Faster

The APJ’s focus on private sector-led, export-oriented job creation by getting framework conditions right and continually upgrading the business environment is a sound approach, particularly given fiscal constraints and persistent credit constraints in the banking sector. The focus on building and strengthening linkages between the domestic SME and FDI sector is also welcome, and is in line with the recommendations of the OECD’s 2013 Economic Survey. The innovation of horizontal, “disruptive” reforms in 2013 APJ represents impressive ambition in a limited number of core areas. What the APJ seems to have provided is a coordination mechanism and instrument which helped fill a pre-existing implementation gap, disaggregating policy goals and establishing key time-lined delivery staging points along the way.

The APJs mark two significant positive developments in Irish public governance: (i) Concerted whole-of-government policy implementation with political buy-in, oversight and direction at the highest level, coupled with (ii) a rigorous quarterly monitoring and reporting system, modelled on that of the recent Troika programme. These could be further strengthened by respectively (i) ensuring oversight for strategy-setting, policy execution, and performance monitoring by the Economic Recovery and Jobs Committee to optimise linkages between the APJ and other singleand multi-sector policy initiatives; and (ii) introducing a comprehensive performance assessment framework to measure progress towards achieving its strategic objectives.