Change in the public service has moved too slowly due to a resistant organizational culture which has been established over the years, according to Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson, who is also minister of the public service.
Gibson spoke yesterday at the Expert Group Meeting on Innovating Public Service Delivery for Sustainable Development, at the 2015 United Nations Public Service Forum Day and Awards, held in Medellin, Colombia. The meeting ends today.
Gibson said The Bahamas has experienced an exponential growth in the number, diversity and level of education of its citizenry over the last 42 years. He also cited “rapid transformations” to the landscapes with the development of mega-properties, and “dynamic changes” in the country’s global relationships. He also noted that of a population of approximately 380,000, about two-thirds reside on New Providence which is about 21 miles long and 7 miles wide.
In a nutshell, this sums up the complexity of the challenges facing The Bahamas as everything must be replicated on each island and the overcrowding of the capital must be addressed. These are all further compounded by the downturn in the global economy.
“In response to our growing needs, the public service has undergone many changes, but the tides of change must continue to flow. In the interest of sustainable national development, a dynamic and modern public service is essential to meet the changing demands and expectations of our society and those with whom we do business.
“Unfortunately, the public service has moved too slowly due to a resistant organizational culture which has been established over the years. Our Act, policies and processes are over 50 years old and we are still too paper bound.
“If we fail to address this problem in a more focused and comprehensive manner, the public service would simply not have the competencies to support a developing country. Therefore, this government is committed to addressing public service transformation with all urgency,” he said.
Gibson said the government is also taking steps to increase the efficiency of the public sector through the creation of the National Development Plan, spearheaded by the Office of the Prime Minister. He said the plan would focus The Bahamas for the next 20 to 25 years in the areas of investment and development, recommend informed decisions about the best approaches for reaching our goals, align all government ministries and departments for consistency and coherence, shape the budget allocation and identify actions for the public sector.
“However, we recognize the need for a comprehensive review. That’s why the government has obtained a consultancy by the Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC) to conduct a diagnostic study on upgrading and restructuring the public service,” he said.
“The initial report indicated, among other things, that our strengths include the talent, resilience and innovative spirit of our people, our commitment to an improved public service, and the National Development Plan initiative which will be key as we move forward.
“The report also identified weaknesses including succession planning, training and development, management and leadership, outdated procedures, risk assessment and management, and policy development and integration – all of which contribute to what we now call “the hollow middle”. That is, a dearth of competencies,” he said.
Gibson said that in order to tackle this problem, all ministries will develop strategic plans, which will undoubtedly include the use of information technology, youth development, succession planning, and accessibility of information, quicker response times, customer service and requisite competencies for sustained development.
“We must also review and revise our Public Service Act and align our policies,” he said. “Moreover, the prime minister is adamant that we begin a Public Service College to address the development of skills of senior management in the public service from permanent secretaries down, to fill the hollow middle.”
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