Scrutiny of new Chief Executive appointment ongoing
2 August 2021
Scrutiny's Corporate Services Panel and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) are continuing to ask questions about the appointment of the Government's new Chief Executive. As part of its review of People and Culture within the Government of Jersey, the Corporate Services Panel wrote to the Chief Minister expressing concern regarding several matters, including:
The Chief Executive job description places no emphasis on public interaction and should clearly signal what unique skill set the new CEO is to bring to the current situation – a key factor of consideration when introducing change into an organisation.
Due to the next General Election in June 2022, there is a risk that a new CEO may be appointed only to be succeeded within six months by a new Government with different aims and objectives to the current one. To avoid repeating the previous recruitment process, the Panel suggested a delay until after the appointment of the next Council of Ministers.
Before the Government progress further with this appointment, the Corporate Services Panel and its external expert advisor consider it crucial to take into account lessons learned and to ensure that all employment matters are transparent, especially in relation to management and disciplinary matters. The Panel believes that adopting this approach would increase the level of interest from the recruitment pool of a suitably qualified candidate and ultimately provide the most suitable permanent candidate for the role. This review is coming to an end and its report will be published this month.
As part of its States Annual Report and Accounts 2020 review, the Public Accounts Committee has written to the Chief Minister highlighting Recommendation Six of the Comptroller and Auditor General's May report. In response to the report's recommendation that the Government review the original appointment process for the former Chief Executive and implement findings into the recruitment and appointment of a new permanent Chief Executive, the PAC has requested that the Government make the findings, recommendations and actions of this review public before any appointment.
President of the Scrutiny Liaison Committee, Senator Kristina Moore said, "As the appointment of the Government's new Chief Executive is a matter of public interest, the Scrutiny Liaison Committee feels that it is important to highlight the ongoing work of Scrutiny and its role in both providing objective advice and holding the Government to account. Any future CEO will, by dint of their office, be answerable to the States' Public Accounts Committee and therefore it is important that the views of the Committee are sought and taken into account."
