Capam Tt Case Study 2005[1]

7/31/2019 Capam Tt Case Study 2005[1]

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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The Case for

Public Sector Reform





1. Background

1.1 Introduction toIntroduction to TTrinidad andrinidad and TTobagoobago

THE REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO is an archipelagic state located at the southern end of theCaribbean island chain, approximately 10 kilometres northeast of Venezuela. It has a tropical climate, with arainy season that lasts from approximately June to December.

The country has a land area of 5,128 km2 and a population of approximately 1.3 million. The majority livein Trinidad, with Tobago estimated to have a population of 50,000. Trinidad and Tobago is noted for itsethnic and religious diversity:

Just over 40% of the population is East Indian in origin; 39.5% is of African descent; and18.4% "mixed". There are also small minority communities of White, Chinese, and Middle Easterndescent.

Roman Catholics comprise 29.4% of the population; Hindus 23.8%; Anglicans 10.9%; Muslims5.8%, and Presbyterians 3.4%. There are also sizeable Baptist/Shouter Baptist and Shangocommunities with African origins.

English is the official language. Spanish, French and Hindi are also spoken. In September 2004, theGovernment designated Spanish as the First Foreign Language .

1.2 TTrinidad andrinidad and TTobago Governanceobago Governance

Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. A republican constitution wasadopted in 1976. The country's system of government is modelled after the Westminster system of theUnited Kingdom.

The President is the constitutional Head of State, chosen by an electoral college comprising members of theSenate and the House of Representatives. The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and hasthe power to appoint members to several agencies of the State, including the Election and Boundaries

Commission, the Service Commissions, the Integrity Commission as well as the Auditor General andOmbudsman.

LeLe gislagislaturtureeLegislative power is vested in a bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Senate's 31 members are appointed by the President: 16 on the advice of the PrimeMinister, six on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition; and nine independent senators chosendirectly by the President.

T r i n i d a d a n d T o b a g o :T r i n i d a d a n d T o b a g o : T h e C a s e f o r P u b l i c S e c t o r R e f o r mT h e C a s e f o r P u b l i c S e c t o r R e f o r m

The CAPAM Senior Public Executive Seminar Cape Town, South Africa August 1-5, 2005 3



The current 36 members of the House of Representatives, each representing a geographically defined parliamentary constituency (34 in Trinidad, two in Tobago), are elected for up to five yearsby universal adult suffrage. A general election can be called by the President at the request of thePrime Minister or after a vote of no-confidence in the House of Representatives at any time during

that period. On the recommendation of the Elections and Boundaries Commission, Parliamentrecently agreed to now have 41 constituencies (39 in Trinidad, two in Tobago).

ExExecutiecuti v v ee The Cabinet, led by a Prime Minister, controls the Government, and is answerable to Parliament. As is oftenthe case with many offshoots of the Westminster System, concentration of political power in Trinidad and Tobago resides within the office of the Prime Minister. This arises in large part from the fact that the PrimeMinister has the discretion to make or rescind appointments for members of the Cabinet. The Cabinetcomprises Members of Parliament as well as the Senate.

Local GoLocal Go v v erer nmentnment The island of Tobago was granted its own House of Assembly in 1980 and given full internal self-government in 1987. The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has 15 members, of whom 12 are elected andthree selected by the majority party. The THA is led by a Chief Secretary. The functions of the THA aresubject to Section 75 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, which reservesresponsibility for general direction and control of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in the Cabinet. Trinidad currently has 15 local government municipalities, including nine regional corporations, two city corporations, three borough corporations, and one ward.

J Judiciarudiciary y The Trinidad and Tobago Judiciary comprises a Supreme Court and district courts. The Supreme Courtconsists of the High Court of Justice and the Courts of Appeal. The High Court is presided over by theChief Justice, who is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, and 10 other judges.Final appeal on some matters is decided by the Privy Council in London. However there is an intention thatthe Privy Council be eventually replaced by the newly created Caribbean Court of Justice. The district courtsare presided over by a Chief Magistrate and seven senior and 18 other magistrates.

T Thehe T Trinidad andrinidad and T Tobaobag g o Pubo Public Serlic Ser vice vice The Trinidad and Tobago Public Service is based on the British Colonial Servicemodel established prior to independence. The Public Service upholds thetradition of political neutrality in the course of executing the policies of the

administration of the day. The precise configuration of Ministries andDepartments varies from administration to administration. There are at present25 Ministries and three Departments in the Civil Service. Current Ministerialportfolios are listed on the Trinidad and Tobago Government website at:http://www.gov.tt/downloads/MinistersUpdateMay05.pdf.

A major challenge facing the Trinidad and Tobago Public Service is that many of its institutions,administrative systems and structures date from colonial days, and need modernization. At the same time, theoverall culture of the Service is conservative, and in particular, leans towards maintenance of the status quo. This is further reinforced by a promotion system largely based on seniority. These tendencies considerably


The CAPAM Senior Public Executive Seminar Cape Town, South Africa August 1-5, 20054

Civil Service: 32,000Defence Force/

Protective Services: 16,000Daily Paid Workers: 25,230Teachers: 15,000Statutory Authorities: 3,900

Source: Personnel Department

Size of Public Service



contribute to the difficulty of planning and implementing a public sector reform agenda.

1.3 EconomyEconomy

The economy of Trinidad and Tobago is driven by the production of oil and natural gas and by various petrochemical downstreamindustries.

The energy sector was responsible for 85.5% of merchandise exports,and 37.1% of Government revenue. Trinidad and Tobago is currently the largest exporter of natural gas to the United States of America,and is a major producer of ammonia, methanol, and urea.

Major natural gas discoveries over the past 10 years mean that Trinidad and Tobago is undergoing a period

of “sustained economic growth” that is expected to last for the next 10-15 years. For example, the CentralStatistical Office estimated that the economy grew 13.2% in real terms in 2003 (coinciding with a majornatural gas development coming online), and 5.7% in 2004. The petrochemical industry is capital-intensiveand largely dependent on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). As a result, government policy has consistently sought to diversify the country's economic base and to create sustainable employment for the majority of thepopulace who cannot find employment in the energy sector. Despite its importance to the Trinidad and Tobago economy, the energy sector only accounted for 3.4% of employment in 2004.

The manufacturing sector has shown steady growth (6.6% in 2004), based on the domestic and Caricommarkets. In this regard, emphasis has been placed on the development of the export manufacturing sector

(Trinidad and Tobago has been extremely successful in exporting manufactured products to other memberstates of the Caribbean Community, less so in exporting to countries outside of Caricom). However, thisposition will be severely challenged with the advent of the Free Trade Area of the Americas which will notonly bring bigger markets, but new rules of competition and more established competitors.

The non-energy sector has grown at an average rate of about 3% per annum since 2001, but as at 2004accounted for -9.1% of GDP. The agricultural sector is currently in decline, culminating in a 20.2% negativegrowth in 2004, largely due to the scaling down and restructuring of the sugar cane industry.

