❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks details on efficiency dividend initiatives within the Education portfolio, including service cuts and new service provisions. The response details various cost-saving measures across different agencies and their impact on service delivery.
AnsweredQoN 1340Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
For each Department and Agency within the Minister’s portfolios, please provide, -
(a) a description of each of the initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency’s 3 percent efficiency dividend;
(b) a description of how the original services, provided by the initiatives that were cut in (a) above, have been met by other areas of that Agency;
(c) if services have not been provided to their original level, a description of where the Agency is increasing its level of service to create efficiency; and
(d) for each new service provided by the Agency, a description of the monetary and non-monetary, costs and benefits, attributable to the new service?
(a) a description of each of the initiatives to achieve the relevant Agency’s 3 percent efficiency dividend;
(b) a description of how the original services, provided by the initiatives that were cut in (a) above, have been met by other areas of that Agency;
(c) if services have not been provided to their original level, a description of where the Agency is increasing its level of service to create efficiency; and
(d) for each new service provided by the Agency, a description of the monetary and non-monetary, costs and benefits, attributable to the new service?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 November 2009
Responded by
Minister for Energy representing the Minister for Education
Response time
35 days
For the Department of Education
(a) Initiatives:
· Efficiencies in Department of Education central office administration and operations;
· rationalisation of education and training support programs ($53 million in 2009?10) includes the reduction of education awards programs, efficiencies in the production of curriculum improvement and assessment materials, finalisation of syllabus development, rationalisation of transition support and participation programs and a reduction in the number of education assistants to establishment levels;
· review of learning and training allowances and programs ($19 million in 2009-10) including the discontinuation It Pays to Learn Allowance and the Government $100 secondary subsidy;
· review of the Student Community Services program; and
· implementation of state-wide schooling provision reform.
(b) There has been no substitution of services by other areas for services, operations or programs reduced or discontinued.
(c) The identified savings do not lead to any increases in level of service to create efficiency.
(d) The Department has received additional funding of $47.7 million over five years for the Better Behaviour in Public Schools initiative. While this is not a new service the additional funds will enable the Department to expand behaviour management strategies including increasing behaviour management programs, support for the school chaplaincy program and the number of school psychologists and behaviour management specialists.
For the Country High School Hostels Authority
(a) & (b) Initiatives:
· FTE reductions as vacancies arise;
· local management of minor equipment replacement scheduling and maintenance priorities;
· use of direct experience marketing such as events to bring customers to see and experience service on offer and less use of media to inform customers about service availability;
· conducting more meetings via teleconference to reduce travel costs;
· reduced expenditure on system-wide training through biennial instead of annual staff seminar;
· vehicle leasing costs reduced through fleet reduction (one vehicle); and
· greater emphasis on local weekend recreation activities to reduce travel and admission costs.
(c) & (d) Not applicable.
For the Public Education Endowment Trust
(a) - (d) Not applicable.
For the Curriculum Council
(a) The non-replacement of an officer from the communications team and those senior officers on secondment to the National Curriculum Board, together with the reduction of five FTE through a redundancy program have provided most savings. Also, the deferral of one professional development day to the second half of the year and the use of school time for professional development during November, will provide savings this year.
(b) Not applicable - the initiatives require savings agency-wide.
(c)The saving measures are not impacting on the level of service delivery. Instead, the measures improved the way the Curriculum Council conduct training and professional development for teachers and examination contract staff.
(d) Not applicable - there was no new service.
For the Department of Education Services
(a) the initiatives included: reduction in the cost of regulatory audits for education and training providers through making greater use of in-house risk assessment with closer monitoring to ensure providers' compliance - maintaining however the opportunity to carry out audits where a need is identified as necessary; reduction in the appropriation for interest subsidies for low interest loans due to the then prevailing interest rate environment - maintaining however an adequate buffer for potential rising interest rates; encouraging greater use of purchasing cards to reduce amount of administrative processing and costs for the agency and its suppliers; and restricting the backfilling of staff vacancies to essential services to reduce recruitment, training and turnover costs.
(b) the agency's original services have been unaffected by the above initiatives and there has been no effect on other areas of the agency.
(c) Not applicable - the original services are unaffected.
(d) Not applicable - no new services have been provided.
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(a) Initiatives:
· Efficiencies in Department of Education central office administration and operations;
· rationalisation of education and training support programs ($53 million in 2009?10) includes the reduction of education awards programs, efficiencies in the production of curriculum improvement and assessment materials, finalisation of syllabus development, rationalisation of transition support and participation programs and a reduction in the number of education assistants to establishment levels;
· review of learning and training allowances and programs ($19 million in 2009-10) including the discontinuation It Pays to Learn Allowance and the Government $100 secondary subsidy;
· review of the Student Community Services program; and
· implementation of state-wide schooling provision reform.
(b) There has been no substitution of services by other areas for services, operations or programs reduced or discontinued.
(c) The identified savings do not lead to any increases in level of service to create efficiency.
(d) The Department has received additional funding of $47.7 million over five years for the Better Behaviour in Public Schools initiative. While this is not a new service the additional funds will enable the Department to expand behaviour management strategies including increasing behaviour management programs, support for the school chaplaincy program and the number of school psychologists and behaviour management specialists.
For the Country High School Hostels Authority
(a) & (b) Initiatives:
· FTE reductions as vacancies arise;
· local management of minor equipment replacement scheduling and maintenance priorities;
· use of direct experience marketing such as events to bring customers to see and experience service on offer and less use of media to inform customers about service availability;
· conducting more meetings via teleconference to reduce travel costs;
· reduced expenditure on system-wide training through biennial instead of annual staff seminar;
· vehicle leasing costs reduced through fleet reduction (one vehicle); and
· greater emphasis on local weekend recreation activities to reduce travel and admission costs.
(c) & (d) Not applicable.
For the Public Education Endowment Trust
(a) - (d) Not applicable.
For the Curriculum Council
(a) The non-replacement of an officer from the communications team and those senior officers on secondment to the National Curriculum Board, together with the reduction of five FTE through a redundancy program have provided most savings. Also, the deferral of one professional development day to the second half of the year and the use of school time for professional development during November, will provide savings this year.
(b) Not applicable - the initiatives require savings agency-wide.
(c)The saving measures are not impacting on the level of service delivery. Instead, the measures improved the way the Curriculum Council conduct training and professional development for teachers and examination contract staff.
(d) Not applicable - there was no new service.
For the Department of Education Services
(a) the initiatives included: reduction in the cost of regulatory audits for education and training providers through making greater use of in-house risk assessment with closer monitoring to ensure providers' compliance - maintaining however the opportunity to carry out audits where a need is identified as necessary; reduction in the appropriation for interest subsidies for low interest loans due to the then prevailing interest rate environment - maintaining however an adequate buffer for potential rising interest rates; encouraging greater use of purchasing cards to reduce amount of administrative processing and costs for the agency and its suppliers; and restricting the backfilling of staff vacancies to essential services to reduce recruitment, training and turnover costs.
(b) the agency's original services have been unaffected by the above initiatives and there has been no effect on other areas of the agency.
(c) Not applicable - the original services are unaffected.
(d) Not applicable - no new services have been provided.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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