Comment: Change - just get on with it!

Tuesday 13 March 2018

You bring someone in to make big changes - and then you worry that the change they propose is going too far, and that person has too much power.

Such is the conundrum facing the new States CEO Charlie Parker, who has just unveiled bold plans to reform the way government is organised in Jersey. One man who has observed the workings of the States both from the outside, and as an internal change consultant, is Kevin Keen.

He gave Express his views on the plans set out by Mr Parker...

"I had great hopes on the appointment of Charlie Parker as CEO of the States of Jersey. So far I have not been disappointed. He seems to have done more in his first few months than his predecessor did in the whole seven years he was in the job.

"On 6th March, Mr. Parker announced a major restructure which he said was a vital step in modernising the States of Jersey, so we can meet the aspirations of Ministers and islanders to develop an effective, efficient and responsive public sector, with outstanding public services at its core.

"This change has clearly been a long time coming and whilst in the past we would order an expensive review or two into what took the States so long, my view is all that matters now is getting on with it, for the sake of everyone involved.

Really encouraged by Charlie Parker’s wide ranging speech at @jerseychamber today - full of reforming ideas, backed with a real track record of delivery, but also a reminder of some of the really difficult issues that need to be be dealt with. Team Jersey? Yes please.

— Jason Laity (@jlaity) February 21, 2018

"One important challenge though will be getting the many great people who work in the public sector on board Mr. Parker’s 'train.' He is clearly clever, experienced and hard working, but I am sure he would be the first to admit he cannot make all the reforms that are required on his own. The signs here are positive too, he is starting the changes at the top, being clear with communication and keeping the focus on the customer (us!).

"In my experience weak leadership at the top of an organisation often leads to excessively strong unions, where customers are ultimately the losers. The States have been a good example of this, with prolonged disputes, unhappy staff and often forgotten customers. Mr. Parker needs to persuade the unions and their members that the public sector will also be a better place to work under his vision. In the next few months that may be difficult with the potential of job losses. That said, generous redundancy terms, and plenty of demand for good people in the private sector, should be reassuring to anyone impacted.

"Politicians may need time to adjust to the change. Now they can focus on their real roles rather than the minutiae of running a department, confident they can safely delegate delivery of their policies to the people who are paid to do that, the civil servants. It may feel a bit odd for a while but that is the way things are actually meant to be.

States Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, has announced proposals for a comprehensive restructuring and modernising of the States of Jersey public services #jerseyci https://t.co/zgn6P2LFdd

— States of Jersey (@StatesofJersey) March 6, 2018

"Some may worry that in giving Mr. Parker legal backing to do his job we are creating a role that is too powerful or unaccountable. Fortunately there are plenty of safeguards against that: there are the Ministers, the States Assembly, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee, plus the media (who have again shown to Ministers they are usually only negative when there really is something to be negative about!)

"Finally, there's us, the public of Jersey who are not afraid to call out poor performance.  So I say let’s give this long overdue and important change our support; we need a well-run public sector now more than ever."