The country's destiny is clearly in its own hands: competitiveness and sustainable development is the only option. Understanding of the economic realitites has led to a focused and deliberate path to increasecompetitiveness and capacity for sustainable development. Speaking at a conference on managing change inthe Public Service after his return from Dubai in June 2005, the Minister of Public Administration andInformation, Senator the Hon. Dr. Lenny Saith referred to Dubai’s decision to diversify its economy despiteits abundant oil resources, noting “unless we do it, in 2010 or 2020, we will still be behind everybody else.”

1.4 Domestic and International ChallengesDomestic and International Challenges

Trinidad and Tobago is dominated by a capital-intensive energy sector, and is largely dependent on the restof the world both for the importation of essential goods and services, and as a market for the country's oil,



GDP-TT$71.88 billion (US$ 11.41 billion)

Per Capita Income - US$ 8,800.00

Inflation Rate - 3.7%

Unemployment - 10%

(Source: Ministry of Finance)

MAIN ECONOMIC INDICATORS2004



natural gas, energy and manufactured products. The country is consequently fully integrated into theglobalized world economy. Much of Trinidad and Tobago's infrastructure, and many of its public sectorsystems and processes need modernization, either because they are outmoded and in need of replacement,and/or because they need to be adjusted in order to meet the demands of globalization, and the changing

needs and requirements of its clients.

The country is also noted for its considerable ethnic, cultural, and social diversity. While this diversity canmake the task of engaging societal stakeholders extremely complex, the juxtaposition of quite differentinterest groups and perspectives offers the potential for exploring innovative solutions to societal issues.

The need to reconcile the foregoing issues and challenges has led to the identification of a number of inter-related strategies and policies as being of critical importance:

Developing a human resource base to produce a competent, productive and knowledgeable

workforce;

Diversifying the country's economic base in order to create sustainable employment and toreduce dependence on the petrochemical sector;

Enhancing competitiveness to meet the challenges of globalization and liberation, and adopting environmentally sustainable development strategies to ensure long-term growth;

Promoting a more equitable, cohesive, and harmonious society by reducing poverty, reducing societal imbalances, and increasing societal stakeholder involvement in the formulation and

execution of national development policy and public management;

The need to modernize and/or reengineer public management institutions, systems andprocesses in the face of changing needs and priorities;

The need to address challenges to the security and stability of Trinidad and Tobago such ascrime and drug trafficking; disaster preparedness and relief; and protection of the environment.

2. Public Sector Reform

2.1 The Context of Public Sector ReformThe Context of Public Sector Reform

Recent discoveries of major natural gas reserves suggest that Trinidad and Tobago will benefit in the shortto medium term from a significant revenue windfall. Mindful of the inefficient allocation of resources during a previous "boom" period in the 1970s, the Government has articulated its intention to allocate resources ina manner which ensures the achievement of key social development goals as well as economic sustainability.

Domestic PDomestic Policolicy Initiay Initiatiti v v esesCurrently, all government policy is led by the goal to achieve developed country status by the year 2020. The





process of translating this broad vision into specific policy initiatives is ongoing, and a Multi-SectoralCommittee comprising a variety of national stakeholders was established to articulate Vision 2020.Sub-policies include:

public sector reform to ensure the delivery of high quality goods and services in a manner thatefficiently meets the needs of clients;

development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector has the highestpriority. A National ICT Strategic Plan was launched in November 2003, from which has beenderived fastforward , the National ICT development strategy; and

the Trinidad and Tobago energy sector, powered by foreign direct investment and the revenuesfrom the development and exploitation of significant natural gas and petroleum deposits, isexpected to provide the revenues to finance national development strategies, including the

development of the Non-Energy Sector as a source of sustainable employment and as the long-term successor to the Energy Sector as the engine of growth for the national economy.

ExterExternal policnal policy considery consideraationstionsDomestic Trinidad and Tobago policy also reflects many of the ongoing initiatives and concerns of theglobalized world community.

Principal DriPrincipal Dri ving F ving Factoractors f s f or Pubor Public Sector R lic Sector R ef ef oror mm A modern public service that is high performing, client centricand flexible and where, as articulated by the UNDP, public

resources and problems are managed efficiently and in responseto the critical needs of society is seen as the major prerequisite tothe successful achievement of Vision 2020, and by extension, allother national development policies. This enhanced public service will operate on the traditionalprinciples of openness, accountability and transparency, but willrely heavily on public participation to ensure that the public policy initiatives are closely linked to the critical needs of the widerpopulace.

The principal driving factors that have been identified as criticalto the emergence of a modern public service are:

the increasing and changing demand for services whileensuring high quality;

the greatest possible efficiency of resource allocation andutilization through the modernization and, where necessary, thereorganization, reengineering and/or decentralization of corepublic management functions;



International issues and trends

of particular local significance

the United Nations MillenniumDevelopment Goals, which overlap manyof the priorities of Vision 2020;

developments in global ICT, in particular the deliberations in the World Summit onthe Information Society, which have aclose synergy with fastforward ;

the Caribbean Community (Caricom)integration movement, and in particular theemergence of the Caribbean Single Marketand Economy (CSME) and its supportingorgan the Caribbean Court of Justice

(CCJ), which is likely to have a profoundeffect on Trinidad and Tobago governanceand economy;

the deliberations at international economicfora such as the World Trade Organization,the Free Trade Area of the Americas, andthe ongoing European Union-AfricaCaribbean Pacific Group of countries; and

international security considerations suchas international terrorism and drugtrafficking.



maximum Value For Money (VFM) from the goods and services acquired and provided by the PublicService; and

a public service that operates according to the principles of good governance.

2.2 SStrategic Componenttrategic Components of Public Sector Reforms of Public Sector Reform

The Government has embarked on an ambitious programme of public sector reform and capacity building. A considerable number of individual projects effectively span the full spectrum of public sector services.More significantly, two strategic projects, the Public Sector Reform Initiation Program (PSRIP) and the fastforward National ICT Strategy, seek to establish the broad infrastructure and overhaul institutions in orderto facilitate a culture of high performance and continuous improvement in a volatile environment.

i) The Public Sector Reform Initiation Programme (PSRIP)

The Public Sector Reform Initiation Programme (PSRIP) was launched in March 2004. It is a 36-monthperiod of activities focusing largely on the reform of the Public Service. The PSRIP has been developed by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Inter-American Development Bank to facilitate thedevelopment and implementation of a long-term strategy to reform the Public Sector.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Information (MPAI) has been mandated to ensure that thePublic Service is equipped with the requisite systems, skills, knowledge, culture and capacity to provide thehighest quality services to the citizens of the country. The Ministry is responsible for implementing the

reform programme.

The PSRIP seeks to improve on past programmes by placing a high priority on intensive Planning forreform. This will involve in-depth analysis of the governance systems and institutions that are the core of public management systems and the engagement of all stakeholders in discussion on public sector reform.

