New Pivitol review on the progress of Stormont. The Executive is long on strategies and announcements, short on delivery.

Ah Pivitol, the organisation tasked with occasionally reminding us all that the Stormont Emperor has no clothes, not even a cheap tracksuit from Primark.

Their latest report, entitled ‘18 Months of the Northern Ireland Executive: A Review’ (PDF), is available for you all to read it and weep.

I need to go and prepare junior’s French toast with a side of mango yoghurt and fruit, so forgive me that I have not read all 60 pages yet and have cheated used AI to give you the key points:

Here’s a summary of the key points from the Pivotal Tracker Report (Sept 2025)

Overall Assessment

• The Executive returned in Feb 2024 after collapse; it has been politically stable but struggles to deliver real improvements.

• Public services remain under severe pressure with little evidence of progress on health, education, housing, or infrastructure.

• Ministers avoid hard choices on priorities and funding, leading to stalled or diluted reforms.

• Major long-term strategies (e.g. Investment Strategy) are still missing.

Structural Problems

• No collective decision-making across departments; siloed working persists.

• Tensions between policies (e.g. A5 upgrade vs climate commitments, nutrient management vs water quality).

• Lack of urgency about unsustainable public services.

Key Messages for the Executive

1. Deliver visible improvements – people don’t yet see benefits; waiting lists, SEN crisis, housing shortages, and Lough Neagh algae all worsening.

2. Develop credible long-term plans – none yet for wastewater, productivity, poverty, or housing.

3. Agree a multi-year budget – first opportunity in a decade; must prioritise PfG goals and make tough trade-offs.

4. Drive service transformation – use AI/digital and cross-department projects to modernise services.

5. Resolve policy conflicts – especially between infrastructure development and environmental/climate laws.

6. Prepare for ageing population – health costs rising unsustainably, requiring prevention, early intervention, and new models of care.

Programme for Government (PfG) Priorities – Progress So Far

• Economy: Investment in clusters, skills fund, Magee campus expansion, and green economy plans. Good Jobs Bill launched, but businesses wary.

• Childcare: Subsidy scheme reduced some costs but “barely scratches the surface.” Full strategy still unpublished.

• Health: Some elective/rapid care centres opened; £215m pledged, but waiting lists remain at crisis levels.

• Violence Against Women & Girls: Strategic framework published; new funds and campaigns launched.

• SEN Support: New delivery plan and capital investment in special schools; still shortages and ongoing “crisis.”

• Housing: Supply strategy published (100,000 homes in 15 years), but delivery far short; wastewater infrastructure a major obstacle.

• Safer Communities: Police numbers dangerously low (6,200 vs 7,500–8,000 needed); justice system delays worsening.

• Environment (Lough Neagh): Action Plan launched but little progress (14 of 37 actions done); climate strategies stalled.

• Public Service Reform: New Delivery Unit and Office for AI and Digital; £129m from Transformation Fund allocated, but outcomes unclear.

Dept. of Health

• Progress: Elective care and rapid diagnosis centres opened; Mega Clinics running; £215m pledged (partly reallocated); £61m from Transformation Fund to expand GP teams; cross-border reimbursement scheme.

• Problems: Waiting lists still rising (ED waits at 5-year high, over half waiting 12+ months); no clear hospital reconfiguration plan; adult social care reform unresolved; looming GP/nurse industrial action.

• Verdict: Major crisis continues — efforts piecemeal, systemic reform avoided.

Dept. of Education

• Progress: Childcare Subsidy Scheme extended (lowered average costs but still high); SEN Reform Agenda published; gap in SEN places reduced from 164 → 6; TransformED strategy launched (curriculum, assessment, disadvantage).

• Problems: SEN “crisis” persists with demand growing fast; Early Learning & Childcare Strategy still missing; school funding and academic selection reforms ducked; capacity strains looming.

• Verdict: Some wins (SEN places, subsidy), but deep structural reforms missing.

Dept. of Justice

• Progress: £20m Transformation Fund to speed up justice; Access to Justice reforms; sentencing consultations; expanded out-of-court disposals; support for domestic/sexual abuse victims; new offences (spiking, deepfakes) proposed.

• Problems: PSNI officer numbers at historic low (6,200 vs 7,500–8,000 needed); criminal cases still take 190 days (sexual offences 675 days); court backlog crippling trust.

• Verdict: Policy busywork, but core crisis is policing and delays.

Dept. for the Economy

• Progress: Good Jobs Bill (employment rights, end zero-hour contracts); £45m Regional Balance Fund to councils; Magee campus expansion moving; Green Skills Plan; renewable energy consultations.

• Problems: Businesses say reforms add burdens; productivity still weak (8th/12 UK regions); post-19 SEN supports criticised as insufficient; tariff shocks (US whiskey) require urgent response.

• Verdict: Ambitious plans, but vulnerable economy and low productivity not yet fixed.

Dept. for Infrastructure

• Progress: Planning delays improving (still above target); consultation on developer contributions for water upgrades; kept A5 scheme alive after legal setback.

