Whether or not the public service was genuinely capable of delivering what was asked of it was the thrust of the amendment placed by Marc Laine and seconded by Mark Helyar.
‘For almost a decade our senior leadership and core structures have barely changed. Reporting lines, accountability, organisational design and relationships with the chief executive and politicians remain unclear,’ said Deputy Laine.
This led to senior management being almost impossible to be held to account, he said.
Deputy Laine, in his third term as a politician, said had been struck at the lack of ownership, transparency and coordination since taking on his role leading the States’ new IT advisory panel.
It was not an issue of whether or not reform was affordable, it was whether or not taking no action was affordable, he said.
The estimated cost of putting this programme of reform into effect was estimated in the amendment as being from £150,000 to £250,000.
Deputy John Gollop said that this was ‘a bargain’ given what was being proposed.
Deputy Helyar said it would be great if the States could support the amendment unanimously to give Mr Smillie its complete support to review the service.
‘I think it’s certainly acknowledged behind closed doors that getting rid of chief officers was probably an error, because it leads to a lack of the ability for there to be a cultural top-to-bottom change when those sorts of changes need to happen.’
While supporting the principle of the amendment, Economic Development president Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said she found it rather generic.
It set out to change the culture, but the amendment did mention that the chief executive could ask for information from external consultants ‘where genuinely necessary’, which she said she found ironic.
There were some skilled people in the island and bringing in an external resource did not need to mean money, said Deputy Yvonne Burford.
Policy & Resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez backed the amendment and said that it was right that this was already a mandate of P&R and the chief executive, but as Deputy Helyar had said, this was an opportunity for the States to put on record its backing for this mandate and for what was a tough job that needed strong political support.
The amendment was approved by all 37 members in the chamber.
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