It is felt that this approach will enable the identification of risks to the reform, and the readying of the changeagents and systems within the public service to manage and facilitate the reform, and provide a platform forsustainability of the reform effort.

The specific objectives of the Programme are to:

i) identify the issues for transformation of the Public Sector;

ii) define a suitable, feasible and politically sensitive strategy for the transformation of thePublic Sector;

iii) facilitate widespread agreement and support necessary to implement such a strategy; and

iv) develop basic management instruments and capacity to manage Reform.





The programme comprises two major components:

Component 1: Development of the Reform Strategy

Outcomes:Outcomes: Reduce the existing information asymmetries

Increase the demand for reform

Identify strategies to spread the cost associated with the reforms throughout time and across groups

Promote widespread endorsement for Public Sector Reform

Acti Acti vi ties : vi ties :

Study for the identification of issues and policy options

The development and implementation of the first phase of a national dialogue strategy

The development and implementation of a communication strategy

Training for key decision makers in economic policy and national strategy Establishment of a panel of experts to play a quality control role

Component 2: Strengthening the Structural Capacity

Outcome:Outcome:

Facilitate implementation of the reform strategy

Acti Acti vi ties : vi ties :

Information Gathering: Public Employment Data-Survey of Public Employees Information Gathering: Public Sector Data-Institutional Performance Data

Information and Communication Readiness:

Information Management Readiness Assessment Strategic Vision of the New Information environment

Policy Framework for Government Information

Legal Framework for Government Information

Re-engineering of the Public Service Central Registry System

Strengthening the HRM Systems at the Service Commissions Department to support the

integration of IHRIS

Development of a Compensation Policy

Optimization of the Organization Structure and Change Management Capacity of the Ministry of

Public Administration and Information

Optimization of the Central Statistical Office

Development of a Policy Position and Implementation Plan for Financial Management Reform

Optimization of the Organization Structure and Change Management Capacity of the Public

Administration Division of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA)

Improvement of the Cabinet Decision-Making Process





ii) fastforward and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Initiatives

fastforward The government, through the MPAI, has prepared a National ICT Strategic Plan. Government recognizes

the close linkages between its Public Sector Reform Agenda and the NICT Strategic Plan, notwithstanding the fact that the latter is national rather than just public sector in scope. The Plan, which is now known as fastforward will assist as a contributor to national development and as a catalyst to development in othersectors and an essential enabler to the achievement of the Vision 2020. The objectives of the f astforward planagenda are to:

Provide all citizens with Internet access.

Focus on the development of children and adult skills to ensure a sustainable solution and a vibrant future.

Promote citizen trust, access, and interaction through good governance.

Maximize potential within citizens and accelerate innovation to develop a knowledge-based society.

The National ICT Plan can be viewed on www.fastforward.gov.tt

The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT)

With the proclamation of the Telecommunications Act on June 30, 2004, the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) became the regulatory agency for the telecommunications sector. TATT will, among other things, implement a programme for the Liberalization of the Telecommunications Sector;address the procurement and establishment of an Advanced Automated Spectrum Management System, anddevelop a comprehensive dispute resolution framework.

The Government Backbone The e-Government unit is currently overseeing the implementation of the Government Backbone, which will eventually connect all Government Agencies and Departments. The Unit is also designing a GovernmentPortal to the Internet which will initially provide information online and subsequently provide Governmentservices online. Based on the fastforward agenda, e-Government will also focus on Government SkillsDevelopment, e-Procurement and e-Revenue.

iii) Other Public Sector Reform initiatives

PSRIP and fastforward adopt a strategic approach to the issues of public sector reform and National ICT

development. In addition, a number of other ongoing initiatives seek to address specific aspects of the Trinidad and Tobago public service reform agenda. These include:

Local Government Sector Reform: In keeping with Vision 2020, the Ministry of Local Governmentseeks to establish systems that are comparable to those of first world countries. Thus local Governmentreform seeks, among other things, to promote meaningful decentralization and increase efficiency andeffectiveness within the local government system; to promote greater citizen participation in the affairs of local Government bodies; and to ensure transparency, good governance, and accountability. The Central Audit Committee has been strengthened with additional staff and this Unit is expected to redouble itseffort to promote greater transparency and managerial accountability in the Sector.





Health Sector Reform: Government is committed to the achievement of the objectives of theHealth Sector Reform Programme which are in keeping with the Vision 2020 Macro Development Policy. To strengthen the health delivery process, a number of technical assistance projects are being implementedto support the operationalization of effective service delivery systems at the existing and newly

constructed health facilities. In keeping with the Reform Programme, new policies, standards andmanagement information systems will be introduced. The Ministry of Health will continue its programmeof human resources development to ensure the provision of adequate numbers of trained personnel atpublic health facilities. To effectively support the reformed health care system, the training of medicalpersonnel included medical scholarships, completion of training and commencement of training for various professions in the field.

Transportation Sector Reform: A fully functional, modern, national transportation system is key tothe economic and social well being of any country. The Government will undertake preparation of Comprehensive National Transportation Study (CNTS) for Trinidad and Tobago, seeking to develop a

national transportation sectoral policy.

Agriculture Sector Reform: Government considers the development of the agriculture sector to becritical to the overall sustainable socio-economic development of Trinidad and Tobago. Government's goalis to revitalize the sector, provide an adequate level of national food security and food sovereignty, andenhance the sector's role in social and economic development. The Agricultural Sector Reform Technical Assistance Programme provides assistance in the areas of Sectoral Policy, Public Administration Reform,Land Use Policy and Administration and Agribusiness Development. Another programme is the Youth Apprentice Programme in Agriculture which introduces youths to technical knowledge and skills inspecialized areas of agriculture.

Education Sector Reform: Government has demonstrated its commitment to the ongoing development of the human capital of Trinidad and Tobago through its many initiatives to provideaccessible quality education to all children. These initiatives are consistent with the Government's vision of making Trinidad and Tobago a developed nation by the year 2020. Government had ranked education asits top national priority. The focus of investments was expansion and upgrade of facilities and the reform of the various curriculaat all levels, along with the reform of streamlining of systems and institutions towards a coherent andseamless education system. Training was a high priority sector with a two-year programme of leadership training of 40 persons in

order to build capacity within the ministry as well as ongoing training of 208 persons in different fields.Significant advances were made in implementing the Government's decision to introduce the University of Trinidad and Tobago which is mandated to develop industry-ready graduates, promote innovation andfacilitate enterprise for wealth generation and sustainable job creation.In an effort to align the strategic direction of education system with the objectives set for nationaldevelopment, Government will seek to decentralize and restructure the Ministry of Education. The mainobjective is to achieve better organizational performance, better management of schools and a higher levelof effectiveness throughout the system.





