TNAG-0597-FCO40-744-Future-of-Dependent-Territories-territorial-studies-1977 — Page 40

EXTRAC

31

1975

Thin

An Annual Review, in my sohemo of things, would be a stooktaking exeroine by the Department. It would both look back at events of the previous twelve months and forward to the next twolvo, It would review polloy objootivan mad adapt them whore they were no longer tenablo, but the aim would be not to disturb the poleg framework unless oiroumstances unforesoon when the original Policy Paper was down up mado this essential. The ohiof purpose of the Annual Roview would be the pr'n- duotion of a work programme for the Department for the ooming twelve months. would fill what I regard as a norious gap in management procedures at prosent () inolude ODM in this indiotment); a mechanism for translating policy objectives

into speolfio tasks required for their accomplishment. It would supply answers to the question: what should we be doing during the course of the next your? And it would deal with the conneoted question of what resources were needed. At the end of a year we would look back and assess how effectively we had oarried out the

tanks we not ourselves.

5. The existence of a forward planning mechanism of this very simplo kind would help us to movo away from the present situation, where our energies are almost exclusively devoted to reacting to events (many of then foreseeable, but in prootion unforeseen), towards one in which we could ourselves take initiatives.

I am convinced it would be a major improvement. The proparation of a work pro-

grammo would begin with a forecast on our part of expected events in the aid and oconomio field during the poriod (eg. constitutional conferences, ministerial visits, submission of budgets from grant-aided territories, preparation of major projects, publication of a development plan or key policy statements, eto.). Ee would pupplement this with a calendar of events prepared by the territory.] The [unted] timetable would form a useful basis for assessing the likely workload

from mouth to month and would enable us to judge what additional tanks could be

insorted.

6. A particular murit of a work programme is that it would facilitate a mora purposeful programme of visits by administrators and advisors. Travel Committen

prosedures already oblige advisers to clear thoir visits with the department, but

It is often difficult, given our ignorance of future evonta, to say whethra visit in worthwhile and to determine the best moment for it to take place. It is impor-

tant to get this right, since we should have fewer difficulties over project appraisal if we could arrange for advisers to be on the spot at key stages in pro-

Joot formulation.