GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin along with Deputy Governor and Head of Civil Service Hon. Franz Manderson have delivered a message to members of the Civil Service of the Cayman Islands.

The message, which is attached, thanks civil servants for their dedication and hard work over the past two years and encourages them to keep up the successes as Government passes this mid-term and works toward the future and continued betterment of the country.

A Message to the Civil Service from the Premier and the Deputy Governor

Dear Colleague,

We are writing to you as this Administration passes the mid-point of its current term and marks a good time to reflect on what has been achieved over the past two years. It is a time to look ahead at the challenges that these Islands face and to chart the course that the Government will need to take to meet those challenges.

We want to thank you for the success the Government has enjoyed over the last two years. The first half of this Administration’s term has been dominated by the need to return the country to economic growth and to restore Government finances to stability. In those twin tasks we have been very successful. We recognise that this success is down to the hard work and sacrifices that civil servants have made to deliver our goals. We are grateful to each and every one of you.

Beyond those big, headline achievements we are constantly encouraged by the success you achieve every day in making life better for the people we serve. Over the last few weeks we worked on producing the Government’s mid-term report, which highlights a host of accomplishments right across Government and its agencies. It was a privilege to be able to lay that report before the Legislative Assembly and to demonstrate publicly the positive results that stem from the hard work you do on behalf of the people of these Islands.

That track record of success should inspire confidence as we face the future. It is clear that there are significant challenges ahead. Economic success is fragile and we need to redouble our efforts to support private sector growth. Government finances are inherently volatile and we need to create a financial strategy that is robust enough while enabling us to invest in the things our country needs for the future.

Perhaps most importantly, we need to ensure that the benefits of economic prosperity are appropriately shared across all parts of society. That means we need to do more to empower Caymanians in the economy either in accessing the labour market or as entrepreneurs. We need to make sure public services, which are funded through economic success, are delivered efficiently and effectively and we need to be willing to take action to tackle some of the big issues these Islands still face such as dealing more sustainably with our waste.

Despite our success over the last two years we cannot afford to relax. Indeed, we must be prepared to do even more if we are to continue to succeed. The challenges we face are complex and do not fall neatly into our Ministerial boundaries, so we need to work better across Government The needs of the people we serve will change, meaning we need to be more flexible and responsive. The resources we have will continue to be limited so we have to maximize the value we create for every dollar we spend.

We recognise that Government needs to change. We have already begun this process and many of you have already been involved.

Cabinet has already shown it is willing to tackle important issues. We will deliver a minimum wage regime for Cayman, we have put in train electoral reform to achieve one person one vote and we have demonstrated our willingness to invest in much needed infrastructure improvements.

Within the Civil Service, the Deputy Governor has led the new customer programme to ensure services are truly centered on our people. He and Councillor Alva Suckoo have established the E­ Government programme to ensure Government takes advantage of the opportunities new technologies give us to improve services and deliver efficiencies. He has also started the work needed to change our approach to procurement An overarching vision for the future of the Civil Service is being created and will be the subject of future communication from the Deputy Governor.

Together we have created and implemented Project Future, which will streamline Government, control costs and achieve more efficient and effective public services. Many of the projects within that programme are now under way and more will follow in the coming months.

All these things will impact you and will require the organisation and its staff to change. We are committed to engaging you positively in the changes that will affect you.lfthe demands of your role change, we will ensure you get the training you need to meet those new demands.

We also recognise that we too need to change. Cabinet and senior civil servants need to find new, more productive ways of working and we have committed to a joint development programme that will facilitate the changes we need to make. By working differently, we believe we can unlock the potential that Government has to transform its operation for the benefit of all the people of these Islands.

Our writing jointly to you is an unusual step, but it is an important one. We are proud of the work you do and we are committed to making the changes that are necessary to ensure that Government can achieve even more in the future.

Thank you for all you do.