': The Reform Agenda in the Northern Ireland Civil Service . Belfast: The Stationery Office .
15.
Department of Finance and Personnel (2005) Priorities and Budget 2005—8. Belfast: The Stationery Office.
16.
Gershon, Sir P. (2004) Releasing Resources to the Front Line: Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency. London: HM Treasury.
17.
Hain, P. (2006) `From Dependency to Sustainability in Northern Ireland', URL (consulted April 2006): http://www.fabian-society.org.uk/press_office/news_latest.htm
18.
Hazell, R. and Morris, B. (1999) `Machinery of Government: Whitehall', in R. Hazell (ed.) Constitutional Futures. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
19.
Hmso (1992) The Citizens Charter for Northern Ireland. Belfast: HMSO.
20.
House of Commons (1987) Memorandum on the Seventeenth Report from the Public Accounts Committee. 1986—87, Cm224. London: HMSO.
21.
House of Lords Constitution Committee (2002 ) Devolution: Inter-Institutional Relations in the United Kingdom, 2nd Report HL28 2002—3. London: The Stationery Office.
22.
House of Lords Constitution Committee (2003 ) Second Report. Devolution: Inter-Institution Relations in the United Kingdom. HL28. London: The Stationery Office.
23.
Hyndman, N. and Eden, R. (2001) The Coordination of Mission Statements, Objectives and Targets in UK Executive Agencies. London: Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
24.
Kirkpatrick, I. and Pyper, R. (2001) `The Early Impact of Devolution on Civil Service accountability in Scotland', Public Policy and Administration16(3): 68—84.
25.
Knox, C. (1999) `Northern Ireland at the Crossroads of Political and Administrative Reform', Governance12(3): 311—28.
26.
Knox, C. and McHugh, M. (1990) `Management in Government: The Next Steps in Northern Ireland', Administration38(3): 252—70.
27.
Loughlin, J. (1992) `Administering Policy in Northern Ireland', in B. Hadfield (ed.) Northern Ireland Politics and the Constitution, pp. 60—75. Buckingham: Open University Press.
28.
Lynch, P. (2001) Scottish Government and Politics: An Introduction . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
29.
McMillan, J. and Massey, A. (2001) `A Regional Future for the UK Civil Service?: The Government Offices for the English Regions and the Civil Service in Scotland' , Public Money and Management21(2): 25—31.
30.
Morison, J. and Livingstone, S. (1995) Reshaping Public Policy: Northern Ireland and the British Constitutional Crisis. London: Sweet and Maxwell.
31.
Northern Ireland Executive (2000) Programme for Government. Belfast: The Stationery Office.
32.
Northern Ireland Executive (2002) Making a Difference: First Annual Report 2001—2. Belfast: The Stationery Office.
33.
Office of Civil Service Commissioners (2005 ) Civil Service Commissioners Annual Report: 2004—5. London: The Stationery Office.
34.
Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (2006) `Permanent Secretary Group, Minutes of 20 January 2006', URL (consulted April 2006): http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/about-ofmdfm/about-the-department:htm
35.
Office of the Prime Minister (1994) The Civil Service, Continuity and Change, Cm2627. London : HMSO.
36.
Office of the Prime Minister (1995) Moving Forward, Continuity and Change, Cm2748. London: HMSO.
37.
Ouseley, H. (2002) Review of the Appointment and Promotion Procedures for the Senior Civil Service of the NICS. Belfast: DFP.
38.
Parry, R. (2001) `Devolution, Integration and Modernisation in the United Kingdom Civil Service', Public Policy and Administration16(3): 53—67.
39.
Parry, R. (2003) `Devolution, Integration and Modernization in the United Kingdom Civil Service', in T. Butcher and A. Massey (eds) Modernizing Civil Services, pp. 99—115. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
40.
Parry, R. (2004) `The Civil Service and Intergovernmental Relations' , Public Policy and Administration19(2): 50—63.
41.
Parry, R. (2005) `The Civil Service Response to Modernisation in the Devolved Administrations', Financial Accountability and Management21(1): 57—74.
42.
Parry, R. and MacDougal, A. (2005) `Civil Service Reform Post Devolution: The Scottish and Welsh Experience', Devolution Briefings37, URL (consulted May 2006): http://www.devolution.ac.uk/brierfing_papers.htm
43.
Pyper, R. (1999) `The Civil Service: A Neglected Dimension of Devolution' , Public Money and Management19(2): 45—9.
44.
Review of Public Administration (2006) Better Government for Northern Ireland. Belfast: RPA.
45.
Rhodes, R.A.W., Carmichael, P., McMillan, J. and Massey, A. (2003) Decentralizing the Civil Service: From Unitary State to Differentiated Polity in the United Kingdom. Buckingham: Open University Press.
46.
Scottish Parliament (2005) `Submission to the Public Administration Select Committee Inquiry into Civil Service Effectiveness' , http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/finance/reports-05/fir05-PASC-00.htm
47.
Secretary of State (2005) `Statement by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the Outcome of the Review of Public Administration', 22 November, http://www.rpani.gov.uk:htm
48.
Treasury (1998) Public Services for the Future: Modernisation, Reform, Accountability, Cm4181London: The Stationery Office.
49.
Trench, A. (2005) `Central Government Response to Devolution', Devolution Briefings No. 15. London: Economic and Social Research Council.
50.
Welsh Assembly Government (2004) Making the Connections: Delivering Better Services for Wales. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government.
