O’Dowd announces £129 million to fund transformation projects
Date published:
Finance Minister John O’Dowd has announced £129 million for six transformation projects across healthcare, special educational needs, justice and infrastructure.
Announcing the funding which will be provided over a five-year period, Finance Minister O’Dowd said: “As our society changes, we must ensure our public services adapt and evolve to meet the new and changing needs of citizens. Transforming how we deliver services requires courage and ambition to try new ways of doing things.
“I am pleased today to announce £129m of funding for innovative projects which will help support and drive the transformation of our public services.
“This funding which will make a real difference improving health outcomes for citizens, supporting children with special educational needs and funding initiatives in our justice system. It will also support infrastructure projects to address pressure on our constrained drainage and wastewater infrastructure and improvements in the planning system which is central to economic growth.”
The six proposals being funded are:
- £61m for the Department of Health’s Primary Care Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) proposal to help stabilise Primary Care, focus on prevention and management of conditions away from hospital settings and better utilise the skills of the community and voluntary sector. This funding will enable completion of the model in the seven existing MDT areas and expansion into five new GP Federation areas.
- £27.5m for the Department of Education’s proposal to support children with special educational needs to reform services to ensure better outcomes for children. This proposal will support a suite of pilot programmes focused on early intervention and building an appropriately skilled education workforce.
- £20.45m for the Department of Justice and Public Prosecution Service’s proposal on Speeding Up and Transforming the Criminal Justice system to reduce delay, maximise efficiencies and free up capacity in the courts for more serious cases.
- £2.19m for the Department of Justice’s Electronic Tagging proposal, to transform the way in which they monitor individuals released into the community.
- £15m for the Department for Infrastructure’s Urban Drainage proposal to fund a pilot project for transforming the way in which rainwater is managed in our towns and cities.
- £3m for the Department for Infrastructure, for its Transforming Planning proposal to help the Planning Appeals Commission address its resource issues through making improvements in the planning system.
In addition to the £129m allocated, a further £0.3m will be allocated to the Executive Office to undertake a Digital Maturity Assessment of 18 proposals focused on digital transformation.
The funding is part of the £235 million provided by the UK Government specifically for public sector transformation as part of the financial package to restore the Executive. Following allocation of these funds, around £100 million will remain for further distribution for digital proposals deemed transformational following the Digital Maturity Assessment and future calls for transformation proposals.
Concluding Minister O’Dowd said: “While this funding will in no way tackle the magnitude of issues at hand, it will be significant in helping to develop and implement a model of delivery, to stimulate the wider transformation of public services. Transformation will take time and a collective effort, today is an important step on that journey.”
Notes to editors:
- A copy of the Minister’s Oral Statement can be viewed at: Oral Statement - Public Sector Transformation | Department of Finance
- The Primary Care Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Programme is a partnership between GP Federations and HSC Trusts which introduces new physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles into general practice, to work alongside the existing practice teams. It aims to move from a system of treating illness to supporting good physical and mental health, and social wellbeing.
- On 9 May 2024, the Executive agreed to establish an interim Board, Chaired by the Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, and agreed the assessment criteria to consider transformation proposals from departments.
4. The criteria upon which proposals were sought, included proposals which could:
- Increase the financial sustainability of public services.
- Transform the model of delivery of public services, to improve effectiveness and efficiency; and
- Prevention, Cost Savings, and Early Intervention.
5. The interim Public Sector Transformation Board is a non-statutory and independent body whose primary role is to advise and make recommendations on how to utilise funding which has been ring fenced for the purpose of transformation.
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