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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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The following are 10 of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the transformation of the Public Sector:

Why is the Public Sector being rationalised and restructured?
How was the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) established and when did the Unit begin its work?
What is the mandate of the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU)?
How is the PSTU monitored?
How will the transformation process be carried out?
There have been other transformation initiatives before. What is different about this one?
How will GOJ workers and the public as a whole be informed of the progress being made by the PSTU?
How will the PSTU ensure that workers will be treated fairly in this process?
How is the Public Sector transformation being funded?
How will this benefit the country?

1. Why is the Public Sector being rationalised and restructured?

The Public Sector is being rationalised to ensure that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have a clear vision, mission and mandate to avoid overlapping and duplication of functions and focus on precisely what Government should do. It is being restructured to ensure that all MDAs have the right set of skills and competencies to execute their roles and functions in an effective and efficient way. In this way, the Public Sector can be more responsive to the needs of the people we serve, improve service delivery, use public resources more effectively and efficiently, and be held accountable.

2. How was the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) established and when did the Unit begin its work?

The Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) was established within the Cabinet Office on November 16, 2009. This was effected by Cabinet Decision # 49/09, dated November 2, 2009, which stated Cabinet’s decision to rationalize the Public Sector. It is the PSTU’s mission to establish an efficient, responsive and cost-effective framework of operations for the public sector through extensive analyses, stakeholder consultations and social dialogue to promote good governance that will facilitate national growth and development.

3. What is the mandate of the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU)?

The mandate of the PSTU is "To lead, monitor, evaluate and facilitate the implementation of the restructuring of the public sector for efficient, effective and economical Government."

4. How is the PSTU monitored?

The PSTU is monitored by a Consultative Monitoring Group (CMG), comprising representatives of Government, private sector, trade unions, and academia and is chaired by Mr. Peter Moses, a banker. The CMG will review and advise the PSTU on the strategies for implementation of the recommendations and monitor the progress.

5. How will the transformation process be carried out?

There are two major components within the transformation of the public sector: research and recommendations and implementation.

Research and Recommendations:

The first exercise conducted by the PSTU involved Permanent Secretaries (PSs) examining their respective portfolio Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). They were asked to review the functions of their specific Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and to decide on one of six options: retention and restructuring, transfer, merger, abolition, divestment/privatisation and contracting out.

Matrices were constructed based on the recommendations from the PSs and signed off by the respective Ministers.
On review of the matrices, and in consultation with all PSs, additional modifications were done to inform the drafting of the Public Sector Master Rationalisation Plan (MRP).
The option decided upon for each entity also benefited from research to inform “best practices” and generally, what obtains in other jurisdictions, primarily, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Botswana, Ghana and the Caribbean, mainly Barbados and Trinidad. Special attention was focused on countries of the Commonwealth to adopt and adapt, where possible, best practices that would enhance the general functioning of the Public Sector. Special consideration was given to Jamaica’s unique characteristics. Therefore, in some instances, adjustments were made that are dissimilar to conventional placements and practices in other jurisdictions. A holistic view adopted in the alignment/placement of Entities.
The MRP was reviewed by the CMG and the report presented to the Cabinet for approval in March 2010.
It was tabled in Parliament as a Green Paper on July 20, 2010, to allow for public debate and referred to the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) for consideration and report.
The PAAC invited feedback, in the form of written and oral submissions, from the public and private sectors, and civil society and concluded its deliberations and presented its Report to Parliament on December 21, 2010.
The MRP was approved by Cabinet on May 2, 2011 and is now a White Paper that expresses the policy for transforming the Public Sector.

Implementation:

The implementation of the recommendations in the MRP began on July 1, 2011, and is the responsibility of all Permanent Secretaries, including the Cabinet Secretary and the Financial Secretary. The process of change is being facilitated within all MDAs through Transformation Steering Committees (TSCs) and Inter-Disciplinary Transformation Teams (IDTTs):

TSCs: oversee implementation throughout Ministries and portfolio Entities. TSC members include the Ministry’s PS (Chair) and Heads of Entities within the Ministry's portfolio.
IDTTs: manage the change process by identifying and implementing the transformation activities in the Ministries and portfolio Entities. IDTT members include HR practitioners, communication specialists, IT specialists, union representatives and staff at all levels of the organisation.

