DG: CS will hold line on rogue ministers
Cayman Islands Deputy Governor Franz Manderson
(CNS): Deputy Governor Franz Manderson has made it clear that senior civil servants will be supported when they “hold the line” against ministers and politicians that are trying to get things done by circumventing the rules. Outlining the changes happening in the public sector as a result of recommendations by the auditor general, he said numerous lessons for the “gatekeepers of public expenditure” were learned from the Nation Building Fund and other reports.
Manderson was speaking at a Public Accounts Committee hearing on Wednesday, where committee members questioned public officers on two reports by the Office of the Auditor General, one on the fund created by former premier McKeeva Bush and one on how government has handled national development. Facing numerous criticisms about the problems, failures and shortcomings of the management of public cash in the reports, the deputy governor talked about the new laws, policies and procedures being implemented to improve the way public servants manage taxpayers’ money.
One of the major issues found by the auditors in both reports was the poor understanding of roles and responsibilities. Manderson said the system in Cayman relies on ministers and civil servants understanding and fulfilling their roles and that, regardless of past problems, senior civil servants, and chief officers in particular, were now much more aware that they had a responsibility to stand up and object to their ministers when they sought to do things outside the correct process.
“Within the civil service, I am building stronger relationships with chief officers, creating a culture of trust, where persons who are held accountable for doing the right things feel supported in doing so,” Manderson told the PAC in a statement setting out some of the changes now in place following the problems identified with the management of the Nation Building Fund.
“This groundwork is necessary so that when there is pressure to do things, even for the right reasons, in the wrong ways, in ways which are so fundamentally flawed that they threaten the achievement of the actual mission, that there can be proper ventilation of these issues and if necessary that the conflict can be escalated to me, as head of the civil service, to resolve with the elected government,” he said.
Manderson said it was important for the civil service to foster a greater culture of trust with elected officials, which would be helped by demonstrating successful outcomes when proper process is observed.
“We have too many examples of how poor processes lead to poor results,” the DG told PAC. “Demonstrating successful outcomes by adhering to proper programme design and management will help to reduce the temptation to take short cuts.”
Long before the audit report, Premier Alden McLaughlin, who was the opposition leader at the time, described the NBF as a slush fund for then premier McKeeva Bush, and it was described by committee members during their questioning as a perfect example of how not to run things. The lack of checks by the civil service on the way the fund was handled was also criticised by the auditors.
“Underpinning our system improvements and the culture change is the need in some cases to set out in clear black and white our policy and legal frameworks governing programme delivery. An important feature of such provisions will be the clear delineation of roles and responsibilities,” Manderson said, noting that the drafting of this legislation has already begun. “We are attacking this issue on all fronts, as even where we have the best of intentions, ambiguity can lead to less than optimal results.”
The DG warned that change would not happen overnight, but he said “huge strides in the right direction” had already been made and the civil service was committed to the course of change.
“It is our job to advise on the use of public funds and to put in place proper mechanisms around the formulation and delivery of programmes to achieve value for money,” he said, as he admitted things had gone badly wrong with the NBF. He accepted the need for clear and measurable policy objectives underpinning initiatives and clear internal controls on how public cash is spent.
He said that by adopting the business case methodology used by the UK civil service, there was now a robust framework for the development of government programmes from the strategic assessment phase, to the outline business case, to project implementation and post implementation review and assessment.
“The government is investing time and resources in developing laws, regulations and policies to tackle the problem and in providing training to key gatekeepers to understand and better live up to the responsibilities of their role,” he said.
He pointed out that in the past, as highlighted in the OAG’s report on national development that criticised the government’s deal with the Dart Group, ministers excluded civil servants from the negotiations and even met in secret.
Manderson was quick to point out that no amount of civil service procedure or protocol could help them to deal with situations which they are totally unaware of but he emphasised the requirement now for all senior public servants to stop rogue ministers and point out if things are unlawful.
Category: Government oversight, Politics
Sorry Franz but considering that you didn’t even appear to be able to control corruption in your own department when you were ICO why should we take any of this seriously?
Franz will fix them.
The DG Manderson is absolutely right when gov’t ministers come complaining or reporting his staff’s criminal behavior or misconduct corruption,incompetence or conflicts they will be labelled “Rogues and Vagabonds” and the Civil service will hold the line as they frequently do to cover it up hide or destroy the evidence or proof and protect their leader from all responsibility or accountability at all cost even taking one for the team whilst trying to CYA! What’s New?? I thought that was standard policy in the CS?
@ Anonymous 9: 32 pm , if you have written facts about what you are saying in your comment . Then I think that. YOU should take them and a few hundred people with you to Mr Manderson and demand your answers, not asking for them in comment .
…blah blah blah!
