Change coming to civil service management
(CNS): The governor has admitted that there is room for improvement in the civil service and that changes are imminent. Duncan Taylor said Thursday that he intends to do everything he can to make the necessary improvements and that he has some experience of dealing with public sector change management after the overhaul of the UK’s Foreign Office, of which he was a part. Acknowledging the problems of bureaucracy, the governor said he had seen no evidence of deliberate stonewalling in the public sector, despite complaints. When Franz Manderson takes up Cayman’s top job in the public sector on 1 February, he would be driving forward some of the imminent change management issues, the governor said.
Speaking at last week’s Fidelity CBO conference during the panel discussion on good governance, the governor said the new deputy governor would be overseeing the culture of change that was beginning to emerge in Cayman’s civil service.
There will also be some personnel changes coming to the senior management team as Manderson’s own post needs to be filled as well as other top ministry vacancies due to the retirement of Carson Ebanks and Kearney Gomez.
The governor said that change management was not always easy and sometimes it was uncomfortable but he said it would be driven forward. He spoke about the need for legislative changes to the Public Management and Finance Law to make it fit for purpose and the possible need to change the Public Service Management Law as well.
Taylor said he recognised some problems with efficiencies that were raised by the audience but he said there was a big difference between the length of time it took to get a licence, for example, because of the process and people who were actively trying to stop or slow down the implementation of government decisions.
“I have heard suggestions that this does happen and I have made it clear to colleagues in government that if they will provide me with some evidence of what is going on I will look into it,” he said, adding that so far no one had produced any evidence to support the accusations. The governor said that did not mean it wasn’t happening but without the evidence or specific examples there was nothing he could do.
On Friday officials confirmed that Donovan Ebanks would officially retire as deputy governor and pass the mantle on to Manderson.
Taylor thanked Ebanks for all his hard work, dedication and commitment shown over his long and career as well as the support and advice he had given him since he became governor two years ago. “I wish him all the very best on his retirement. I also would like to wish Franz every success in leading the civil service in these challenging times. I look forward to working with him,” he added.
Category: Local News
The following would be a good start:
1) Cut all numbers by 10%
2) Cut all wages of the remainder by 10%
3) Reduce pension and medical benefits.
Those that don't like it – there are bar jobs available and flights leaving daily.
Alan Nivia
1. Allready done
2. Stupidness
3. Agreed but the death of CINICO and the Government Hospital to follow.,
1. Do it again.
2. Necessary.
3. No bad thing.
Alan Nivia
The problem is that we need to privitise portions of Government, not cut staffing numbers. There are portions of Government that are understaffed significantly. You continue to cut you might as well shut down the service.
And for the record you dont go to work for Government if you want to make money. The money is in the private sector.
HR Persons everywhere is so true!!! Can you imagine if we have at least 50 HR Managers/Assistants making an average annual salary of $50K? That is at least $2.5 million dollars we spend on HR (Whatevers) every year! Waste. Waste.
Suggestion: centralise hiring of civil service, since budget cuts are needed and they are quick to point out they use 'required forms and tests' for vacant positions anyway. Then hire graduate students as Administrative Assistants to Deputy Chief Officers and let them process applications for interviews by a central body.
Example of inefficiency: The amount staff being specifically used to still address Hurricane Ivan matters need to be addressed. I have not investigated myself but someone brought to my attention that there are at least 5 persons involved in a separate unit just to monitor persons still stuck in the trailer parks. Why would we need a management position to simply handle complaints (electrical, plumbing etc) that can be addressed by PWD and Social Services?
Waste. Waste. Waste.
Let’s hope they make chaanges to the Fire Dept management,
Its gonna change but its gonna be from worse to worsa. smfh
The problem with is not the people. the problem are the politicians intefering with day to day decicions. It makes work for a cs frustrating, and that leads to demotivation.
Second, the number of layers in management is to high. There is a chief for every chief etc.
Then if you add to that having taken 3% of your salary to be given to friends, family and some churches by your "boss", you have a demotivated group of people as a result.
Changes coming to the C. S. , that will be the day.
Hope it is not politics as usual, caus we all know who run things.
For everyone sake do the right thing, show some ***ls for once.
I ask the Gov to cancel the Chinese Port Deal because it is not in the best for these Islands and it's people. Please do it.
In other words " we will find some ways to throw some money at the problem and higher some useless consultants to tell us how to best waste more money cause nobody has any balls to step up to the plate and clean the shop from top to bottom".
