Too much burden on Permanent Secretaries

A report on the implementation of governance reforms in the territory suggested that too much pressure is being placed on some public officers and argued that this may likely hamper the implementation process of those reforms.

“Across the Ministries, I am concerned that too much of the burden lies with Permanent Secretaries, and I believe this has put the delivery of COI reforms at risk,” former Governor John Rankin wrote in his last quarterly report on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommendations implementation process.

Rankin argued that continuous improvement should be part of everyday life for public officials, including delivering relevant COI reforms. However, he urged that it is vital that these officials have the capacity to prioritise improvements.

“I would hope that upskilling the public service as a whole will allow for more delegation and hence build capacity and capability within the existing system,” Rankin said while insisting that the success of the COI depends on all public servants, and not just a select few.

The former Governor stated that it is vital that public servants are adequately and appropriately remunerated, adding that public servants who feel valued are far more likely to perform effectively and give the excellent service the public expects.

Meanwhile, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently disclosed that his government will appoint someone to help oversee the COI implementation process in its closing stages, noting that this was advice that came from Overseas Territories Minister David Rutley.

“What he communicated to me, his advice to me was: ‘Get an individual who you can hold accountable and this is the only thing they’re responsible for. It’s just ensuring that everyone does what they’re supposed to do — one individual and that’s their only responsibility.’ And we’re taking his advice on that,” the Premier disclosed.

Before leaving office, Rankin extended the COI implementation deadline and said necessary reforms must have “taken root” no later than May 2024.

“To achieve that, there will need to be evidence of improvement. This could take the form of clear policies which are consistently used, effective communication with staff and the public, and appropriate budgets and staffing allocations,” Rankin said at the time.