We have 2 kinds of morality side by side.One which we preach but do not practice an another which we practice but seldom preach. I say this because i would like to know if this hold line speech will apply to themselves and their predecessors who promote and care for their inept or incompetent immoral imbeciles and concubines and their immediate friends and family who get promoted based on pillow talk and loyalty & political cards they frequently pull for them. Whose associations to known lodge members and family dynasties and even drug traffickers gets you promoted and put in line for top security and influential positions no matter how indecent and immoral the circumstances look. Finally the most and guaranteed option which will almost and always afford you a position, absolute loyalty to the UK and her officers. Where the “held line” is a support a guide a savior and a friend to all who’s two hands are firmly gripped upon the Line. Yes the held line is a gift that keeps on giving too so much so, it can even forgive past criminal conduct and behavior and corrupt indiscretions. I write these things not to accuse or besmirch anyone or their character but as a reminder to some that Injustice in the end produces independence and whatever good or bad outcomes she has to offer.
This is all a joke. First of all you all need to clean you CS back yard before cleaning others. I know of current CS Officers and Government Ministers that have a conflict of interest in businesses as we speak. Nothing is being done because they are untouchable.
Bullshit!
Statements from DG Franz M are nothing more than lip stick on a pig!
Oh wonderful!! but I wonder Mr DG will that apply to the above law foreign officials and nationals who are in the employ of the CI Government who frequently circumvent the rules and laws in these blessed isles. Where unlawful and under handing methods and subversive influence and strategy is employed to get things done on their behalf or in their best economic and political interest. Will the Line Be held, or lowered so they don’t trip up as they skip over it as is frequently the case in most matters they are involved in.
Two words Operation Tempura
Those foreign devils in the pay of their Caymanian masters?
Praise the Lord, and thanks to Mr Manderson sounds like he’s going to take the Cayman Islands out of the corruption well and in the transparency world . Keep inside clean is the best way out .
Nah hold yo breth.
At least he is in the best position to do something. And I believe he will. I must say he is on the right track.,
8:53 you sound out of touch. What corruption are you referring to? The last 3 persons arrested for corruption where from the private sector.
Stick to facts
John Thompson @ HSA is a great example of your point. You are correct there was no corruption or incompetence demonstrated in the Carepay trial at any level in the public sector (sarcasm)
https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/02/it-manager-connected-to-corrupt-hospital-contract-still-on-job/
Typical, yeah, we learned our lesson now, that’s not going to happen again, soon come. Franz, action speak louder than words, we know you pander to the politians and many within the Civil Service have found themselves under the proverbial bus as a result.
show me the record of trust and accountability because what I see is just a battlefield littered with casualties of political victimization
How about any dealings with Dart and government be dealt with in the public eye. They are now looking to dig rock out of 7 mile beach to make it more “amenable” for their latest proposed Hotel. They have asked government to by pass coastal works permission and other formalities to get stared right away. ( before the public knows about it?) Why can the public not be a part of these “Dart” decisions.
PPM is continuing what Mac started; making deals with out the people having any idea what is happening. This could prove more damaging to Seven Mile beach than the dock and the people do not even know about it yet. And, most likely,will not until the equipment is already at work.
DG what is your response to this???
Great Franz. Does this standing up to rogue ministers who overstep their authority mean that we get to take back the cabinet status grants, or is this just a new rule?
Kudos to the DG. A man of action and not afraid to take responsibility
Really? The man was being questioned about previous mess ups by the Public Accounts Committee, WTH do you think he would say?
Corruption within the civil service is rampant deal with that Franz
Wake up and stop drinking the negative cool aid. The civil service has improved so much that even the auditor General has confirmed it.
I am happy with the performance of the civil service.
Only because you are in it 10.38 and have no concept of service or being civil!
Thank you deputy governor we support you. Most of the negative posters are just worried that the gravy train has dried up.
Uncivil You are living in the past. Listen to what was said today ….look at the changes that are happening.
I know you are uncivilized but at least try and demonstrate some though process.
Will the DG hold his Chief Officers, CFO’s and other staff accountable when they fail to do their jobs competently and professionally? On the current results the answer is clearly a resounding no. Read multiple Auditor General reports for evidence.
The reality is that a cabal of hand picked slick talking senior staff under Manderson’s watch has developed who protect each other at all costs, operate outside any rules of transparency and accountability and are a separate group of non elected politicians who answer to nobody. They are his DG’s untouchables. If it gets too hot he rewards them foreign secondments until the dust settles.
The regular civil servants havent gotten a cost of living increase for over 6 years or more.
Most are just surviving. Some are losing property.
By what process will that be corrected?
One way of correcting it is by those civil servants who think their economic worth is more than what they are paid can move into the private sector. As long as the civil service is sufficiently staffed there seems to be no good reason to increase pay.
Yeh right. F*****g Driftwood comes to mind.
How about a multi-custodian approach whereby when politicians are to organize any significant projects etc., they would be required to carbon-copy any dialogue to ministerial authority/OAG for approval or something along those lines. But then again, corruption is a problem not easily solved!!!
Corruption is easily tackled if there is political will to do so.