1. Modernising government was published on 30 March 1999. It set out key policies and principles underpinning the Government's long-term programme of reform to modernise public service, linking in with the conclusions of the Comprehensive Spending Review and the introduction of Public Service Agreements. The programme involves everyone working in public services and everyone who uses them.

2. The White Paper said that in the period ahead, the Government would set milestones to chart the programme's course and success criteria so that the users of public services could judge whether the programme of modernisation was working. This document fulfils that commitment. It sets out in the Action Plan Table the actions being taken to deliver the commitments in the White Paper; and outlines thinking towards the success criteria.

Success criteria

3. Modernising government set out the Government's five commitments which provide the framework for the programme:

• We will be forward looking in developing new policies to deliver outcomes that matter, not simply reacting to short-term pressures.
   
• We will deliver public services to meet the needs of citizens, not the convenience of service providers.
   
• We will deliver efficient, high quality public services and will not tolerate mediocrity.
   
• We will use new technology to meet the needs of citizens and business and not trail behind technological developments.
   
• We will value public service, not denigrate it.

Achieving these commitments over the next ten years will be a measure of our success. But we also need specific targets that provide the basis for an assessment of progress in each area. We set a number of specific targets in the Modernising Government White Paper itself. For example, we are committed to ensuring that 50% of dealings with government are capable of delivery electronically by 2005 and 100% by 2008; and doubling the proportion of women and people from ethnic minorities in the senior civil service by 2004/5.

4. We intend to build on this approach as part of the next round of Public Service Agreements, developing specific, measurable targets and including them in Departments' Public Service Agreements.

Strategic priorities

5. The Action Plan Table sets out all the commitments that we made in the White Paper and action towards them. There are a number of key strategic drivers which will be crucial to the success of the programme and which will be priorities for the centre to focus on. These will include:

Policy making

• Development of a complete framework for excellence in policy making, including guidelines on best practice, new databases to support evidence-based policy making and appropriate training and development.
   
• Full peer review of Departments' policy making.

Responsive public services

• Development of services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week where there is a demand.
   
• Routine monitoring of customers' view on public services, with mechanisms to adjust service provision where necessary.

Quality public services

• Public Service Agreements setting targets right across the public services for modernisation and reform.
   
• Review of all central and local government services under Better Quality Services and Best Value initiatives.

Information age government

• Development of a corporate IT strategy for Government.

Valuing public service

• A programme to modernise the civil service, concentrating on our vision for the 21st century and common principles, and looking at what changes to our approach to recruitment and development processes, interchange with other sectors, performance management, and valuing diversity are needed to support that vision.

6. The Project Board, is chaired by Mavis MacDonald, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office, to oversee the Modernising Government programme.

Progress to date

7. Please see the new account of progress, based on the White Paper's Executive Summary.