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Your Transformation Questions Answered

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20 Questions from the First Webcast

The following questions were asked during the PSTU’s first webcast on September 21, 2011.

You can submit your questions about the transformation of the Public Sector via our email at pstu@cabinet.gov.jm.

Is there a plan and, if so, has the plan been shared with the targeted audience who are to implement the change?
How will the transformation process affect persons employed in the Public Sector but are under- or not qualified?
When will the laying off of staff begin?
Is there any option for workers to apply for voluntary redundancy?
Is there a policy geared towards engaging persons in discussions in those organisations that are slated to be merged?
Will the Registrar General Department (RGD) be merging with any other agency?
How will the transformation of the public sector impact HEART/Trust NTA staff?
Will institutions like the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) be given the go ahead to separate the Air Traffic Services from the regulatory arm?
What are the three main criteria for this transformation process?
If the Government created Executive Agencies and statutory bodies, why rationalise now?
Is age being considered a factor in the rationalisation?
How will the transformation affect type C executive agencies?
With our limited funds how will the Government provide the necessary resources for this effective and efficient Public Sector?
Will the transformation take into consideration improvements in working conditions and benefits?
How do the PSTU and its operations affect any agency's restructuring exercise that may be on the way?
What authority does the PSTU have to ensure that the implementers follow the guidelines outlined?
What compensation will government provide once those desired efficiencies have been achieved in the Public Sector?
In keeping with the Prime Minister’s goal for gaining greater efficiency, what will be used as the measures of efficiency?
How will the process affect information technology departments in the various agencies?
Should the minutes of the IDTT meetings be distributed to other members of staff who are not members of the teams?

1.Is there a plan and, if so, has the plan been shared with the targeted audience who are to implement the change?

Yes, there is a plan in place that guides the transformation of the Public Sector. This is the Public Sector Master Rationalisation Plan (MRP). 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. The MRP has been shared with the entire public sector through the various Permanent Secretaries in the Ministries for distribution to their respective Departments and Agencies. The MRP is also available for viewing from the PSTU’s website at http://www.cabinet.gov.jm/public_sector_transformation/mrp.

2. How will the transformation process affect persons employed in the Public Sector but are under- or not qualified?

Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should provide opportunities for staff to be retrained, retooled and redeployed, if necessary. It is also critical that individuals take responsibility for their future within the Public Sector by seizing the opportunities in this regard.

3. When will the laying off of staff begin?

It is too early to definitely comment on this matter. Some dislocation will occur, for example with the implementation of a shared corporate services framework; however a very structured approach is being adopted to deal with this matter.

The focus of the transformation exercise is not on cutting staff but on restructuring the Public Sector for efficient, effectiveness and economical government to realize the vision of “a transformed cohesive Public Sector that is performance-based, efficient, cost effective and service oriented.”

4. Is there any option for workers to apply for voluntary redundancy?

No policy has yet been established for voluntary redundancy related to the transformation exercise. This may arise at a Ministry/Agency level and it would be the decision of a Permanent Secretary or Head of Agency as to whether this is a strategy to be pursued.

5. Is there a policy geared towards engaging persons in discussions in those organisations that are slated to be merged?

This should be an undertaking of the IDTT within the merging entities (i.e. one team should be put together). The process for obtaining appropriate input from staff would then apply.

6. Will the Registrar General Department (RGD) be merging with any other agency?

No. This is not a recommendation of the Master Rationalisation Plan (MRP).

7. How will the transformation of the public sector impact HEART/Trust NTA staff?

The MRP recommends that the HEART Trust should be merged with the Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL). This matter is being pursued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and is currently being discussed at the level of the Permanent Secretary, Heads of Entities and the Boards. Staff of both Entities will be included in the deliberations at an appropriate time.

8. Will institutions like the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) be given the go ahead to separate the Air Traffic Services from the regulatory arm?

There are no specific recommendations for the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) in the Master Rationalisation Plan (MRP); Each Entity, however, is expected to establish an Interdisciplinary Transformation Team (IDTT) that will be the mechanism through which strategies can emerge to improve efficiency and productivity in the Organisation.

9. What are the three main criteria for this transformation process?

The development of the recommendations for the transformation of the Public Sector was guided by a determination of “what Government should do and pay for; what government must pay for, but does not have to do; and what Government should not do and should not pay for” (Osborne and Plastrik 1997).

Importantly, the rationalisation was guided by the imperative for a Jamaican Public Sector that is service oriented, results-based and guided by appropriate accountability mechanisms and which, therefore, provides an enabling environment for the achievement of Vision 2030: “Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business.”

10. If the Government created Executive Agencies and statutory bodies, why rationalise now?

The success of previous reform efforts is indeed seen in the establishment of Executive Agencies and Statutory Bodies. The Transformation exercise, however, focuses on the entire Public Sector. This includes the 16 Ministries and 230 Entities, including Departments, Statutory Bodies, Executive Agencies and Limited Liability Companies. The reasons for rationalisation are obvious, chief among them are the following:

Overlapping and duplication of mandates and functions;
Organizations and structures that are no longer relevant;
Shifts in mandate and core functions;
Archaic systems and structures;
Out-dated statutes;
High wage bill relative to GDP;
Lack of appropriate technology;
Lack of inter and intra-Ministry collaboration; and
Limited financial and material resources.