Financial Sector Reform: Financial sector reform is one of the most critical projects of thegovernment as it aims to achieve developed nation status by the year 2020. To this end a Green Paper onFinancial Sector Reform was developed and Government invited public comments on a range of proposals for comprehensive reform of the various sectors and institutions of the financial system,

including the banking sector; the capital market; the insurance industry; the pension system; the mutualfund industry; the credit union sector and the Venture Capital Incentive Programme. A White Paper, whichsought to refine and strengthen the Green Paper, was developed and laid in Parliament in July 2004. The vision of the White Paper is to make Trinidad and Tobago the Pan-Caribbean Financial Centre of the ACSRegion. This Centre will be globally competitive, well diversified, responsive and market-driven and wouldprovide the widest possible range of financial products and services for international and regional business,domestic and regional small and medium-sized enterprises as well as the general public and private sector.

Trade Sector Reform: In line with Government's objectives of diversification and growth of theeconomy, the transformation, development and expansion of the non-petroleum sector will remain in

focus over the medium term, with continuing emphasis on the manufacturing, services and agriculturalsectors. Government will continue implementation of the institutional strengthening component of the Trade Sector Support Programme to more effectively administer its portfolio and thereby improveinternational trade performance. The Programme will seek to strengthen the human resource capacity of the Ministry of Trade and Industry through its specialized technical training components, and to create a Trade Information Network, as it improves the country's technical and institutional capacity to formulateand implement trade policy and to participate more effectively in trade negotiations and enterprisedevelopment. In addition, policies and strategies will be implemented in fiscal 2005 to engender a morecompetitive and resilient manufacturing centre and commercial, trans-shipment and financial hub of theCaribbean and gateway to Latin America.

2.3 Developing the Public Sector Reform CapDeveloping the Public Sector Reform Capacityacity

i) Enhancing the Reform Capacity

The Trinidad and Tobago Government is also attempting to develop the systems and processes that areneeded to support its public sector reform agenda. These include:

Change Management: There is recognition that behaviour change is necessary for the success andsustainability of reform initiatives. In this regard, the management of change has emerged as a critical issue.

Experience has shown that managing large-scale system change within the public service is an extremely complex and long-term undertaking, which is not made easier by the fragmentation of responsibilities, foreg. with the Human Resource Management function. Consequently, implementing change requires theinvestment of a great amount of time and effort in achieving ‘buy-in’ and coordinated action.

In the mid 1990s, the strategy for facilitating change was through the use of change agents in governmentagencies. However, the persons selected were required to carry out the duties of their substantive posts, inaddition to their new responsibilities for change management. This system had minimal success. The lessonhas been learnt this time around.





The Ministry of Public Administration and Information hasintroduced a dedicated cadre of change agents called New-

systems Facilitators, whose major focus will be theimplementation of the e-government system and utilization

of the Public Service Employees Survey (referred to below at item ii) results, as well as assisting in the design, delivery and implementation of agency specific change managementactivities.

The first ever Public Service Change Management

Conference was held from June 1-3, 2005, and broughttogether a mix of staff from all Ministries and Departmentsto identify, analyze and, where appropriate, to recommendstrategies on critical change issues, both specific to their

organizations and common to the public sector. Approximately 260 officers representing 25 agencies of Government, attended the Conference. To date, 10 agencies have indicated that they have either set up,

or are in the process of setting up change teams. An assessment of the reports submitted from sixagencies, showed general agreement on the following as critical:

Need to work differently, whether because of client expectations, technology advances, or environmental issues;

Need to have structured change management function and dedicated change teams;

Need to have executive will, leadership and support in the management of change;

Need to understand the role and function of agencies;

Improving internal communication: suggestions for help desks, e-notice boards, change information in newsletters;

Need for training in the use of technology, and the need to use technology to increase effectiveness; and

Need to become more client-focused

The urgent resolution of the issues identified at the Conference will emerge as a key enabler or threat withthe coming onstream of the Government portal. As this portal will be oriented toward clients and lifeservices, it will require all Ministries and Departments to rethink and reorganize their outputs in these specificterms. It will require them to network and collaborate with each other to present a single point for thedelivery of government services.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): The MPAI supports the view that monitoring and evaluation(M&E) is critical to effective public sector management, but that M&E activities are limited. It should be

noted that the already challenging task of coordinating and harmonizing the different programmes thatmake up the country’s public sector reform agenda is made more complex by the unusually diverse natureof Trinidad and Tobago public sector stakeholders. The MPAI is thus planning an initial M&EStakeholders conference from Sept 06-10, 2005, to sensitize and engage major public sector stakeholders.

Prime Minister's Innovating for Service Excellence Award Scheme: The Prime Minister’sInnovating for Service Excellence Award Scheme, which was established in November 2004, showcasesinnovative projects in a number of government Ministries and Departments. The Scheme thus seeks torecognize and encourage a culture of innovation and creation in the public service which is considered tobye a key component in the achievement of national development strategies.



Whose NSF is it anyway?Whose NSF is it anyway?The NSFs have a direct reporting relationship tothe PS/Head of Department of the agency to whichthey are assigned. However, as a group, they

report to the PS, MPAI by whom they have beenemployed.

This matrix reporting system has caused somedegree of unease among line agencies and theMPAI has sought to clearly define and delineateareas of accountability of the NSF.

Given the increasing movement towards joint

delivery systems, this aspect of the NSF systemwill provide invaluable learnings for themanagement of matrix reporting systems.



ii) Enabling Evidence-Based Policy Formulation

Three initiatives have been established to improve citizen and stakeholder feedback on government and theprovision of public services, and thus to provide for evidence-based policy formulation. They are:

The Opinion Leaders’ Panel: The Government is of the view that a system for providing consistentfeedback from a representative sample of the population on government service delivery would give policy makers the necessary information to either modify their current service delivery approach or revisestrategic objectives, as required. The Ministry of Public Administration and Information has thereforeengaged the services of well known international consultants, Market and Opinion Research International(MORI), to assist with the development and operation of a mechanism for obtaining citizen feedback. Theresulting Opinion Leaders’ Panel Survey is a feedback mechanism to foster a system of performancebased management in the public service. Survey results can be found at www.opinionleaders.gov.tt

Since 2002, the MPAI in collaboration with MORI, has conducted five waves of research. One key focus of

these surveys has been citizen perception of the delivery of public services. From the baseline survey,conducted between July 15 to August 29, 2002, the top two descriptions of public services has been "slow"and "poor service" both selected by 27% of the population. "Unsatisfactory (20%)", "inadequate (18%)","under funded (16%)" and "impolite (14%)" also fall within the top 10 descriptions.

Over the period 2002-2005, there hasbeen a continuous flow of researchdata to the Executive, PermanentSecretaries and the general public with the major objective of a review

of service delivery, where applicable.However, in early 2005, "poorservice" is still the top word used todescribe public service delivery witheven a higher percentage of thepopulation (50%) describing theservice as poor as compared withthose interviewed in the baselinesurvey. Please see the graph at left fora comparison of perceptions in 2002and 2005.

