The Role of the Department Responsible for Advising on and Securing the Application of PFM/IC

Previous chapters have explained the complexity of the PFM/IC reform and the particular responsibilities of the top official in the ministry of finance (the state secretary or equivalent). That official could not in practice carry all the responsibilities of the reform without specific support. That support should be available through the existence of a specialist department within the ministry of finance, which in the guide has been described as a ‘driver’ department. Its role is to drive forward the PFM/IC reform. This chapter explains the role of that department and how it should be staffed as well as its relationship with the ministry of finance state secretary and all other heads of operational management in public organisations. The head of this department should have thorough appreciation of the managerial implications of the reform.