PUBLIC SECTOR TRANSFORMATION BULLETIN # 1

As you are all aware, Jamaica is at a stage in its development where we must make radical changes in the way we conduct business in serving the public, if the citizens of this country are to enjoy a better quality of life. There is a need for the Public Sector to increase accountability, improve service delivery, use public resources more effectively and be more responsive to the needs of the people we serve. A transformed Public Sector must align responsibility with authority, and hold managers accountable. We must put in place modern systems, structures and tools to support good governance.

There is a more immediate imperative. The economy is experiencing a severe downturn. Our export earnings have been cut in half due largely, but not only, to the shutdown of a large portion of the bauxite/alumina sector. Some 30,000 people have lost their jobs; others have seen a decline in their earnings. We are not unique in this regard. Almost every country in the world is battling these same challenges.

There is no time for us to dwell on the problems facing our country. We have to move quickly to solve them. As the Prime Minister told us when he addressed Parliament on September 30, 2009 we are spending more than we earn as a country, and therefore are in perpetual debt. He also pointed out that Government operations account for the largest amount of expenditure. At the same time, these operations remain cumbersome and are often inefficient and costly to the taxpayers who have to pay for the services that we offer.

We must now pay attention to the size, levels of efficiency and effectiveness, as well as the cost of the Public Sector. We have to deal with how we use technology, and find ways to make it easier to share information and for the public to do business with Government entities. The one-stop shop must be a reality. We have to move to reduce the amount of time spent and the number of steps taken by the public to complete a transaction. We have to simplify business practices and rationalise the location of offices, in order to reduce the phenomenal cost of rented space.

Over the next 18 months, the Public Sector Transformation Unit will be carrying out a careful analysis of all Ministries and their respective entities. We will examine them in an effective manner, through analysis and consultation to determine their mandates, their core functions, the core skills and competencies required to carry out their functions. In so doing, we will be able to identify areas of overlap and duplication. This might lead to a decision to merge, transfer, abolish, retain or restructure entities, and contract out services that can more efficiently be provided by the private sector.

Ours is a small unit of nine persons, comprising two support staff and seven specialists from the Private and Public Sector covering various areas of management, including organizational management, business process engineering, change management, human resources and industrial relations, project management, information technology and financial management. Our mandate is to lead, monitor, evaluate and facilitate the restructuring of the Public Sector for an efficient, effective and economical Government.

I want to stress that the Unit cannot implement the necessary changes within Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This process must be driven by the leadership of these entities.
To facilitate this, an inter-disciplinary Transition Team will be established in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, with representation to include Human Resource Directors, Communication Specialists, Information Technology Specialists, Union representatives and staff at all levels of the organisation. These Teams will be kept fully abreast of changes taking place in their organisations, and will be able to assist their colleagues to grasp all of the critical issues. They will know where to direct staff to the various support services provided to facilitate the transition within and across Ministries and Agencies, and for those who will be dislocated, due to the new governance arrangements.

Undoubtedly, the involvement of the Trade Unions is critical and, to this end, we have had preliminary discussions with representatives of various Unions. Their input and support are vital to the entire change process within the Public Sector.

In streamlining the Public Sector, we must be realistic and accept that there will be dislocation within the sector. How we treat with those who must leave the sector becomes very important. People must be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, having served their country. The Unit recognizes this, and our team has begun to put in place the necessary support systems to reduce the trauma of dislocation, both for those who go, and those who continue to serve.

It is natural for Public Sector workers to have concerns about the prospect of losing a job. However, there are great potential business opportunities which will arise from the restructuring and rationalising of the Public Sector. We urge those who might be affected to consider these opportunities and position themselves to grasp what could be viable and profitable ventures. To facilitate access to these opportunities, we have held discussions with the Development Bank of Jamaica and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation to explore the possibility of low- interest loans with modified collateral requirements for Public Sector workers.

Retraining of staff will be a critical element in the Transformation process. This will enable personnel to be equipped with the requisite skills and competencies which the new Public Sector will require.

Finally, we are committed to effective communication as part of the Transformation process. This is the first of a series of bulletins which will be shared with you over the coming months, as we move to put in the right systems and structures that will empower us to realise the vision of “a transformed cohesive Public Sector that is performance-based, efficient, cost effective and service-oriented.”

Pat Sinclair McCalla
Chief Executive Officer
Public Sector Transformation Unit

December 17, 2009