jungle, it was announced yesterday.

And people should already be reaping some rewards of more dynamic public services.

Minister of Management and Information Services Sen. the Hon. Michael Winfield spotlighted new urgency among planners.

Most planning applications are being dealt with inside six weeks, for example.

Transport Control Department had also speeded up its handling of documentation, said Mr. Winfield.

Immigration, too, was sifting through paperwork at a greater rate, he claimed.

Mr. Winfield said improvements stemmed from Government's "value for money'' drive to cut through red tape.

As part of the campaign Government has launched a wide-ranging programme assessment, he added.

It involved scrutinising from top to bottom departments delivering public services.

The aim was to make them more efficient and responsive to the needs of people.

"I think people are already experiencing the benefits of the exercise. We want to make services more dynamic and user friendly,'' Mr. Winfield said.

"I believe queues are now shorter, for instance, and it takes less time for things to get done.'' Mr. Winfield explained: "Programme assessment will define the costs and resources required to deliver those services and specify target levels and times of delivery.

"In essence we will be defining what we want to do, how much it costs to do it, who we are doing it for, who is responsible for seeing that it is done, and when it will be done.

"In determining all these factors, we will be able to ensure that the relevant managers are accountable for the results that have been agreed upon.'' Mr. Winfield admitted staffing levels would be examined under the exercise.

But he virtually ruled out the prospect of job losses.

"We could uncover understaffing as well as overstaffing. We will look at the best ways of reallocating resources.'' Mr. Winfield suggested some areas -- social services, housing programmes, and Legal Aid -- were stretched during the recession, and may need help.

So far 19 out of the 35 Government public service departments had begun programme assessment.

Sixty five officers, from supervisor to director level, had taken part.

Mr. Winfield said the Marine and Ports had been used as a pilot to examine accountability in a public service.