Public engagement is vital to Guernsey's success

It is this that is causing many of our strategies to fail, at the cost of millions of pounds to the taxpayer, because of poor engagement.

If we are serious as an island about saving the exchequer money, then we have to get our engagement right. Engagement creates evidence which drives excellence in our communities.

Take for example the waste strategy, which took years of research, consultancy and civil service time and still seems nowhere near being finalised let alone implemented. A decade on from the incinerator debacle, the Mont Cuet landfill site has almost reached capacity and we are no nearer to a solution.

Then there is the doomed transport strategy, which had, to its credit, many good points yet failed at the last hurdle. Two prime examples of strategies which lost their way because certain shareholders did not feel listened to and included.

But what effect is this lack of strategic direction having?

The latest e-census has shown a decline in our population and a stagnating property market with sluggish sales. To the outside observer, it might look as if people are starting to vote with their feet. But why is this? Is it because many regard the cost of living over here as too expensive? Or is there a much more profound reason?

My personal view is that the island in which I grew up has lost its way. It has lost its vision of what it wants to be and apathy has become one of its most insidious enemies. It has also lost sight of what its values are. We have been too preoccupied with making money. Has Guernsey in the process forgotten what our true shared values are?

Without vision, we cannot see, we lose our bearings and our direction. Above all we lose our sense of purpose and in an increasingly competitive world, that is very dangerous in terms of survival of our economy.

If I were to ask what Guernsey's social, economic and environmental strategic priorities were, I bet most readers would not be able to define them. Even if you were able to define one or two, I wonder whether you could tell me what the desired outcomes are, whether they are clear and understandable, how they are measured and when we will achieve them.

We also have a lot of information or data stored away in systems which can help us inform our strategic direction and decision-making.

However, we often do not possess the ability to use that information intelligently to inform our decision-making and measure our strategic performance. It is like having a library full of books, but unfortunately we have not yet learnt to read.

If Guernsey is to succeed then it needs to address this issue quickly and stop prevaricating. It has to invest in using the data it has intelligently, asking the right questions, at the right time, and if it doesn't have the data then it needs to engage with its shareholders to answer these points.

There is no point interrogating data if it does not add value or assist in creating positive outcomes.

Even if we have good strategies and performance management systems, our culture needs to understand and support them. Our culture is the 'glue' which either holds our society together or causes it to fall apart. Our culture includes our vision, our values, our behaviours and attitudes. Strategy simply states an intent, it is culture that habitualises it.

There is a more pronounced rich/poor divide in this island than in many other societies. We may be an affluent island, but what good is being rich when those we depend on to keep our streets clean, provide our care in old age and other essential services cannot afford to feed themselves and their families? We have a minimum wage, but not a living wage, and many have to hold down more than two jobs simply to make ends meet. Sometimes people are too busy making ends meet to worry about the future and fill in a consultation.

It is partly this social division, and the mentality of the 'I'm alright Jacks and Jackies', which leads to the apathy that threatens our sustainable future and a caring society. But apathy is also felt by those who are hard working and feel they have lost their voice.

It is sometimes when we are comfortable that we lose sight of what it is important and what our shared values are. We may have many people who care about our island, but what beliefs and values underpin our island?

The other key ingredient in this mix is trust. Without honesty, openness and transparency, you will not have trust. Without trust, communication breaks down, as do relationships, and fear and suspicion reign, which brings me back to the problem of engagement. If people are too fearful to speak up, or suspicious because trust has broken down, then apathy prevails and we get nowhere fast.

Engagement creates the evidence which in turn drives excellence. Without it we cannot make the right decisions, at the right time, and achieve the right outcomes.

Guernsey's future success and prosperity, for each and every islander, depends on having that engagement and conversation. Government is trying through the Community Survey and other consultation exercises to reach out to citizens about their experiences of our public services and what can be done to improve them.

However, without a clear, agreed vision and clearly defined and prioritised strategic aims and outcomes, without a set of shared values, we will continue to struggle to move forward.

It is the job of all of us as shareholders to play a part in coming forward with solutions to the problems we face, engaging with our community, building bridges with one another and not burning them. It is about empowering each and every one of us, including our most vulnerable, to find their voice and have their say. It is then the job of government to listen and translate that into our future vision, value-based strategy and implement and monitor it. Providing that direction and clarity of purpose will be the biggest challenge of our next States Assembly in May 2016.

Finally, I remember a recent argument breaking out between two politicians about who was talking the most. The point missed was that it should not be about who is talking the most, but who is listening the most – for without listening to each other, we cannot see or build that vision and without that we will continue to lose direction.

MARTIN GAVET,

Ty Cariad,

Mont Morin,

St Sampson's,

GY2 4JB.