In terms of specific service delivery, the research shows that health related issues, for example, continue tobe seen as one of the most important issues facing the country. Access to the health service is seen as themain priority to improve the country's overall wellbeing. This may be related to perceptions of long waiting times, as this is one of the major reasons for dissatisfaction with hospitals, as explored in Wave 3 (December2003).

Many people also place a strong emphasis on preventative care, particularly on education, as a priority for the





future. HIV and Aids is seen as the fifth most important issue facing the country. Overall, though, the publicremains optimistic that the health service will improve over the next few years. This optimism has increasedslightly since December 2003. See below.

The Public Service Employee Survey (PSES): Improved organizational performance is highly unlikely without input from employees, given the direct association between employee satisfaction andorganizational performance/client satisfaction. Thus any effort to create value for the client must takethe employee perspective into account. One key reform initiative is the Public Service Employee Survey. This survey was designed to gather the views and opinions of all persons employed in the Public Service.It addressed issues such as: employee perception of the public service; job satisfaction; core values of the Public Service; perceptions of senior management; internal communications systems, humanresource management issues.

The first phase of the Survey, which was conducted in June 2004, focused on monthly paid employees in theCivil Service; 46% of public officers responded to thepromotional tag line "Have Your Say, Make aDifference". The results of this initial survey constitutebaseline data which will be monitored as the reformefforts continue to be implemented and evaluated.

A second phase which was carried out in June 2005,addressed the concerns of the Defence Force andProtective Services. Results of this survey will be released in mid-August 2005. Similar surveys will beconducted for the teaching service, statutory authorities and daily paid workers.

Policy Networking Forum (PNF): The Public Service Transformation Division of the Ministry of Public Administration and Information is responsible for guiding, providing operational support for andmonitoring and evaluating transformation initiatives of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago. The



WEAKNESSES

Advocacy of Public Service as both

employer and provider of services

Poor awareness and understanding

of corporate objectives & initiatives

Low satisfaction with salary and

benefits – impacts job satisfaction

Line managers – support, feedback

and consultation

Access to appraisal, training and

promotion opportunities

One in three feel unfairly treated

Access & credibility of information

STRENGTHS

Commitment to Public Serviceand its aims is high

Very supportive of change andVision 2020

Want to be involved

Job satisfaction is ‘average’

Work-Life balance – thoughsome issues among certaingroups

Line managers – seem to begood at ‘getting the job done’

The Public Service Employee Survey revealed mostcommon strengths and weaknesses in the Public Service.



division has established a Policy Networking Forum for research, policy, planning and project personnelthat allows for collaboration and sharing of ideas to facilitate sustainable policy development. Mainobjectives of the project include:

o To provide a learning environment for research, policy, planning and project personnel in the public

service to network and share information and experiences;o To collaborate in determining the public service research agenda;o To improve programmeme and project planning and implementation skills by providing opportunitiesfor collaboration on modern techniques in project planning, implementation and evaluation;o To provide an opportunity for research, policy, planning and project personnel to keep abreast of technologies that can improve their business functions; ando To improve the capacity of public officers to formulate, implement and evaluate public policy.

iii) Strengthening Key Support Institutions

The Trinidad and Tobago Government seeks to strengthen institutions critical to the implementation of itspublic sector reform agenda. The development of effective national and government ICT infrastructures andthe development of the requisite public service IM systems and human capacity have already been discussedunder the fastforward and PSRIP sections respectively. Other institutions identified as critical support are:

The Central Statistical Office (CSO): The availability of accurate data is considered by many tobe a prerequisite for effective policy formulation and monitoring and evaluation. In this regard, a highpriority has been placed on the restructuring and upgrading of the Central Statistical Office; and

The Public Service Academy: The Public Service Academy is responsible for maximizing the

human potential of the Public Service for excellence through the provision of policy advice toCabinet on strategic HRD and presentation of flexible and relevant learning opportunities incollaboration with strategic partners. An integral part of the MPAI's strategic vision is thedevelopment of the Public Service Academy into a Public Service Corporate University/College which would endorse and accredit the training programmes and packages needed by the Public Service.

Project IhRIS: As part of its programme to promote and embed strategic Human ResourceManagement systems and practices, government has introduced an Integrated Human ResourceInformation System (Project IhRIS) to automate and ultimately transform HRM processes within thepublic service. The introduction of this system, using PeopleSoft, was seen as critical to improving

the interaction between central and line agencies and for providing managers with real time data forimproved decision making The first phase of the project focused on automating HRM processes. Thenext phase will add payroll functions to Project IhRIS.

2.4 Previous Public Sector Reform Ef Previous Public Sector Reform Ef fortfortss

Current reform initiatives should be viewed in the context of previous experiences at public sector reformthat have been attempted since the 1960s, soon after independence. These include:

The Lewis Report (1964) which looked primarily at the terms and conditions of public servants andat establishing career paths for public sector employees;





The Dolly Report (1970) which focused on institutional strengthening and streamlining of publicservice practices and procedures, highlighting over-centralization, fear of change, and the lack of effectivedisciplinary and performance appraisal systems;

The Administrative Improvement Programme (1975, a UN Project), which also highlights

weaknesses in the performance appraisal system and in the training of supervisors; Proposals for Improvement of Efficiency in the Public Service (1981, Committee of PermanentSecretaries), which called for delegation of authority in financial and personnel matters;

The Report of the Public Service Review Task Force (1986, also known as the Dumas Report ), which found the appraisal system inadequate and was also concerned about the levels of training andplanning in the Public Service, and the Administrative Reform Programme (1989, UNDP/CARICAD), which sought to implement many of the findings of the Dumas Report;

The Draper Report (1992), which sought to transform the Human Resource Management function inthe Public Service.

There is a consensus that while much valuable work has been done on the identification and analysis of problems, most of these initiatives have ultimately been of limited effectiveness. Among the factors that havebeen cited as contributing factors in this regard are:

The tendency for many of previous initiatives to be "siloed" in that they have for the most partfocused on specific issues, functions, or departments in isolation, rather than seeking to adopt aholistic approach to the problem at hand;

A general lack of success in addressing the complex change management implications of publicsector reform. It must also be emphasized that the ICT and Globalization processes which makethe change management problematic are even more complex and challenging;

Weaknesses in Human Resource Management which stem from a fragmented approach anda lack of comprehensive effort. There also exists a lack of effective disciplinary systems;inadequate performance management systems; promotion through seniority rather than merit;inadequate staff compensation; a lack of systematic staff development and training; and a lack of HRM Strategic Planning in the face of the challenges imposed by national Development Strategiesand Priorities and globalization;



Since 1995 a new Performance Management System was introduced into the Public Service. The thrust of the

system of performance appraisal which it embodies is to:

focus on the employee's performance rather than on traits and characteristics.

reinforce strengths, identify deficiencies, and feed such information back to employees in order that they may

improve their performance.

