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Common Strategic Policy (P.98/2022): second amendment

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STATES OF JERSEY

COMMON STRATEGIC POLICY (P.98/2022): SECOND AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 4th November 2022 by Deputy T.A. Coles of St. Helier South Earliest date for debate: 22nd November 2022

STATES GREFFE

2022  P.98 Amd.(2)

COMMON STRATEGIC POLICY (P.98/2022): SECOND AMENDMENT

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After the words "report of this Proposition" insert the words –

", except that on page 8 of the report, all instances of the word "Customer" shall be substituted with the word "People""

DEPUTY T. A. COLES

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

in accordance with Article 18(2)(e) of the States of Jersey Law 2005, to approve the statement of the Common Strategic Policy of the Council of Ministers as set out in the report of this Proposition, except that on page 8 of the report, all instances of the word Customer' shall be substituted with the word People'.

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P.98/2022 Amd.(2)

REPORT

The purpose of this amendment is to clarify that the Government's approach to its population should be "People focused" rather than "Customer focused", as the current phrasing is an inaccurate description of the population we serve. They are not our customers.

The definition of "Customer" is "A person or organisation that buys a product or service"[1]. This definition may very well cover many of the people of Jersey's interactions with government and government departments, however, it certainly isn't the experience of the whole population of Jersey.

The purpose of the Common Strategic policy is to set out the Government's plans and policies that it wants to enact over the next term. These plans and policies oversee the Island and government as a whole and as such takes into account a wide range issues, departments and people. To define all of Jersey's population as "Customers" is inappropriate, inaccurate and, to some, very disrespectful.

It is important that we acknowledge that the running of Government and department budgets, though they may appear to operate in a similar structure to corporations, is not a corporation. A government must look after the people of Jersey and the Island's infrastructure, be prepared and ready to act in its peoples' interests.

By simply changing the word "Customer" to "People", in this instance, we can keep the People as the focus of our Common Strategic Policy and remember that what we all want to achieve is for the benefit of everyone.

Financial and manpower implications

This change should have limited financial implications – indeed the change to the CSP itself would incur negligible costs.

If the Government considers my arguments persuasive and move to amend their values in this small way there may be minor manpower implications for the digital and communications teams to update templates etc. Any print material could remain as it is, being phased out over time at no additional cost.

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