New head of the public service is being sought by the States

The States has started advertising for a ‘highly credible leader’ to take up the new role of the head of the public service, with a salary in the region of £190,000 per annum.

The creation of the role follows work carried out by the Policy & Resources Committee to review the previous chief executive position.

Mark De Garis – the previous strategic lead for people policy – has been the interim chief executive of Guernsey’s Policy and Resources Committee since last August, when Paul Whitfield was removed from the role.

Policy & Resources president Peter Ferbrache and vice-president Deputy Heidi Soulsby met last week to discuss the post and revealed later, at a Scrutiny Management Committee hearing, that the job specifications had been agreed by the committee.

Deputy Ferbrache said then that an appointment should be made ‘by the end of July, all being well’.

One of Mr Whitfield’s primary responsibilities was to oversee the implementation of the Financial Transformation Programme.

At the scrutiny hearing, Deputy Ferbrache said FTP had not been as successful as had been hoped.

‘It was ill thought-out when it was started off,’ he said.

He had supported the FTP at the time, as president of the States’ Trading Supervisory Board, but was assuming there was more detail than subsequently he found, he said.

‘Once the surface was scratched, there was very little substance,’ he said.

Mr Whitfield was removed from post last August having been chief executive of the States since 2013.

He was leading a programme of public sector reform, which had promised some 200 job losses, but it is understood that frustration about the speed of delivery of that change was a major factor in his departure.

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A 10-year public service reform strategy was approved by the States six years ago.

At the time Deputy Ferbrache said in a statement that the committee ‘recognised the need for a change in senior leadership and have taken action to bring this about’.

Mr Whitfield was awarded the OBE in 2020 in recognition of his 40-year career in the armed forces and public sector in the UK and Guernsey.

No details have been published about the financial terms of his departure.

BOX

Head of the Public Service

The role is the most senior officer of the States of Guernsey, which has a workforce of approximately 5,000 employees. The postholder is also responsible for ensuring that the States’ Assembly and its committees have access to high quality objective advice, support and expertise to discharge their responsibilities and duties.

The right candidate will have an excellent understanding of the States of Guernsey constitution, a proven track record of strategic leadership experience within a large, complex organisation, and evidence of relationship management with a range of stakeholders including politicians.

They will also have the ability to set, maintain and model the highest standards of professional and ethical behaviour.

The deadline for applying is 17 June.

More information about the role and the current recruitment drive can be found at www.gov.gg/headofpublicservice.