Winds of Change for BVI Civil Service

As part of his continuing effort to ensure the success of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), His Excellency Governor Frank Savage hosted a luncheon for leaders and members of the Change Teams on Friday March 17th at the Prospect Reef Hotel. The Change Teams are made up of key officers within the various government departments and they are basically responsible for driving forward the process of public sector reform.

The PSDP was launched in November 1998 and is aimed at enhancing the delivery of service to the public. The government has contracted the Trinidadian firm of Ernst & Young to conduct an ongoing study reviewing the service and making recommendations for its improving. The Governor, as Head of the Civil Service, has taken a keen interest in this programme. He has commissioned a group within the service called The Young Professionals to prepare a paper on service to the sister islands. This report will soon be ready for presentation to His Excellency. Speaking at the luncheon, Deputy Governor Mr. Elton Georges said he recognizes the luncheon as the Governor's way of conveying and assuring everyone of his continuing and abiding interest in the Public Sector Development Programme to the end.

He said the Change Teams are the backbone of this process and therefore, this was an opportunity to take time out to focus on the members. "We've had change before...since the 1960s when we embarked on Ministerial government and coming all the way up to this point, we, of course, have evolved and changed as we went along in response to various pressures in the environment in which we operate," the Deputy Governor said. However, he noted several differences, including the fact that the recognition luncheon was being held and the attempt to build the change process from the grassroots upwards using the Change Teams as the main tool. "We have never in all our changing that we have done before, which has been mainly un-planned or short-termed or ad hoc, we have never attempted to do it in the way that we are doing now and that's what's different about this change," Mr. Georges stated. In introducing His Excellency the Governor, PSDP Coordinator Mrs. Lorna Smith said he has constantly demonstrated his commitment to the development of the civil service; he demands very high standards and a quick response.

For his part, he again commended all public servants who were involved in the recent Royal Visit to the British Virgin Islands. "We set extremely high standards in preparation for the visit and in how it was carried out and His Royal Highness was extremely impressed, I was very proud and I would like to thank all of you who played a part..." He said he was struck by how well the arrangements were executed and told the public servants that this should be a model for the quality of service delivered at all times to members of the public, who pay their salaries. "We have 20, 000 VIP's in the British Virgin Islands. Every member of the public should expect the same standards as we provided for His Royal Highness and I would hope that you would actually give a higher standard to some of the more humble people in the territory who come to you for professional service."

His Excellency singled out the Deputy Governor, the PSDP Coordinator and the Director of Financial Services and thanked them for the work they do as part of the top management team for Public Sector Development. He said they meet regularly to review the programme and to give advice on what they would like to see in the next phase and without the dedication of these three extremely professional BVI senior public servants, this programme would not have reached thus far. "I would like to thank each of the Change Team leaders and all members of their teams for the dedication that you are putting into this extremely important exercise and this lunch today is designed to bring us together to discuss the issues, discuss the pace we are going at, but particularly to give me an opportunity to thank you for all you've done up to this moment in time," he stated. The Governor said he is pleased that the Change Teams are not just along ministerial/departmental lines, but are rather cross functional. He said one of the difficulties in the BVI, as in most civil services, is the failure of officials to communicate effectively with their colleagues, working on parallel projects, in adjoining ministries. "So, we're setting the example with the Change Teams, that we are looking at how we can develop and improve cross departmental cooperation in the public service."

Governor Savage recognized that it has not been easy for members of the Change Teams, as they have had to undertake more responsibility in addition to their regular work. From the first phase of the Public Sector Development Programme, His Excellency said he was pleased to see the enthusiasm for which change is coming through the public service. He said there appears to be readiness and willingness on the part of each public servant to adopt change. The Diagnostic Review Report and the Strategic Planning Report in particular, indicate such willingness and encompass the views of public servants on how they would like to see change. At the end of the first phase, a review of the various reports was conducted and an evaluation of the process up to that point. According to the Governor, one of the important lessons to come out of that was that while they were on track and had made very good worthwhile process, more time needed to be put into the programme, if it were to be a success.

Full-time counterpart staff was therefore appointed to work alongside the consultants. This team comprises Mrs. Rosalie Adams, Mrs. Janice Rymer, Miss Edna Williams, Miss Suzette Vanterpool, Mr. David Archer, Miss Lynette Mactavious and Miss Marva Titley. His Excellency said these are some of the people on whom the success of the programme would very largely depend. Miss Catherine Smith has also been assisting the Coordinator, acting as Assistant to Ernst & Young and will also be working full-time on the programme. These individuals, along with the other Change Team members, were presented with plaques. All public servants should also be getting a letter from His Excellency, routed through Change Teams leaders, wrapping up thoughts on the first stage of the process and looks forward with stated expectations. "What this letter attempts to say is that nobody within the public service should regard themselves as being outside of the consultative process," he explained. He said he would be delighted to see more groups as dedicated as the Young Professionals, coming forward to offer ideas.

The Governor said: "You can do it singly, you can do it as groups, but the one thing that you have to get through to yourselves and to everybody, is that this process isn't going to stop, this process is going to change the face of the public service in the BVI for a long time to come and there will be no good in saying in 6-9 months times 'I didn't have my say'." He urged the Change Teams leaders to have regular staff meetings and to encourage the reticent to think through the issues, in particular, relating to training and career development. "I don't think we've got our training right at the moment with the way the world is developing and there are some exciting prospects opening up, particularly making more use of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College to tailor courses for specializations within the public service," said Governor Savage. There are plans to launch a website next month dedicated specifically to the Public Sector Development Programme. He reminded the public servants that this is not his programme, neither a Minister's or Permanent Secretary's programme, rather it's a programme for the public and private sector, one that would be with the public servants for the remainder of their careers. He said he is a mere catalyst for bringing it on stream, as within 18 months, he would probably be gone from the BVI. "And I hope that you will all be fully committed to the success of the programme," the Governor concluded.