A three-phased Implementation Plan has been developed, reflecting the prioritisation of activities critical to the successful execution of the transformation initiatives. These involve:

Phase 1 (Laying the Foundation):

Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Cabinet Office, Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing, Environment and Water.
Technical and economic reviews of the current Public Sector ICT infrastructure towards the development of the Government of Jamaica Network Infrastructure (GovNet).
Development of the governance framework and institutional arrangements for Shared Corporate Services.
Rationalisation of space occupied by Government entities.
Development of governance and institutional framework for a consolidated science, technology and innovation institute.

Phase 2 (Supporting Economic Growth):

Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture; Ministry of Tourism; Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Ministry of Energy and Mining; and Ministry of Agriculture.
Development of the institutional framework for the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Phase 3 (Consolidation & Learning):

Evaluation of the implementation.
Lessons learned.

It should be noted that while the implementation phases overlap chronologically, the separation of activities by time will not be exact. The work to be undertaken in each phase represents the activities to be facilitated by the PSTU deemed necessary to kick start the transformation. The expectation is that the MDAs will follow through on the work started and the established central coordinating Units will ensure sustainability.

Ministries such as Education, Health, Justice, National Security and the Department of Local Government are already implementing their various transformation agenda, which will continue. Therefore, although some Ministries and their portfolio Entities are not named specifically, all MDAs are expected to rationalise and restructure their respective Entities for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness.

6. There have been other transformation initiatives before. What is different about this one?

Previous modernisation efforts, focused on targeted areas of Government for improvement, the creation of Executive Agencies and other specific governance issues. The Public Sector Transformation Initiative addresses the whole of Government to include a comprehensive rationalization and restructuring of the Public Sector. The approach adopted in the transformation process is a holistic one, which entails the entire Public Sector and NOT just Central Government.

The review of the Public Sector has identified areas where there are duplications and overlaps of roles and functions, and where functions are being performed that should not be undertaken by government. Hence the decision either to merge, transfer, abolish, retain or restructure Entities, and contract out services that can be more efficiently provided by the private sector.

7. How will GOJ workers and the public as a whole be informed of the progress being made by the PSTU?

The PSTU will use several methods and different media to communicate with Public Sector employees and the general public such as:

consultations with Public Sector employees right across the country
the PSTU’s Facebook page
media interviews
news releases
quarterly newsletters
quarterly webcasts
the PSTU’s website

8. How will the PSTU ensure that workers will be treated fairly in this process?

The work of the PSTU is guided by two key principles:

All staff will be treated with dignity and respect.
Clear, equitable and principled guidelines/protocols have been developed for handling all aspects of the transition for staff.

Additionally, the PSTU has formed strategic alliances with human resource management and industrial relations officers within Government, and with representatives of various Trade Unions that represent Government workers, to ensure that the process of transition is transparent, fair and handled sensitively.

9. How is the Public Sector transformation being funded?

The Government of Jamaica has identified some resources to facilitate the transformation of the Public Sector. Additionally, the International Development Partners have been very responsive and have allocated resources – both financial and technical assistance - to various transformation initiatives.

10. How will this benefit the country?

A transformed Public Sector will be client-focused and deliver high quality service at lower transactional costs. It will create an enabling environment to promote economic competitiveness to facilitate national development and growth.

The specific results of a transformed Public Sector include:

The execution of the roles and functions of government, based on its priorities and commitment to the people of Jamaica.
A more pragmatic approach to Public Sector management, based on sound principles of effective management and good governance.
A fully integrated government that facilitates service through information and communication technology.
A change in organizational culture with an increased emphasis on high quality customer service and general improved quality service delivery.
An increased emphasis on building human capital through training, and proper talent and knowledge management.
Improved financial planning and appropriate systems of budgeting and controls that are performance and results oriented.
Managerial autonomy that aligns responsibility to authority and accountability over human resource, and finance and operations management, within a solid Management Accountability Framework.
The Public Sector will be the Employer of choice.

The ultimate goal is the reality of “a transformed cohesive Public Sector that is performance based, efficient, cost effective and service-oriented,” that promotes good governance critical to our achieving Vision 2030, "Jamaica, the place of choice, to live, work, raise families and do business."