11. Is age being considered a factor in the rationalisation?

No, age is not being considered a factor in the rationalisation. The process is one that will look at the relevance of posts to allow the organisation to carry out is functions. The best persons will be selected to occupy these posts based on skills, competence and experience; not on age. Age becomes relevant in the normal process of retirement.

12. How will the transformation affect type C executive agencies?

All entities are required to form an IDTT to look specifically at areas/services that could be improved by changing the processes that currently exist.

13. With our limited funds how will the Government provide the necessary resources for this effective and efficient Public Sector?

A more effective and efficient Public Sector will result in savings to the Government in the medium to long term. Whereas Government will be required to identify resources, the International Development Partner (IDP) community has been very responsive to the transformation process and have been allocating resources to various aspects of the implementation.

14. Will the transformation take into consideration improvements in working conditions and benefits?

Yes, the transformation is taking into considering improvements in working conditions and benefits. This is being facilitated through the IDTTs, which are mandated to identify all potential areas for improvement. Improvements in working conditions should be part of the assessment as they directly impact levels of productivity.

As it pertains to improvements in pay levels this cannot be addressed through the IDTTs, albeit that some suggested workplace/process improvements may impact on what type/level of compensation that should be in place, especially if the new processes will demand higher skill requirements.

15. How do the PSTU and its operations affect any agency's restructuring exercise that may be on the way?

Entities already undergoing modernisation and restructuring are expected to continue on this path, as long as the exercises are compatible with the principles and objectives of the transformation process. There are many examples of where this is occurring, such as in the transformation/modernisation programmes in the Ministries of Health, Education and National Security, and in the Local Government reform process.

16. What authority does the PSTU have to ensure that the implementers follow the guidelines outlined?

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.” While the PSTU may not have direct control over Entities, its authority comes from the decision of Cabinet to establish the Unit with the stated mandate.

17. What compensation will government provide once those desired efficiencies have been achieved in the Public Sector?

The benefits of a more efficient, productive Public Sector must benefit the country as a whole, which in turn will accrue to Public Officers who are also citizens of the country. Additionally, the Minister with responsibility for the Public Service has indicated the intention for future wage negotiations to be linked to the level of productivity in the Sector.

18. In keeping with the Prime Minister’s goal for gaining greater efficiency, what will be used as the measures of efficiency?

The determination of the measures of efficiency is to be given priority attention, with the assistance of the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC). Some measures are generic, but others will be Entity specific, linked to the respective mandates and the services provided.

19. How will the process affect information technology departments in the various agencies?

Currently ICT penetration and sophistication varies widely across Government Entities, with no common standards, protocols, platforms or systems in place to provide a framework for operations. The use of appropriate technology is therefore a major thrust of the transformation process. To this end a number of strategies are being employed and initiatives pursued.

It is recommended in the MRP that the provision of ICT services across Government be consolidated and that responsibility reside in Fiscal Services Limited (FSL), which will be appropriately renamed and restructured to provide this service. The renamed Entity will lead the development and implementation of ICT strategies, framework and solutions for the GOJ, so as to eliminate duplication of functions and processes, create standardisation, leverage economies of scale, reduce costs and increase productivity and efficiency within Government.
The Central Information Technology Office (CITO) will be strengthened to carry out its role of ICT policy development, monitoring and evaluation. A Chief Information Officer (CIO) will be appointed to take responsibility for the ICT functions for the GOJ.
The Government of Jamaica Network Infrastructure (GovNet) is to be implemented and it is envisioned to be the vehicle through which information interoperability and seamless transfer of information between Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other stakeholders is realised. It will facilitate the harmonization of ICT infrastructure and systems across the Public Sector, thereby strengthening the capacity of public institutions to deliver efficient and effective public goods and services. Over time, the mechanism will provide a suite of on-line services to the public, thus increasing the ease of doing business with Government. As a first step, a comprehensive technical and economic review is being undertaken, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank.
As part of the transformation exercise, the use of a common application to support the Human Resource Management function across Government is being pursued. When this system is implemented it will allow for, among other things, more efficient, more accurate storage, processing and retrieval of HR data across the Sector and the easier identification of the talent pool within Entities.
A Shared Corporate Services modality is being proposed for the Information Technology support function across Government. This means that the ICT support will be provided to MDAs from an external Entity set up with the specific purpose of providing tis and other “back office” services. This will have implications for the deployment of ICT staff within the Sector. For the shared services concept to work well, Government will need to invest in appropriate technology. ICT will therefore play a critical in the automation of the back office processes, to ensure better delivery of services through the Shared Corporate Service Entities.
As various initiatives are implemented, training of staff will be an essential component of the process and therefore will be given the attention required.

20. Should the minutes of the IDTT meetings be distributed to other members of staff who are not members of the teams?

Yes, the minutes of the IDTT meetings must be distributed to the general staff population. This is part of an effective communication effort to ensure that all staff members are aware of what is taking place and can contribute ideas/suggestions to the process.