Temporary UK advisers will cost Jersey more than £700k

Wednesday 01 November 2017

Four UK consultants brought in to help spearhead a major transformation of the island’s public services over the next six months will cost the island more than £700,000 - and that's not including flight and accommodation costs.

The team – whose expertise spans operations, communications and finance – will accompany the island’s new Chief Executive Charlie Parker.

Together, they aim to ensure a smooth transfer of control between Mr Parker and outgoing Chief Executive John Richardson, who is stepping down earlier than previously planned to avoid confusion over accountabilities and authority between the two.

Mr Parker’s supporting team are all on short-term contracts, and receive up to £1,350 for each day they work, in addition to flight and accommodation costs. They will be in post until at least next March, with a potential extension until June.

The four are made up of a new Chief Operating Officer, Anna Daroy, and a new Director of Communications, Stephen Hardwick, who have both already started in their roles.

An 'organisational transformation consultant' Jacquie McGeachie, and a 'strategic finance review consultant' Camilla Black, will both also start shortly. 

Asked for a full breakdown of the expected cost of their assistance by Deputy Sam Mézec, the Chief Minister has revealed that their six-month tenure will cost in the region of £700,000 – excluding travel and accommodation.

Pictured: The £700k figure does not include flights and accommodation for the team of four.

Their key goal will be to implement a radical transformation of Jersey’s public services, which have often been criticised for inefficiencies and a “silo mentality”.

It’s a goal that Chief Minister Senator Ian Gorst has pledged to implement since his election in 2011, but which has so far eluded him. 

Questioned over exactly what he had achieved during yesterday’s States Assembly yesterday by Senator Sarah Ferguson, he explained that savings of £77.5million had been achieved over the course of the most recent States financial plans. He added that the headcount of public sector employees had been slashed by 500 in the past three years.

Pictured: In yesterday’s States Assembly, the Chief Minister was grilled over what he had done to reform the public sector in his years in the island’s top political role. 

He added that departments were now working more closely together, some services were now housed in new buildings, and also pointed to the creation of new ‘Arm’s Length Organisations’ (ALOs) as an indicator of success.

Deputy Geoff Southern, meanwhile, drew attention to public sector pay freezes, which had led to frustration from unions. The Chief Minister responded that he was confident that the “long and difficult negotiations and consultations about workforce modernisation” and the “good work” done by the States Employment Board and other departments would mean that a solution could be found “in fairly short order.”