New civil service bosses named
(CNS): Stran Bodden (left), Eric Bush (below right) and Alan Jones (below left) have all been promoted to chief officers to step into three vacant top government jobs. Bodden will take over as chief officer in the Ministry of Finance, Development & Tourism, dealing with tourism and development, replacing Carson Ebanks who recently retired; Bush will take over as chief officer for the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, replacing Franz Manderson when he takes up his new role of deputy governor on 1 February; and Jones will step into Kearney Gomez’ shoes at the Ministry of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agriculture.
Appointed by Manderson, the three men will all take up their positions on 1 February 2012. The top civil servants all secured their new jobs via a new recruitment process created by the deputy governor in waiting using an assessment centre approach. The essential competencies required for the posts were established and these were tested by on-line assessments, a written exam and an interview. Fifty-one people applied for the three posts and as part of an open recruitment process twelve candidates were shortlisted.
“All candidates were subjected to a day of tests and assessments. The Portfolio of the Civil Service administered the on-line tests that assessed cognitive ability, emotional intelligence and learning agility,” officials from the portfolio said in a release.
The candidates also undertook an examination which consisted of three separate scenarios that had to be completed in a defined period. These tasks reflected what would actually be expected of a chief officer. The applicants then appeared in front of a panel andwere asked to deliver a speech which they had prepared previously and were then interviewed by Manderson (Chairman); Sophia Harris, Managing Partner of Solomon Harris; Jude Scott, CEO of Maples; and Peter Gough, Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Governor.
Manderson explained why he opted for the rigorous appointment process, which will now be used for all top government jobs.
“I was exposed to the assessment centre process during my recent visit to the United Kingdom and decided to introduce a similar model in Cayman,” he said. “I felt that it was important to introduce an open and transparent process for these key appointments, I intend to use this approach in the future for senior posts in Government.
“I welcome Alan, Eric and Stran to the post of chief office. They can be justly proud of their performance throughout their career and at the assessment centre. I am very fortunate to be in a position to choose three chief officers to support me in my new role as deputy governor as we tackle the many challenges facing the civil service today.”
Government officials have not yet stated if there has been any change in the circumstances relating to two other senior officers who were placed on paid leave when the current UDP administration took office.
In June during Finance Committee it was confirmed that Diane Montoya, the former chief officer in the health ministry, and Deborah Drummond, who was deputy financial secretary in the previous administration when the financial secretary was a separate executive Cabinet post, were still being paid from the public purse but had not been given new permanent posts. Angela Martins, who was the civil service boss in the education department and the third top government worker placed on leave, had opted to take early retirement.
In a further statement to the LA in August Deputy Governor Donovan Ebanks had confirmed that the two women were still on leave. Since then there have been no further announcements about their situations being resolved.
Category: Local News
congrats my bracer fr W.P.
Completing a paper exercise and an interview is one thing. However how much management experience do they have, in particular managing leaders?
Go my bracer (congrats)
Great news!
But I wonder why the Civil Service Assn hasnt expressed their pleasure-hopefully- at these notable appointments, from Franz down!
A major new outlook and hopefully more optimism for the workers!!
Young blood yes and same old crew running tings. need i say more
I see good things happening in the Civil Service already. This new process will ensure that only the very best persons move into top positions- this means that future leaders can be identified quickly. Congrats to these three Caymanians. I ask that you follow Mr Manderson, give him your full support and also challenge your Staff to work hard for the Government of the day- that's what Civil Servants are suppose to do.
Good work Mr Manderson! Now could you try to dig out that Infrastructure Report that Mr Leonard Dilbert and Mr Kenneth Ebanks were moved to Mr Bush's ministry specifically to develop? Or was that just a bunch of baloney to make sure they were in that particular ministry?
Well at least there seems to have been some process other than having a relative give a very public political endorsement or a politician decide that they neededa particular person that they could "wuk wit". I wonder if there were any questions on our anti-corruption laws as part of the quiz.
Congratulations to Eric and Stran. I don't know what the committee to screen the applicants criteria was but these are two fairly good choices XXXXX.
However, I didn't read anything where CO's in government will be given a contract for a certain time and with certain stipulations like is done in the private sector, the equivalent of a CEO! Nor is their salary published like it should be for us the public what these senior civil servants are taking home. The bad part about getting this type of information is that the FOI laws can be used to protect their salaries! What a shame. But here's what the public can obtain through the FOI process; Names of those who applied and the reasons they were not chosen. Furthermore, any notes that the committee members made on a candidate can also be requested.
This is nothing more than a handpicked cronie squad so all you feel good crowd who believe this glorified process works see how much things are going to change . Keep dreaming and wait for the changes.
Anon 20:50, you sound just like one of the unsuccessful applicants.
Yes 9:20 and what would this island do without the "old boy network" to be in control and run things, Nepotism and cronism and with their keen sense of entitlement & patronage and hidden agendas, might just be turn around to get fairness, equality, effeciency, honesty and intergrity in our little government. But alas it was not to be, all we can do now is hope that it won't always be this way for the future.
Well they might just hold that position until end of 2013?
Please Mr Bodden see if you can check out how bad the Brac Fire Service is being treated with promotions. Grand Cayman getting them left and right and Brac getting none, Bout no money…..
"…Jones will step into Kearney Gomez’ shoes…"
Will Mr. Jones step on Mr. Gomez's toes or does Mr. Gomez have a new pair of shoes? 🙂
Mr Gomez, happily, has served his time and can get out of there. Congratulations Mr Jones, I am sure you will bring genuine management at long last to that Ministry. Don't let the Minister draw you into district administration stuff that might draw the attention of the auditor-general. There are many of us watching for driveway paving and other such schemes.
I think you also meant personal road paving on Grand Cayman.
Lets hope the new Chief Officer does not simply "step into Gomez' shoes" but realise that even dinosaurs have to retire and become extinct.
Yes, 22:05, I did also mean "personal road paving on Grand Cayman". You and I both know what we are speaking about.
This is great news, especially for Stran, a young Caymanian that has resin to the top. Well done!
For sure!
And he also has RISEN to the top 🙂
Very proud of you Stran! I have all the confidence that you will do your best for the greater good of the Cayman Islands. Follow your heart, and when in doubt ask yourself "Would my grandma beat me if I did this?"
WOW! 5 thumbs down, obviously unna didnt get beat enough when unna wah younger!
Mr Manderson should be highly commended for introducing this assessment centre/interview panel approach into recruitment for these very senior positions. It strongly suggests he realises the civil service cannot just lumber along in the same old out of date manner The post of chief officer carries very heavy responsibilities (though to see how some operate, you sometimes wouldn't think so) and also a very high salary. There absolutely should be a rigorous sorting out process to ensure that the appointments that are eventually made are based on merit and not on irrelevant factors such as how long ago one joined the civil service. So, well done Mr Manderson. Congratulations also to the successful candidates. Now, please ensure the civil servants reporting to you are held to account for their actions and deal with those who give the civil service a bad name by their laziness and/or incompetence.
Finally some new younger blood…congrats guys but don't fall into the same traps of the previous Chief Officers…Make change happen for the goo of everyone!
No.. I hope they will remove the "goo" and replace it with "Good"
One can only hope can't we ?