Lands & Survey plan to outsource work
Government Administration Building
(CNS): The first hints of possible privatisation in the delivery of public services have emerged in a new strategic assessment from the planning ministry. Following a review of the Lands and Survey Department, government bureaucrats have identified a number of ways to make the struggling service more effective and efficient, including outsourcing key parts of its work to the private sector. The ministry has identified some of the problems in the department that are leading to inefficiencies and delays in producing work for customers, including skills gaps and shifting priorities.
Part of government’s internal review, known as Project Future, which is looking for ways to cut the still growing public service budget and improvements in customer service and efficiency, the assessment sought to improve service delivery while at the same time looking for ways to cut costs. The department said its objective was to reduce overheads by 20% but there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed and outsourcing work was identified as a possible solution.
Although the civil servants writing the review pointed to some fundamental errors in the Ernst & Young report, which fueled Project Future, about the number and types of private sector companies that could do some of the department’s work, they found that there was room to repackage some of that work to make it more attractive to outside experts.
Pointing to the opportunity for the department to operate more efficiently and effectively in delivering these services by decreasing the time it takes to deliver completed work, improvements in customer service and a reduction in costs, the bureaucrats said that either further investment in technology and training or outsourcing were the solutions, though they warned that outsourcing could lead to job losses.
The strategic assessment has been signed off by Cabinet and it will now guide the creation of an outline business case, which will look at the suggestions in more detail and establish the preferred option for the implementation of a policy change.
The chief officer in the planning ministry, Alan Jones, said there was a new way of thinking and working in the civil service with the introduction of Project Future.
“It has indeed been challenging, but we are using the strategic assessment and business case process as a tool to challenge our thinking and to really evaluate the quality and efficiency of our work,” he said.
Category: Government Finance, Politics
You can’t outsource your problems. If you can’t manage an internal department doing X then you will certainly fail at managing an outsourced private company doing X too.
First: Get rid of the top administrators in L & S who have retired once and are now on contract while receiving pension;
Second: Amend the law governing Surveyors to take away the licence to print money; over a thousand dollars to replace one ‘beacon’ is daylight robbery.
Did you get more than one quote?
The CPA board should be next. We need competent people without self interest sitting on these boards. I believe everyone on the board are either contractors or hardware store owners.
Maybe now we can get a new map book. Last one was published in 2009.
Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die. Caymanians say we want change, greater efficiency and less cost, but when the Government tries to accomplish this allow do is complain. I have less and less faith in true progress for my beloved country with this pervasive attitude. smh.
Example of over development and the negative consequences.
Today we have a market saturated with surveyor companies, not enough business to make them billionaires so hey first lobby the government get the banks, credit union to agree that home owners must submit new valuation every year and for every time you borrow $1;
now we moving to help them more by removing government services;
next schools then prisons; but
not surprised at all look at political parties members
All well and good in principle, but, given this Government’s evident distaste for the E&Y proposals, hopefully this is not a case of connected cronies benefitting from cushy govt contracts.
Hooray!
Congratulations to the Department and PLAH&I Ministry on a thoughtful and professional review. This is another example of the increasing professionalization of the civil service, and it shows that the service is embracing more business-like processes. As a civil servant, it shows me that we are making progress and doing things differently now and working to higher standards. I would think that the public would be encouraged and would support the civil service, given all the complaints about money being spent and projects being launched without due process. I also think the fact that these documents are being published once they are approved is evidence that we are being more transparent. Let’s acknowledge these positive steps and the potential of Project Future and our Civil Service to deliver even more.
Your repetitive standardized messages are tiresome are tiresome and fooling no one. Now get back to work!
All I saw was “money being spent and projects being launched without due process.” now leave me alone. I already knew that
Any improvement to the poor performance from this third world run department would be greatly appreciated. It would seem to me that it has some very good talent that is kept from doing the best they can for the customers so that they don’t rock the boat on the many egomaniacs that run the show. Major changes need to be made to the whole inspection department to take it from the farce it is now.
maybe the implementation of civil service reform should be done by the private sector…..then you will actually see real results….
project future is one big joke that will actually cost more money than it saves….
yawn….civil service will do everything it can do hinder reform….
I am so proud to see how the civil service and the government is working these days. Gone are the days of pie in the sky projects and money wasted on projects that went no where.
CNS posters have asked for change and what I have seem over the pass 3 years has been simply amazing.
To my fellow negative posters, yes I was one, give credit where credit is earned.
Think about this. Gone are the days of
Failure to submit financial statements to the AG on time
Adverse opinions on entities financial statements
Poor performers not being dealt with
No e services ..just renewed my drivers license online
Poor customer service
Wasted money on travel and credit card abuse
I think some credit must be given. The facts are the facts
keep drinking the kool-aid…
the reality is that the civil service is still overstaffed, underworked and overpaid…..
read miller shaw or e&y reports!
11:29. Gosh you need help. This article is all about a recommendation in the EY report. Please get help. The Government has actioned every recommendation in the EY report.
I agree. Let’s start by cutting all contracted workers first.
What? You can renew your driving licence online? How? I just had to sit in the queue for a couple of hours recently to do mine and no one mentioned it. I also just visited the website and there is no mention on there of renewing online. http://www.dvdl.gov.ky/ What is the point of having e-services if no one knows about them!
LOL – DVDL website has not been updated for 4 or 5 years.
Of course you can’t, that would be far too efficient. Letting people do things online would reduce the need for CS staff, and for the public to have to clog up the roads and miss work for even the most basic of things. And who would we get pissed off at if, not at the scowling unhelpful bureaucrats who love to show their miniscule power off…. And of course, those interested parties with fuel stations, car repair shops and so on would lose income. So ask yourself, is it real?
Whatever you’re on, I want some! I feel good, I knew that I would now!!
Outsourcing ? Really ? When so many Caumanians are out of work ? What’s the big deal ? Get somebody in there that can fix this department ! It’s not rocket science ! What is going on here ? It stinks !
@ 8:37. . . Are you serious? If so, what country are you living in?