Press Conference held on Monday 13th April, 2015.

On the Panel

o Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Premier
o Hon. Franz Manderson, Deputy Governor
o Ms Mary Rodrigues, Chief Advisor, Strategic Reforms
o Kieran Stigant , Special Advisor to the Premier

The Premier restated the Government’s commitment to driving forward changes to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of government activity. Project Future is the program to deliver those changes.

The agenda for change will be set by the Government’s political priorities. In that context, the Government has welcomed the EY report as a useful stimulus to its thinking, providing a helpful challenge to existing ways of working. The recommendations from EY are a toolkit from which we can draw as we develop our own program.

While we remain committed to taking the time necessary to get things right, we are already able to show progress in a number of important areas.

Progress – an Office of the Ombudsman

Cabinet has agreed that the case for an Office of the Ombudsman and bringing together the work of the Complaints Commission and the Information
Commission Office should progress to the next stage. This central office will also take on police public complaints and the provision of services as required by the new data protection bill. A business case is currently being drawn up for the change.

Progress – Sale of Surplus Property

The Government will be moving ahead with the sale of certain excess property holdings. However, as previously announced by the Premier, the Government will not be supporting the EY recommendation to sell the Government Administration Building. The development of a proper business case for a program of such sales is underway.

Progress – Merger of Schools on the Brac

Caucus has considered proposals for the merger of schools in the Brac and we have asked the Chief Officer to look at further options. Detailed proposals are being drawn up which will be brought forward to the communities affected in due course.

Progress – More Effective Government Communications

The announcement made by the Government in respect of not following EY’s recommendation to sell off Radio Cayman has sometimes been portrayed as an example of inaction by the Government. In fact EY also recommended changes to the GIS. The Government has responded to both recommendations by initiating work to bring together and modernize the whole of Government communication activity in order to make it more effective. Experts from the UK will be with us shortly to help move that project forward.

Progress – Raising the retirement Age to 65

The Government has approved the proposal to raise the retirement age within the civil service to age 65, and is now considering business case options for implementation.

Progress – Creation of a single Public Utilities Commission

The Government is minded to progress the EY proposal for a single Public Utilities Commission to act as regulator. This is a complex change that will include necessary changes to relevant legislation. We have recently appointed an external consultant with the expertise needed to develop the proposals to the next stage.

Progress – Developing Effective Civil Service Support Arrangements

Once Cabinet selects the projects that will fall under the Project Future umbrella, the public service, under the leadership of the Deputy Governor, will be responsible for implementation.
In October, 2014, Cabinet approved the establishment of a new unit, within the Office of the Deputy Governor, to provide strategic oversight and implementation support to the Deputy Governor and Chief Officers and their project teams. The unit is led by Mrs Mary Rodrigues, in a new role as Chief Advisor, Strategic Reforms (Mrs Rodrigues previous posts include appointments as Chief Officer of PoCS and the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs).

The SRIU’s mission is as follows:
To establish an effective implementation framework for Public Service reform initiatives, and oversee, guide and monitor its successful delivery by Ministry project teams, to achieve a consistent, best-practice approach to strategic change.

Key areas of progress to date include:
• PMO (the SRIU) established, staffed and operationalized
• Governance structure developed and Project Future Steering Committee established (Chaired by the Deputy Governor, and includes senior civil service representatives, representatives from the private sector and the Civil Service Association, the Premier’s Representative, and the Head of Procurement, Head of E-Government and the Chief Advisor as Ex-Officio members).
• Implementation strategy developed.
• Portfolio and Project level methodologies developed.
• Guidance, tools and templates to support Chief Officers and project teams underway.
• 3 Technical Advisory Working Groups established, with government and private sector volunteers, to research and document best practice and lessons learned in areas such as outsourcing and mergers, to support project managers.
• A Risk Management Working Group established, to develop standard risk language, templates and practices, to support project managers and build capacity within the service.
• Training facilitated for over 75 civil servants in project management fundamentals and project management software, including Chief Officers and ministry/department staff.
• Consultations and presentations to a wide range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Auditor General, the Civil Service Association, Chief
Officers, private sector experts, The OTs Governors and Heads of Civil Services.

Key Next Steps:

• Supporting the political/public sector interface as Cabinet defines the scope of Project Future
• Preparing for programme mobilisation
• Partnering with the Civil Service College for further training opportunities
Some key statements from the Deputy Governor’s remarks:
“I know that I also speak for the Hon Premier and his government when I say that, as proposals for change are considered, it is absolutely critical that we give due consideration to the potential impact on civil servants and their families.”
“The establishment of the SRIU is a significant development, as we have have recognised the need for a coordinated approach, dedicated resources and a robust implementation framework, to give our projects the best possible chance of success”.
“Through the work of our Project Future Steering Committee and the SRIU, we are also working to deliver an approach that will help address weaknesses in the governance and management of projects that continue to be highlighted by the auditor General.”
“Through Project Future we have an opportunity to establish new expectations for the way we do business and to build capacity within the public service to deliver. Through Project Future we have an opportunity to reimagine ourselves, rather than to just make incremental changes.”

Progress – Putting in Place necessary Political Support Arrangements

In parallel with the development of new support arrangements in the Civil Service, Kieran Stigant has been appointed on a 12 month contract to act as special adviser to the Premier, Cabinet and Caucus. Kieran brings with him a wealth of relevant expertise and experience from his career as a Chief Officer and then Chief Executive in one of the UK’s largest local authorities, including the leadership of a program that delivered over 100m pounds of savings over three years.

Kieran has a distinct role, providing advice and support to the Premier, Caucus and Cabinet and providing a bridge between the ambitions set by us as the political leaders of Government and the delivery responsibilities of the civil service.

A short biography of Kieran Stigant is set out below.

Kieran Stigant is a graduate of Oxford University and a qualified Public Finance Accountant. He spent 27 years in UK local Government including 12 years as a Chief Officer and then 3 ½ years as Chief Executive at West Sussex County Council.

Kieran has also contributed widely to the development of UK policy and practice. He was a member of two Think Tank studies by the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives – one on community planning and one on organizational development. He has acted as an expert advisor to a research project from the New Local Government Network on choice in public services.