In essence, it is a tool for more effective management of a Ministry's/Department's human resources.

However, to date there has been little success with the implementation of the system. As a result in July 2004the

Commission decided to grant amnesty to Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments allowing them until

March 31, 2005 to provide the Director pf Personnel Administration with Honour Certificates attesting to the work,

conduct and performance of officers under their supervision up to December 31, 2004 instead of the normal

performance appraisal reports. This ‘amnesty’ has however met with limited success.

The Public Service Commission is now giving attention to the very relevant issue of accountability on the part of

Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments in relation to their duties and responsibilities under the Civil

Service Regulations.



Institutional Weaknesses, such as a bottom-heavy staff structure that has large number of clerical and secretarial and relatively low numbers of professional/technical staff; inadequate andinefficient and resource allocation and utilization;

Inadequate systems and/or use of modern public management practices such as strategicPlanning, a lack of effective policy coordination and harmonization mechanisms, systematicMonitoring and Evaluation; and a tendency to concentrate more on delivery of outputs rather thanon outcome effectiveness

Governance issues such as a insufficient and inadequate consultation with stakeholders, bothinternal and external; race and diversity issues; a culture of risk aversion.

2.5 Political CommitmentPolitical Commitment

The Trinidad and Tobago Government places the highest priority on public sector reform. For example,Prime Minister Manning, in his address at the Prime Minister's Innovating for Service Excellence AwardScheme in November 2004, indicated that:

"the country's economic engine will not be fully powered without a transformed Public

Service…This is true of all nations, many of which are presently engaged in the reform and

reinvention of Government with the aim of increasing competitiveness and improving the

delivery of services to the citizenry"

A modern and efficient public service has been consistently identified as a Critical Success Factor for the

achievement of Vision 2020, and a number of policy statements have emphasized the importance of modernizing public sector institutions during the current period of sustained economic activity, whenresources are most likely to be available, and the support exhibited for the reform initiatives cited aboveprovide ample evidence of the government's willingness to provide the resources necessary to implement thereform agenda.

Government has made a concerted effort to treat with issues of overlapping functions through the setting up of inter-ministerial teams to deal more effectively with the achievement of national policy objectives.Public/private partnerships and committees have been set up to facilitate improved policy making and toresolve implementation issues.

There has also been commitment to increase citizen participation and "voice" in the affairs of government:

through the opening up of the telecommunications sector: The granting of 35 licenses to datehas facilitated the establishment of several new radio stations and at least one new community television station. This has encouraged and enabled the public to openly express their views andconcerns with regard to a wide variety of national topics and issues;

the creation of the government website, www.gov.tt;

As part of the policy development process, when the government hosts Public Consultationsand/or publishes Green Papers to allow for widespread feedback and stakeholder participation.





3. Key Challenges to Public Sector Reform

3.1 ImplementImplementation Issuesation Issues

A number of factors have been identified as negatively affecting the effective policy formulation andplanning and also the efficient delivery of government services. These factors include:

Structural Issues: The structure of the public service, in part a legacy of the old colonialpublic service, is a tendency for public sector agencies to be somewhat "siloed" in function andoutlook, with each individual Ministry or Department guarding its own territory or jurisdiction. This situation is sometimes exacerbated by the existence of overlaps or inconsistencies in theallocation of Ministerial or Departmental roles and responsibilities, which can encourage inter-agency rivalry.

Issues of Turf and Autonomy: A closely related issue is the extent to which issues of turf andautonomy can negatively affect public sector performance. In this regard it should be noted that asub-committee established by the Vision 2020 Steering Committee to analyze the issue of Governance in Trinidad and Tobago identified the tendency to hide or hoard information, and a lack of policy coordination and harmonization as core issues affecting the public sector.

Financial Management and Procurement: The financial management system of the publicservice is based on an accounting methodology, with a premium placed on the minutiae of accounting for small sums of money, often at the level of cents. The resulting system can bepainstaking and time-consuming, which can make the task of financial management and timely

execution of public sector reforms extremely difficult.

A particularly challenging area in this regardinvolves the procurement of goods andservices, which often require theestablishment of long-term relationships with private sector agencies that areincreasingly unwilling to conform totortuous and lengthy government financialregulations. The reform of Government

procurement systems has therefore beenidentified as a major priority. This issuebecomes doubly challenged when projectsare financed by external funding agenciesand two sets of procurement proceduresare required to be followed.

Reform Fatigue: The issue of Reform Fatigue is evident in both the wider society and withinthe Public Service. Evidence of this fatigue has been tracked over time, with particular regard tothe achievement of the goals of Vision 2020, and is illustrated above.





It is evident that the population is divided about whether Vision 2020 will be achieved, however the rise inpessimism (red) and the fall in optimism (green) over the two years is unmistakable. In 2003, 39% of thepopulation though it would be "fairly likely" to achieve the vision however this percentage fell to 28% in2005. Through conducting focus groups from January 2005 to April 2005, it was found that 47% of

participants attributed their pessimistic outlook to "no signs of progress so far", while 36% attributed itto "just political talk". It has therefore been deduced that lack of signs of progress seems to be key reasonsfor pessimism. The following comment was made by a member of the public with regard to Vision 2020during a focus group session:

"Do you realize how many of these phrases come and go and nothing happens?"

There is need to promote wide spread endorsement for Public Sector Reform through the development andimplementation of a national dialogue strategy as well as the development and implementation of acommunication strategy. Both of these strategies recognize “Reform Fatigue” as a current and real challenge.

The aim is to diminish both “Reform Fatigue” and its negative effects through identifying and implementing projects that will bring "quick wins" as well as developing effective communication strategies to providefeedback on results.

Internally, the Public Service has also looked at sharing information through existing networks of groupssuch as Communications Officers, the Policy Networking Forum, the New-systems Facilitators, the HumanResource Practitioners' Forum and the Information Technology Practitioners’ Forum. These have all beenintroduced with the aim of capacity development, information sharing, network building, in order to reducereform fatigue.

3.2 Financial Resource IssuesFinancial Resource Issues

The implementation of the PSRIP is estimated at a total cost of six million two hundred and fifty thousanddollars of (US$6,250,000). The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) entered a loan contract with theGovernment of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, with the agreement to provide financing of up to theamount of five million dollars (US$5,000,000). The government will finance the additional one million twohundred and fifty thousand dollars (US$1,250,000). With the agreement of this contract,there are no issuesof a lack of affordability as the source of funds had been secured. The MPAI continues to work with theMinistry of Finance and the IDB to ensure the timely release of funds.

