3.1 In recent years there has been a significant expansion of partnership working in Northern Ireland. In common with other areas, a number of factors have precipitated this rapid growth, coalescing to create a dynamic for partnership working, as outlined earlier in this paper. In particular, institutional factors and government policy, both at the national and European level, are recognised as among the most important influences underpinning the expansion of partnership working in Northern Ireland.
3.2 A key additional factor in the expansion of partnership working in Northern Ireland is the role that they have played in enhancing local participation and governance during periods of direct rule and more recently as a means of building good relations in an historically divided society. Partnerships have also grown within a context of a weakened local government, following the reforms of 1972, and the substantial reliance on non-departmental public bodies to deliver local services. 17
3.3 On 22 March, the then Minister, Ian Pearson launched the Second Consultation on The Review of Public Administration. That document proposed a two-tier model of public administration that envisages a stronger local government responsible for substantially enhanced roles in direct service delivery and influence with all service delivery organisations in their area. At the core of these proposals is community planning which sees local government delivering services and influencing in partnership with the statutory, voluntary, community and the business sectors. Such an arrangement may well have an impact on the way in which some current partnerships operate and the nature of future partnerships. The detail of this will be dependant on final decisions on the RPA.
3.4 Government in Northern Ireland remains strongly committed to the principle of partnership working. Indeed partnership working is a key feature of the institutions under the Agreement. In part this reflects the perceived value of partnerships as a means of engaging communities and building good relations. However, the context within which the partnership approach has evolved is rapidly changing and consideration of the future role of partnerships in Northern Ireland must take account of those changes.
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17 At the central level, the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 effectively transferred all executive and legislative powers to Westminster. Under direct rule, the Secretary of State has ultimate executive power in Northern Ireland. While the Secretary of State, as a member of the Cabinet, is accountable to Parliament, the holder of the post and his/her team of ministers, are appointed from the ruling party at Westminster. As neither the Secretary of State nor the team of ministers have their constituency bases in Northern Ireland, and recognising that the party political structure in Northern Ireland does not enable local parties to be directly engaged in the United Kingdom government, there is no clear line of accountability.
At local level, The (Local Government) Act 1972 significantly reduced the powers exercised by local government. Much of these powers were effectively transferred to a number of appointed non-elected bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Education and Library Boards.