Reviewers to seek cuts in public sector
(CNS): The Prison Service, the Department of Tourism, Public Works and Cayman Islands National Insurance Company (CINICO) will be the first four government departments to come in for scrutiny as the public service review gets underway this month. The reviewers are expected to explore whether a service should be cut, outsourced or stay within government but delivered more efficiently, Deputy Governor Donovan Ebanks has said. The review is part of government’s effort to reduce public expenditure and part of the deal made with the FCO to attain permission to borrow funds to balance this year’s government budget.
The top Civil Servant said he hoped the review would be completed well before the end this financial year.
Responding to criticisms that a self-review will be ineffective, Ebanks said members of the projectteam were carefully selected and it includes personnel from the Internal Audit Unit who have experience and training in auditing the performance of government departments. Moreover, private sector individuals have also been invited to be part of the review.
“I believe that together we have the talent and energy in the Cayman Islands to drive this review without having to rely heavily on foreign consultants that will only add costs,” Ebanks added.
Seventeen civil servants have been selected to form four Review Teams, and the private sector has been asked to provide support for the teams. The teams will be trained and developed by an external trainer. Reports on the emerging findings of the reviews are expected in January 2010.
Although the project is driven by the Office of the Deputy Governor, the four review teams will work under a project team headed by three chief officers — Franz Manderson, Gloria McField-Nixon and Jennifer Ahearn.
The Cayman Islands Civil Service Association (CISCA) has been consulted on the review, and Ebanks has asked civil servants to give their support to the review teams so they can complete their reporting within the stated timeframe
Category: Local News
Come on people lets stop the crab in the barrel mentality- I for one support the Deputy Governor and the leaders of the project team. They will do much better than our foreign consultants- Bridger etc.
The Civil Service has enough professionals Caymanians and Non Caymanians who can conduct the review without friend or favor. The proof with be in the pudding.
I like the post about Hazard Management- how about we wait for another hurricane and then get prepared and recruit staff- come on get real!
Rob:
You are missing the point about Hazard Management. They don’t actually do anything when a hazard strikes. They sit, year round, consult, liaise with foreign sources, attend conferences on the theory of disaster/hazard management and plan and do PR work (yes-they have a PR officer in addition to GIS’s 20+ people) but when the storm/hazard strikes they ask the civil service to activate their departmental plans. HM don’t run the response/recovery-the Director (highly paid) doesn’t step into the role of the "Person who will get us through all this". That was Donnie-now Franz, presumably. They are behind the scenes "thinkers/strategic planners" not doers. And civil servants who have to turn out and actually do things( not usually the things that the "thinkers" have suggested) are MIGHTILY pissedat that. I know. I am one.HM staff by and large are a waste of time and money.
If you don’t believe me, try an FOI request to the director asking him exactly what his role before and during a "hazard" is.
They can not cut back on the civil service even if they wanted to. Pure logisitcs. That’s where the votes come from. Fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, cousins, and assorted in-laws, it would be like shooting yourself in the foot. Not a good system to be sure and tied up in many ways with family values and tradition. It also inherently creates a lot of deadweight, doubling down, and unnecessary positions. But the appearance must be made that they are pursuing that sort of fiscal prudence to meet the FCO’s criteria. So they are. People may be moved sideways to another department or have cell phones removed but it would be suicide to reduce the size of the voting block controlled by the civil service. It won’t happen.
The review teams could start with the Dept of Hazard Management in Mr Manderson’s Portfolio. Being advertised at present are two posts-Hazard Mitigation Officer ($49k +) and Deputy Director – Preparedness ($69k+). Forget the job descriptions which are listed in the advertisements and contain the usual B-S to make the jobs seem big time. What would such people do in a full time job? Are such positions really necessary in a civil service which is costing the country so much in salaries and benefits? In fact, do we really need a department of Hazard Management anyway?
Until they stop filling "luxury" positions such as these Cayman will always be bankrupt.
Don’t forget the Dept. of Petroleum Inspection, the Dept of Dax Basdeo (can’t remember the "official" name) just to name two more…
Hazard Management is a normal government department in every other country in the world. Why would we not want that for our country? Maybe we had a quiet tropical storm season but what if we had not. I hope that the two posts that are being advertised at present are filled by qualified professionals and not just popular Caymanians that is being misplaced from somewhere else in Government XXXX. Our nation’s safety is not a luxury.
We got on fine without Hazard Management Dept in the past. In any case, the civil service complains that when a storm is approaching HM really does not do anything. It’s left to the normal departments to activate their plans which THEY wrote, not HM. The dept of HM is a luxury. Our nation’s safety is not. That’s why the whole civil service knows what its role is if a "hazard" (not just storm) strikes.
Unbelievable! They could have at least pretended to have a real review by getting the UK’s Civil Service College to look at it. Thank goodness we will get to see it when it’s done by using FOI, I can’t wait.
When you say you retiring I hope it soon.
Government wants to save money! Start with the cutting the dead weight in Government, and the would be starting with the Deputy Governor Donovan Ebanks, then cut all the Financial Officers that they created new positions for in all the departments, put the management of the Human Resources back to the centeral civil service they had in the Glass House.
Why would you want to turn you prison our to a private entity or even cut staff so the prisoners can escape and pay to get of jail went they want, and then cut Tourism are you fool Donnie where else do we get or bread and butter from, Public Works and whole else will keep the roads to the standards that they are not, you higher a private company you know you cannot pay them then the roads go to the dogs.
Well as for CINCO that was a dead weight from the begining the biggest mistake every, that should have been a private company from along time.
Manget your act together. That is why it took you so long to get that Chief Secretary job, you can not do the job, the only reason they gave it to you was because you getting near retirement and 1. They wanted you to leave with a big salary and benefits and 2. it would have looked bad if they gave Franz the job and by passed you.
Even though Franz is just like you and will do the same as you nothing. The only man I see for that job right now is the man himself Mr. Orrett Connor.
Lets think this one out.
Not only is this illiterate, it is unfair to Mr Manderson and Mr Ebanks and way, way, way too flattering to Mr Connor.
re.The only man I see for that job right now is the man himself Mr. Orrett Connor.
Interesting recommendation – Can you list Mr.Connor’s accomplishments that make him the ideal person for the job?
You’ve got to be kidding me! Franz Manderson, Gloria McField-Nixon and Jennifer Ahearn!! Sounds like the other team leaders (Joel Walton, Jimmy Ryan and Donovan Ebanks) who did very successful and productive reviews for the Civil Service over the past decade and a half -not!
civil servants reviewing the civil service?????…. only in cayman….
Give it to Charles Jennings and Julian Readdyhough to conduct if you really are serious. We don’t need people with Government experience to get businesslike – we need businessmen.
Let them do whatever they have been doing all along, no thanks we can handle our own affairs.
They are both Caymanian and have been running a highly profitable law firm and related businesses very well. They are qualified and available to help. They may even do it as a community service. Grow up – we need whatever help we can get.
You know you shouldn’t wield words like "Community Service" around so wantonly. You could hurt someone…
They are already Caymanian – and have nothing to gain or lose by doing what is simply in the best interests of the Country.
We are tired od hearing the word qualified and professional. When thy came here wasnt this a good Country. It just seems to have gone wrong when all these qualified and professionals invaded us. Lets get it straight the way that they hate us why would they want to do Community work? Even before their arrival they are told by teir friends that you only have to do Community work and you will get RESIDENCE. HA HA THATS THE ANSWER.
No, Donnie. It can’t work. It’s the fox in the henhouse-it never works and you know that. Imagine asking the FCO to critically review its dealings with Cayman…yes you get the point don’t you?