3.3 Personnel Management IssuesPersonnel Management Issues

Fragmentation of the Human Resource Management (HRM) function

Responsibility for the human resource management (HRM) function is now divided among four agencies:

i. The Personnel Department has responsibility for determining and/or advising on pay and otherterms and conditions for a wide spectrum of public sector employees. The Department is alsoresponsible for policy formulation in the sphere of Human Resource Management and is the





advisory, consultative and monitoring agency for Human Resource Management Units throughoutthe Public Service.

ii. The Public Service Commission is independent of the Public Service and has responsibility

for appointment, promotion, confirmation, transfers, discipline and removal of public officers. TheService Commissions Department is the administrative arm of the Public Service Commission.

iii. Three divisions of the Ministry of Public Administration and Information affect or influence theHRM function. The Public Management Consulting Division is responsible for strategicdirection setting and position management in Public Service. As such it works with Ministries anddepartments to design appropriate structures to facilitate the work of the Public Service. The Public Service Academy is the central training agency which evaluates the design of thetraining plans of agencies and monitors their implementation. The Academy also developsintervention strategies for training gaps and for new areas of focus of the Public Service.

The Scholarships and Advanced Training Division manage the award of all developmentscholarships offered by government and works with Public Service agencies towards effectiveplacement of returning scholars.

iv. The Pensions Branch, Treasury Division (a branch within the Ministry of Finance), isresponsible for the general administration of pension matters.

This fragmentation can make the task of conceptualizing and implementing strategic human resourcemanagement practices extremely challenging. It should also be noted that Human Resource ManagementUnits have been established within most Ministries and Departments and are responsible for day to day

HRM. However to date, the envisaged positive impact has not been realised. Uncertainty in the execution of devolved functions, inadequate HR capacity, reliance on central agencies and the continued existence of parallel personnel administration positions have resulted in increased bottlenecks.

Performance Management

Organizational Performance Management Systems: The implementation of an integrated performancemanagement system across the public service is seen as critical to achieving improved governmentperformance and thus enhanced delivery of quality public services. It facilitates good governance practices within the public sector by increasing accountability and transparency in the professional conduct andpromotion/advancement of public officers.

It also provides the opportunity to recognize and reward excellent performance, identify the developmentneeds of individual employees and dissuade poor performance. It focuses on improving performancethrough better results from the organization, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards. There are severalreasons for this focus:

o The rising expectations for value for money, quality and timely services;o The increasing demand for greater accountability;





o The dynamic environment which calls for a new Public Management Culture as wellas recognition of employee's contributions;

o The need to foster a culture that is performance oriented;o The need for optimising scarce resources; and

o The competitiveness agenda of the country on the international front.

The Public Service is in the process of developing an organisational performance management system, andis now reviewing the results of its pilot phase which involved the development and implementation of performance frameworks in three Ministries.

At this time however, performance is evaluated on the basis of use of budgetary allocations. Additionally,Ministries and Departments are required to submit quarterly status reports on their performance to thePrime Minister. Additionally, all State Agencies must submit annual reports to Parliament, appear periodically before its Joint Select Committee to report on their performance and to be questioned by JSC members.

Members of the public also utilise the Freedom of Information mechanism to monitor the activities and/ordecisions of state agencies.

Other Personnel Management Issues

The competency based approach for selection has been developed due to a lack of succession planning which has been made difficult as a result of the fragmented HRM function. In 2004, enhanced recruitmentand selection mechanisms using assessment centre processes commenced for Deputy Permanent Secretary Positions, with the assistance of Public Service Commission of Canada. Activities in 2005/2006 will includeadditional assessment operations, competency-based training and development programmemes and

structured competency-based interviewing.

This reform of moving towards a competency approach is to ensure the right "fit" between individuals andtheir respective posts. This framework is expected to secure future leaders to work in the Public Sector. Through the use of competency based recruitment and selection the service will move towards its goal of eliminating the use of seniority-based hiring.

Activities in 2005/2006 will include additional assessment operations, competency-based training anddevelopment programmes and structured competency-based selection. This reform of moving towards acompetency approach is to ensure a better match between individuals and their respective posts.

Compensation Policy: The Personnel Department continues its efforts to improve remuneration packagesfor Government employees. In order to achieve Vision 2020, it is essential that the Public Service to be in aposition to compete for the best talent available in the country. Taking into consideration the strategic goalsof the Public Sector Reform Strategy a compensation policy suitable to attract, motivate and retain adequatepersonnel is a critical success factor.

Job Evaluation Project: The conduct of the Job Evaluation Exercises is another means of achieving acurrent and properly functioning Public Service. Such exercises have been completed for the Police, Fire,Prison and Teaching Services.





The Civil Service exercise is currently underway. This Service operates on the basis of a classification andcompensation system established in 1966. As a result the jobs are hierarchical in nature and are reflective of the work place of their era. It is expected that the job evaluation exercise will:

- target jobs for obsolescence- integrate jobs to reflect the realities of a modern work place- identify new areas in which the civil service should be functioning - pay appropriately

Communication: Through the use of the results from the survey of public employees, information will beobtained to craft an evidence-based strategies to increase job satisfaction, motivation and ultimately performance within individual agencies and across the public service as a whole.

Human Resource Development: The Government has also taken a decision to reintroduce its Public

Service Development Programmeme to provide government scholarships to public officers thereby improving human resource capacity. The Scholarship and Advanced Training Division is taking a proactiveapproach in its research and HRD assessment needs.

3.4 Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E)

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is seen as an essential component of good governance, since it is anessential tool that enables government strategies and programmes to be reviewed and/or modified to ensurethat interventions are relevant, effective and at all times cost efficient.

As indicated earlier, M&E activities in the Trinidad and Tobago public sector are perceived as limited:although a number of agencies are mandated with M&E responsibilities, there is as yet no systematic M&Eframework that could provide a strategic context for such initiatives. Further, many M&E activities that doexist on paper are not currently fully functional.

Agencies with M&E responsibilities

Public Sector agencies with M&E responsibilities include:

The Office of the Prime Minister is spearheading an initiative to develop a performance managementframework (PMF) for Ministries and Departments. Three pilot Ministries have been identified for

implementation of the PMF: the Ministries of the Attorney General, National Security, and Tourism.

The Cabinet Secretariat has primary responsibility for monitoring the implementation of Cabinet decisions.

The Ministry of Finance has primary responsibility for monitoring all aspects of government expenditurebased on annual budgetary allocations; produced the Social and Economy Policy Framework 2005-2007; and has

also pursued implementation of output based budgeting within the last two years;

The Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) has primary responsibility for monitoring implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (this process is however essentially expenditure driven rather than output or outcome focused). The MPD is also Government's lead agency for monitoring achievement of Vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals;

The Ministry of Social Development has primary responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the





social sector. The Ministry has developed a policy framework on M&E for the social sector and severalaccompanying manuals detailing guidelines for users;

The Ministry of Health is responsible for establishing national health policy and monitoring andevaluating health services delivery;

The Ministry of Local Government is mandated to monitor and evaluate the performance of localgovernment agencies;

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has responsibility for the managing the conduct of Trinidadand Tobago's external relations. Much of the country's foreign agenda is executed through 16 OverseasMissions (OSMs). The MFA is responsible for the M&E of OSMs through an appointed Inspector of Missions, and also in conjunction with the Auditor General's Department (see below) which performsregular audits of overseas offices.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Information has primary responsibility for monitoring theefficiency and effectiveness of Government Ministries and Departments.