• Problems: Wastewater infrastructure crisis blocks housing and development (funding gap > £2bn); household charges ruled out; A5 vs climate law clash unresolved.

• Verdict: Bottleneck department — until wastewater sorted, housing/economy stalled.

Dept. of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA)

• Progress: Lough Neagh Action Plan (14/37 actions done); algae research fund; climate action/adaptation consultations; ammonia & clean air strategy drafts.

• Problems: Blue-green algae crisis “decades” to fix; internal Executive rows on Nutrients Action Programme; Green Growth Strategy still draft since before 2024.

• Verdict: Paralysis — urgent environment problems met with consultations, not solutions.

Dept. for Communities

• Progress: Housing Supply Strategy (100,000 homes over 15 years); 1,504 social homes started; rent control measures introduced; £153m Co-Ownership scheme; 300 homes via Intermediate Rent Scheme.

• Problems: Target missed (needed ~2,000 homes); housing stress up 6%; Housing Executive borrowing unresolved; supply blocked by wastewater crisis.

• Verdict: Good strategy, poor delivery — housing need worsening.

Dept. of Finance

• Progress: Budget Sustainability Plan with Treasury; Interim Fiscal Framework secures 124% fiscal floor; Transformation Fund (£129m) allocated across reforms.

• Problems: Still no multi-year budget agreed (first in a decade possible now); revenue-raising avoided; long-term Investment Strategy still unpublished.

• Verdict: Stabilised short-term, but long-term fiscal reform ducked.

Cross-Cutting / Transformation

• Progress: New Executive Delivery Unit; Office for AI & Digital; Transformation Fund supports justice, planning, SEN, health reforms.

• Problems: Delivery Unit underpowered; progress uneven; public sees no real improvements (waiting lists, housing, Lough Neagh).

• Verdict: Too many strategies, not enough delivery.

👉 In one line: Departments are good at launching plans, pilots and consultations — but the three systemic crises (health, housing, environment) remain unresolved, blocking visible progress.

Conclusion

• The Executive is long on strategies and announcements, short on delivery.

• Childcare and VAWG strategies are positive, but housing, Lough Neagh, and health waiting lists are “unacceptable failures.”

• Success will be judged on visible improvements: reducing hospital waits, building homes, and supporting SEN children.

✅ = clear progress | ⚠️ = mixed | ❌ = failure

Dept. of Health

• Elective & rapid centres opened ✅

• £215m pledged for waiting lists ✅

• Waiting times still rising ❌

• Hospital reconfiguration plan missing ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Some delivery, but crisis deepening

Dept. of Education

• Childcare Subsidy extended ✅

• SEN places gap cut (164 → 6) ✅

• SEN demand still outstripping supply ❌

• Early Learning & Childcare Strategy missing ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Partial wins, structural issues unresolved

Dept. of Justice

• Court reform programme funded ✅

• Domestic & sexual abuse strategy delivered ✅

• PSNI numbers at historic low ❌

• Court delays worsening (sexual offences avg. 675 days) ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Busy legislating, but core policing/judicial fail

Dept. for the Economy

• Good Jobs Bill introduced ✅

• £45m Regional Balance Fund ✅

• Green Skills Plan ✅

• Productivity still poor ❌

• Post-19 SEN support criticised ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Big ambitions, weak outcomes so far

Dept. for Infrastructure

• Planning delays improved slightly ✅

• Consultation on water contributions ✅

• £2bn wastewater gap unresolved ❌

• A5 scheme in limbo (climate law clash) ❌
  Score: ❌ Bottleneck department, blocking housing/economy

DAERA (Environment/Agriculture)

• Lough Neagh Action Plan launched ✅

• Algae fund + consultations ✅

• Only 14/37 actions implemented ❌

• Green Growth still draft ❌
  Score: ❌ Environment crisis, little delivery

Dept. for Communities

• Housing Supply Strategy (100k homes/15yrs) ✅

• Rent controls & Intermediate Rent ✅

• Social homes far below target ❌

• Housing stress rising ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Good policies, poor delivery

Dept. of Finance

• Budget Sustainability Plan agreed ✅

• Fiscal floor deal with Treasury ✅

• No multi-year budget yet ❌

• Investment Strategy still unpublished ❌
  Score: ⚠️ Short-term fixes, no long-term plan

Cross-Cutting / Transformation

• Office for AI & Digital ✅

• Transformation Fund projects launched ✅

• Delivery Unit weak ❌

• Public sees no visible improvements ❌
  Score: ❌ Strategies galore, no impact

• Best performers: Finance (stability), Education (SEN catch-up), Economy (legislation)

• Worst performers: Health (waiting lists), Infrastructure (wastewater), DAERA (Lough Neagh)

• Trend: Stormont still talks more than it delivers.

I can say that the Pivotal reports are easy to read, so please take the time to review them yourself.

But as I have said before, our local overlords are a shameless bunch, and criticism washes over them like water off a duck’s back, so expect the reaction of Stormont to be a general shrug and business as unusual.