Governance and Accountability

Governance and accountability, in basic terms, refers to mechanisms implemented to:

• Manage the country’s resources efficiently and effectively in order to deliver high quality public services;
• Involve people in the decision-making process of government
• Ensure that those who are assigned responsibility for making the decisions are held accountable for their actions.

The strengthening of the Governance and accountability frameworks of government is a pivotal part of the modernization [programme given its importance in ensuring that a space is provided for the Jamaican citizen to have his/her say and be re-assured that their opinions are being subsumed in the decisions of government. More importantly, ‘accountability’ represents a critical and increasingly important element of the work of government in that it monitors the actions of public officials and civil servants in order to promote transparency and encourage high quality performance by public servants. Implicit in its meaning too, is ensuring that processes and institutions produce results that meet needs while making the best use of resources.

Overtime, systems have been introduced and continue to be implemented to effect the type of change necessary to promote meaningful citizen involvement and to effectively monitor the actions of public servants.New systems have been established and existing mechanisms improved through which stakeholders can hold the government accountable for its actions.

Among the initiatives that have already been introduced are:

• The development of the Consultation code of Practice for the Public Service. The code outlines guidelines established by government which requires consultation for all policies which affect the national populace as well as those affecting specific groups. Training has been developed for the Management Institute for National Development for the provision of the course Governance through Consultation
• The Jamaica Social Policy Evaluation Project (JASPEV) which, over a period of five years (2002-2007), had supported and promulgated a wide range of innovations and mechanisms for citizen participation. Having come to an end, lessons and practices have been identified for institutionalization across government, including mechanisms for:
  • effective joined-up and participatory policy development;
  • community participation in policy implementation and monitoring
• Development of a Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment Policy (CSAP) to improve responsiveness of public policies to the needs of the public. The CSAP Tool establishes a standard for ensuring public policies across Ministries are comprehensive and reflect consistently high quality. The Tool also guides ministries in assessing the sustainability of policies prior to approval and implementation. It will identify the most critical social, economic, governance and environmental considerations that should be taken into account in the formulation of government policies. Current efforts are being pursued for widespread dissemination across ministries.

• Preparation of a draft National Vision for guiding Jamaica’s development. This has emerged out of a general recognition that in spite of the multiplicity of visions, there exists no agreed national vision for the country. Preparation of the vision involved an intense process of consultation with the public at various stages of its development. The draft vision is currently being disseminated island wide for further consultations as part of the National Development Plan spearheaded by the Planning Institute of Jamaica. Have your say in the national vision

Programmes scheduled to be developed include:

• Clarification and strengthening of the performance management system for governments’ executive management groups to allow for full accountability. Strengthening the accountability framework and mechanisms for permanent secretaries, heads of departments and chief executive officers in executive agencies and public bodies will provide the context for improving the performance of top level public officials by clarifying the performance standards, modes of operation and the deliverables for which and to whom, they will be held accountable.
• Strengthening and enforcement of accountability mechanisms for Corporate Bodies

There are over 165 active public bodies in Jamaica which comprise statutory bodies and authorities as well as government owned companies which collectively represent an important subset of the public sector and are integral to the development and implementation of a number of key policy objectives. We will develop a corporate governance framework through which the procedures for appointment to these boards and their working arrangements are open and transparent. We will also establish the context to clarify their operations as it relates to their responsibility and accountability relationships.

• Reformation of Parliament to enhance its representativeness and accountability by strengthening its capacity to oversee governance and accountability systems and to ensure that it has the requisite capacity to deliver on its responsibilities.
• Strengthening of anti-corruption and ethics systems

  Whilst improvements have been made in combating corruption, further targeted actions will be taken to tackle this problem and to establish ethical standards and procedures for the public sector. Strategies to be introduced will include:

  • the involvement of public and civil servants in continuous debates and activities to publicize the effects of corruption and identify methods to shape an honest and accountable government;
  • Revision of procedures for appointment systems for “sensitive posts”
  • Introduction of legislation to protect “whistleblowers” that uncover corrupt practices
  • Reformation of our libel and slander laws to empower the press to pursue investigative journalism that will expose wrongdoing
  • Provision for the impeachment of public officials that engage in corrupt practices.
  • Establishment of an operational framework for ethics officers already placed in each Ministry

• Expansion and strengthening of the structures and processes in which citizens can express their rights and obligations as partners in governance
• Ensure that institutions and processes are responsive to the needs of citizens. As part of a major thrust to bring government and its services closer to the people and to engage them in its provision, we will develop a decentralization policy which will help to:
  • Further decentralise functions to local government to bring decision-making processes closer to citizens
  • Promote greater participation of citizens in decision making
  • Build capacity at local levels to ensure that local bodies are fully equipped to perform their assigned responsibilities.