Ministers back States’ Chief Executive

Thursday 05 November 2015

Ministers have thrown their backing behind States Chief Executive John Richardson ahead of next month’s debate to cancel his contract extension and open the job up to a full open recruitment process.

And they have confirmed that they approved the two-year contract extension for Mr Richardson to stay in the £210,000-per-year role back in September, a process that was overseen by the independent Appointments Commission.

Under proposals that Deputy Tracey Vallois is taking to the States on 1 December, that contract extension would be cancelled and an open recruitment process would be carried out for the role for the first time in over a decade.

The Deputy – who quit her Assistant Treasury Minister job this week with a broadside at the “dysfunctional” States leadership – says that the last time the States’ top job was subject to an open recruitment process was in 2003, when Bill Ogley was appointed.

Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Green released a statement yesterday afternoon, saying that a search for a successor to Mr Richardson would begin next year.

He said: ‘The States Employment Board is confident that its recent review of the Chief Executive's contract followed the process agreed at the time of his appointment.

“The Jersey Appointments Commission oversaw both the appointment in 2012 and the review.

“The extension of the Chief Executive's contract will provide the organisation with senior management stability to guide the public sector through one of its most challenging periods.

“It also allows us to carry out a comprehensive search for a successor, which we plan to begin in 2016.”

Mr Richardson took over as Mr Ogley’s replacement for a year as acting-Chief Executive, before being given a fixed-term three-year contract for the job in 2012. At that time, no applicants from outside of the States were considered, although it’s understood that two other States chief officers applied.

Deputy Vallois responded to Senator Green’s statement, saying: “The only comment that I have to make is that I look forward to seeing the full comments to my proposition and we will hopefully have a healthy debate about the principles on 1 December.”