17 May 2007
Robinson cuts through Civil Service tape
Flexible, dynamic and responsive is how Peter Robinson expects government to perform under devolution.
The new Minister of Finance & Personnel was speaking today as he performed the opening ceremony of Clare House, the Department’s new flagship office building on the shores of Belfast Lough.
“As the political landscape changes in Northern Ireland, so does the public expectation of government,” said Mr Robinson.
“Clare House is a demonstration of how innovative design and technology can drive change and provide flexibility and choice for people to work in a very different way. It is a bold statement by the Civil Service that things are changing and it is also fitting that my Department is at the forefront of change.
“The opening of Clare House is a landmark in the development of Northern Ireland’s infrastructure. As Minister of Finance I welcome the opportunity that this presents to deliver best value through the smarter use of workspace.
“In this one building civil servants who were in different locations right across Belfast are now working together in a much more efficient way, delivering better frontline services to citizens and providing better value for money to the taxpayer.
“Clare House is also a pathfinder for the Workplace 2010 contract, the procurement of which is well advanced and is, of course, subject to procurement rules and regulations. But I do recognise concerns that have been expressed about value for money, the effect of the contract on staff and concerns about dispersal policies. I want to consider these concerns and key issues with Ministerial colleagues before final decisions are taken.”
Clare House, which houses about 500 staff from the Department of Finance & Personnel and the Strategic Investment Board, is the first Civil Service building of its kind in Northern Ireland. It is a pathfinder for the Workplace 2010 initiative, using the latest thinking in workplace design and technology to create an open and flexible working environment for staff and visitors to the building.
This type of open plan accommodation could become the norm for civil servants over the next seven years as part of a major upgrade to the office estate that could be delivered by the Workplace 2010 programme.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- Clare House was leased by the Department of Finance & Personnel in December 2005. It has been designed and fitted out to optimise the use of workspace and create a flexible and open working environment for staff and visitors to the building.
- Currently accommodating around 500 staff who were previously located in different sites across Belfast, the building incorporates the latest technology to enable more flexible working. It accommodates the staff of the Central Procurement Directorate, Delivery & Innovation Division and the Strategic Investment Board.
- Clare House is a pathfinder project for Workplace 2010. If approved, this PFI contract could transfer around 77 Civil Service office buildings to a private sector partner who would be responsible for the refurbishment, maintenance and servicing of the estate for the lifetime of the contract.
