Policy & Resources has been warned that it will soon face a States debate if it fails to release details of extensive reforms being led by chief executive Boley Smillie.
The senior committee has stalled on complying with a unanimous instruction issued in January to publish terms of reference for the work and regularly report progress to the States Assembly.
In an article in today’s Guernsey Press, Marc Laine, whose amendment led to that instruction, said that his patience had finally run out, and he gave P&R two to three weeks to tell deputies and the public what was going on.
‘Before the Budget debate in November, I am asking for two things – the terms of reference, or at least a firm date for them, and as clear a picture of the senior roles in the new model as employment constraints allow,’ said Deputy Laine.
‘Islanders now need a date. If one is not forthcoming, I will ask the Assembly to set one, though I would rather not have to.
‘A unanimous resolution of the States deserves an answer, and islanders who have just been asked to pay a new tax [GST] deserve to see that the organisation spending it is being fixed.’
P&R president Lindsay de Sausmarez said that terms of reference which her committee had set for civil service reform would be published ‘within the next few weeks’ and that a progress report would be provided in her next update statement to the Assembly, which is scheduled for 27 January next year.
The overhaul of the civil service, which follows the expensive failure of numerous high-profile projects in recent years, is known to include the replacement of several senior officials and the reintroduction of chief officers of committees.
P&R believed it was right to focus on practical changes to the civil service ahead of complying with the letter of the States resolution. But Deputy Laine claimed the senior committee was denying States members sight of the organisation’s new target operating model which would ultimately determine future success or failure.
‘Changes are being made, but deputies cannot see where they lead,’ said Deputy Laine.
‘For deputies this is an issue because it is deputies, not officials, who answer to the public for how the States performs.’
Should P&R fail to publish terms of reference and a progress report by 24 October, Deputy Laine will need to decide whether to lay an amendment to the Budget to try to force the issue, as a follow up to the States resolution made nine months ago.
‘Even before that resolution, the chief executive had already committed to strengthening accountability and improving the support provided to committees,’ said Deputy de Sausmarez.
‘That reform programme has been progressing steadily over recent months, as the regular public updates have demonstrated, and significant progress has already been made.’
She said P&R remained committed to leading the States’ direction ‘for a programme of organisational reform to deliver improvements in performance, culture and capability across the public service’.