I have asked government officials to look into where changes should be made. They looked and looked and said "guv we've looked and looked and we couldn't find a thing. we even asked the department heads, the assistant department heads, managers, assistant managers, under assistant department heads, under assistant managers and communications liason officers and assistant communications liason officers." Nothing turned up. After all that looking into. Like you I didn't believe them. So I said what about the Shaw-Miller Report?? They said.. "those were outside lookers!!! they can't be trusted!!!" All that is about to change. Because there will be a whole set of new lookers looking into it. And they won't stop looking.
"The governor said that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening but without the evidence or specific examples there was nothing he could do."
Don't they keep records of applications and issuance dates?
Now that would just be a silly thing to do…keeping records! I'd like to see that!!!
Now the musical chairs will begin.
hahahahaha…..get real you muppets…just read the miller shaw report!!!!!
I wonder if that change will include ushering out any of the remaining Chief Officers? Because…
Nope thats not gonna happen!!! It's gonna those who actually do ALL the work, get NO PAY(under paid), never have a real life because their the ones who are always at work…. This is so sad. Taylor should be listening to the people of this country and the issues that we WANT him to deal with, HE and Mckeeva are the ruining this country, REAL ISSUES ARE BEING IGNORED FOR FAR TOO LONG, we are over populated cutting more jobs, espeacially if it is the Native Caymanians who have no where else to go, this is their home and with all the expats that are currently employed here and apperently more to come, where will they find jobs in the private sector.
Sounds like you're complaining again…and of course blame the Ex-pats! Take the easy way out…
The only native Caymanians are some of the iguanas.
Are you trying to justify your 'not being accepted as a Caymanian' gripe? It's like saying that the only Americans are the Native American
To Alan Nivia, that why the Native AMERICAN Indians are now living on reservations right? they had the whole of the US until expats took over murdered them and then forced them into their current place of abode, that's why the Africans are standing up and taking back what was RIGHTFULLY theirs as well.
Native is those born in a country not flown into a country. Get it got it GOOD!!! The US has opened their doors to many immigrants what has happened to them overpopulation increase in the unemployed crime increased (see any resemblence yet) so yeah if some of the expats could depart like they did after Ivan that would be good in my books hell I remember when there were no lines to stand in before Ivan, when Caymanians could actually go out and look for a job and get a reply within days no Caymanians are losing their homes because there are no jobs to get and now theres talk about cutting jobs, Cut the expat jobs first they have homes and their Countries of Birth where their NATIVES to go home to. I am home and i am a hardworking Caymanian I deserve to beable to work for my family not sit and watch what has happened to so many other counrties happen here were the natives are neglected and forced into hardships.
Jeez …. not only are the expats responsible for taking all the jobs, the crime and buying up huge tracts of land, they are apparently responsible for the murder and relocation of Red Indians in the United States!
I believe also that there were also several expats involved in the use of Nerve Gas against the Kurdish People in Northern Iraq and several expats were seen in a coordinating responsibility in a Chinese armed action against protesters.
Keep wearing the foil hat but don't stand too near the microwave when your porridge is being warmed up!
It sounds like the prospect of having to do a full day at work is now starting to worry people.
The way it is looking, some people might have to have breakfast before they come to work and cut their lunch hour down by an hour!
To be fair, the two who have FINALLY retired (though rumor has it Mac is bringing Carson back for something), are the chief officers who most needed "ushering out".
After walking a mile in Mr. Carson's shoes then you can judge. I have walkedclose enough to him to know that he only meant the best for Civil Service and Cayman. However, one (Mr. Carson) against ten is not much of a fight and there was only so much he could do ALONE.
Dont leave out the higher ups in the Education Ministry. The civil service is just too top heavy. Has anyone done an FOI enquiry into all the government ministries to get a list of all the positions in government that have some form of the title HR. We have HR Managers, HR Operational Managers, HR Assistant Managers, HR HR HR and the list goes on and on and on. What they heck are they doing.
Have you been to Canada recently? Sounds just like the Ministry of Health fiasco of 2009/2010…everyone in that Ministry made at least a $250,000+ dollars and didn’t even have to show up for work! Yayyy Canada…google it for a laugh if you want!
HR = Horibbly Redundant
If you think on the rest of the civil servants and the types of HR issues that arise with them, you'll know why there have to be so many HR people. Think one HR manager disciplining an Accounts Officer II for going to the Fosters buffet too much. Then you need another one to discipline that officer when HR manager one is taking a sick day.