Brussels, 27/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - On a proposal from Romano Prodi and in agreement with Commissioners Michaele Schreyer and Neil Kinnock, the European Commission adopted, on Wednesday, a Communication setting out a detailed and step-by-step programme for "activity based management" (ABM) for all its operations. This concerns a long lasting task and of great complexity, which represents a major challenge for the success of the administrative reform undertaken by the Commission in 2002. The main aim of this text consists of determining the basic components of the ABM, to define the links that unit them and to set a coherent framework in view of this progressive implementation. According to the set timetable, the ABM will be fully implemented in 2004.
This system will allow the Community executive to integrate, into a coherent system, the Commission's decision-making procedures, enabling it to have its political and resource priorities correspond, both human and financial. The ABM is structured around four main elements, which will be progressively established and according to a varying pace: (1) an annual political strategy, covering the political priorities and the necessary shifts in resources (adopted for the first time in February of this year); (2) the annual management plans, including the aims, indicators, assessment plans (to be set out by each service). These plans will progressively integrate more detailed information. While in 2002, they will be structured around activities described in the budget, that is to say 6 or 7 activities per service, they will be presented in a more detailed manner as of 2003, with an average of 25 actions per service. In 2002, the services will be encouraged to develop measurement indicators for the target described in these plans. The indicators for results and the impact will become standard data as of 2003 and will be fully operational as of 2004; (3) the Annual Commission work-programme, based on the above mentioned management plans; (4) the Service's annual activity report, which follow the progress achieved and which provide an account of the service's activity. The evaluation activities will be supported by the launch, in 2001, of a limited number of strategic evaluations, in order to prepare, in 2002, the annual policy strategy for 2003. As of 2002, all the annual management plans will have to be integrated the evaluation activities.
The implementation of the activity-based management does not require new efforts from the services (compared to those introduced by the White Paper on Commission reform and through the decision on "standards for internal control). On the contrary, this new process simplifies the work load that results from the present requirements, in particular for the report, by introducing a system of harmonised management for all of the Commission, replacing the various standards that are often incompatible. It links the management systems of the services to the Commission decision-making process. A joint information system will support the implementation of the activity-based management and will facilitate the drafting of reports. Already used in six Commission services, this information system will be extended to all of the Commission services as of 2002.
The setting up of the ABM goes hand in hand with the recast of the financial regulation, which also foresees a presentation of the budget according to activity. Contrary to the present presentation, which distinguishes the administrative and personnel spending from the operational spending, the new budgetary presentation will identify the resources needed for the implementation of each activity.