Civil service reform, allocation of responsiblities uncertain
Uncertain whether govenment will hit targets; improvements in operational management except at BZK and V&J
Operational management in central government as a whole is satisfactory, despite the current spending cuts and reorganisations. A similar positive view cannot be drawn, however, regarding the information value of the government's accounts for 2012. The government does not explain whether it actually achieved its intended spending cuts of approximately €8 billion in 2012. An in-depth audit by the Court of Audit of five specific goals found that the government often did not state whether its policy had had the desired results. The government has also made little progress realising the intended savings of the Compact Civil Service programme. The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) and the Minister for Housing and the Central Government Sector have primary responsibility for this programme. The programme was introduced two years ago yet more than half the savings still have to be substantiated. The allocation of responsibilities at shared services for, for example, procurement, accommodation and ICT is not clear. It has not yet been determined how organisations at arm's length from central government (autonomous administrative authorities) can participate. In addition, the Ministry of Security and Justice was unable to complete its 2012 annual report on time owing to problems with a new financial system. As a result, the annual accounts had to be prepared in part manually. The Court of Audit lodged an objection that prompted the minister to draw up an improvement plan. The objection was then withdrawn but the Court will continue to monitor this serious shortcoming.