The Auditor General’s Department is an autonomous state body mandated by the Constitution to

carry out audits of the accounts, balance sheets and other financial statements of all enterprises that areowned or controlled by or on behalf of the state. Audited reports are submitted annually to the Speaker,the President of the Senate and the Minister of Finance. These reports are subsequently laid in the Senateand the House of Representatives.

The Office of the Ombudsman is an independent office, the principal functional of which is toinvestigate complaints of administrative injustice by members of the public. In pursuance of this mandate,the Ombudsman, among other things, consults and makes recommendations to various authoritiesregarding administrative policies, practices and decisions.

The Police Complaints Authority receives complaints from the citizens on their interaction with Policeofficers and is responsible for investigating these complaints and providing remedies as necessary. Its

annual report to the Parliament provides information which can aid in the assessment of the effectivenessof the Police Service.

Assessment of Trinidad and Tobago M&E Practice

It is clear from the foregoing that several Ministries and Departments have responsibilities for review, audit,and monitoring and evaluation within the Public Service. However, two key learnings that can be inferredfrom the environmental scan are that:

Public Sector agencies have a tendency to operate in silos. Many agencies essentially operate inisolation of each other, resulting in a fragmented approach to M&E across the Public Service that

promotes duplication. Many of the potential benefits that could be derived from collaboration aretherefore not realized.

Building evaluation capacity (e.g. the provision of citizen and public employee feedback mechanisms) is not in itself sufficient for the creation of an evaluation culture. Many of thestructures necessary for M&E are in place, albeit often in a relatively embryonic state. However,greater attention must be placed on the attended processes that will promote the effectivefunctioning of M&E systems and create the enabling environment for the emergence of an M&Eculture





A realistic assessment of M&E capacity in the public sector suggests that the capability and systems tomonitor and evaluate policy, programme and project implementation ranges from weak to non-existent. Forexample, a skills audit of key social sector Ministries completed by the Public Management Consulting Division in 2002 indicated a dearth of evaluation skills in all agencies reviewed.

This situation is further exacerbated by the lack of an evaluation culture that would encourage reflectionon the extent to which policies and programmes have been effectively and/or efficiently implemented; on whether projected outputs and/or outcomes have been realized; and on how a particular policy orprogramme is integrated with the broader national development context.

The evaluation focus of the Public Service to date has been primarily expenditure oriented. As a result thedecision-making process within both central agencies and line ministries generally lacks the required evidenceto support or refute resource allocation choices. In an era demanding openness, transparency andaccountability, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago can ill afford to perpetuate a system of resource

allocation that is perceived to operate by "whim".

3.5 LeadershipLeadership

The Public Service has found itself at curious crossroads where the reality of frequent and volatile change ,new directions in governance and the country's declared intention to become "first world" by 2020 arejuxtaposed with outdated and unaccommodating conventions, gaps and misalignments that collide tochallenge even the most competent, creative and eager public officer.

As indicated earlier, advancement in the public service is usually based on seniority rather than on merit. There is also no consistent process for providing the training and development necessary to executives forleadership positions, with the result that senior public servants receive little or no exposure to the systematictraining and development that would prepare them to function effectively as leaders and executive managers.One of the consequences of this system is a tendency for many senior managers to be committed tomaintaining the status quo, and to be extremely reluctant to make difficult decisions - a major liability for thesuccessful implementation of public sector reform initiatives.

There is also no system for identifying persons with the requisite potential and preparing them for leadershippositions, although a current project to use an Assessment Centre is being used to shortlist persons for a new position of Deputy Permanent Secretary. The need has been identified for the development of strong professional networks and linkages among Public Service employees that would encourage teamwork and acollective approach to problem solving.

On the executive side, many politicians are appointed as government ministers without significant priorknowledge or experience of the Public Service or exposure to the complex world of public administration. There is therefore a need to provide ministers with similar training and exposure to the skills and tools that would enable them to function effectively as executive decision-makers. Concurrently, senior publicexecutives must expand their traditional role of administrator to become change leaders. Training then mustlead to new or sharpened competencies that enable relevant responses to challenges. These leaders should





demonstrate competencies including visioning, transitioning expertise, change management, communicating,commitment building, and change ownership.However, leadership cannot be limited to the executive offices. Systems and culture must also facilitate therecognition and nurturing of leadership at all levels to transform the public service into an institution of

excellence.

Conclusion

Public Sector Reform Initiatives have been undertaken in Trinidad and Tobago since the early 1960s. Themajority of these attempts have been relatively effective at identifying issues and problems, but largely ineffective at successfully implementing and/or sustaining change.

Trinidad and Tobago's current national development policy, in particular the objective of achieving

Developed Country Status by the year 2020, is currently providing the impetus for another major publicsector transformation agenda. Although a considerable number of diverse initiatives are ongoing, twoprojects, the Public Sector Reform Initiation Programme and the fastforward National ICT Strategy, are of particular importance for their potential to make significant and frame breaking impact.

Although both projects are in their early stages, the Government recognizes that success will depend in largepart on the adoption of a holistic approach that allows for the consultation and engagement of all significantpublic sector stakeholders.

This case study is a stepping stone in the creation of a training programme for senior executives which is

needed to address themes of: Improved organizational performance and service delivery

Customer responsiveness

Stakeholders/network and communication management

Environment scanning

Risk management

Strategic visioning, operational delegation.

Ministry of Public Administration and InformationJuly 9, 2005





Bibliography

Draper, G (1992). Public Service Reform

Ministry of Finance, 2004, Social and Economic Policy Framework 2005-200, Vision 2020, Ensuring Our Future Survival. APublication of the Ministry of Finance, Port of Spain. www.finance.gov.tt

Prime Minister Mr. Patrick Manning, (2004). The Prime Minister's Innovating for Excellence Award Ceremony.

Riley, B. & Nunes, M. (2004). Public Sector Reform Programmes and Performance Management in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Public Sector Reform Initiation Programme - Project Document.

Opinion Leaders’ Panel: Baseline Report, Market & Opinion Research International (MORI).

Opinion Leaders’ Panel 2003: Wave III Report, Market & Opinion Research International (MORI).

Report of the Statutory Authorities’ Service Commission, October 2003 to September 2004, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Report on the Review of Exercise of Delegated Powers by Permanent Secretaries of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago,February 2005, Submitted to Public Service Commission, By ODYSSEY CONSULTinc.

WEBSITES

www.gov.tt/downloads/MinistersUpdateMay05.pdf

www.fastforward.gov.tt

www.opinionleaders.gov.tt

www.foia.gov.tt

www.finance.gov.tt


Documents

Capam Tt Case Study 2005[1]