STATES OF JERSEY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL 2019

Presented to the States on 30th September 2020 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

2020  R.103

REPORT

Objectives and priorities

In 2018, I agreed a set of 6 strategic objectives for the Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, which were also used for this report:

• deliver One Government and modernise public services;

• lead organisational change and secure culture change through Team Jersey;

• develop a stronger focus on customer services;

• continue to build and develop good working relationships with the Council of Ministers, States Members and Scrutiny panels;

• deliver effective financial, performance and business management;

• promote and support the economy of Jersey both internally and externally.

In addition, alongside these strategic objectives, I tasked the Chief Executive with the following key priorities to deliver in 2019:

• the Government Plan 2020-23;

• establishing and making rapid progress on the new hospital project;

• delivering sustainable long-term efficiencies, while ensuring that appropriate governance and checks and balances remain in place;

• creating an investment vehicle for reviving our Island's infrastructure.

Timing of this statement

I regret that my statement on the Chief Executive's performance is being published later this year than I would wish. The earliest that I should be able to conduct a performance review is following the publication of the Annual Report and Accounts in March, given that it provides a comprehensive audit of the Government's operational and financial outcomes, which make up a significant element of the Chief Executive's performance assessment. I would also expect to have received the report of the independent assessor by then, once he has completed the interviews he carries out with internal and external stakeholders in January and February.

This year, however, the onset of COVID-19 significantly delayed the completion of the  independent  assessor's  report.  He  was  unable  to  interview  several  of  the key interviewees before they became subsumed by the preparations and response to the pandemic. Moreover, I also prioritised dealing with the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, implementing emergency measures and planning for the recovery. Only after the summer break, have I been able to set aside the time to review, assess and discuss the Chief Executive's 2019 performance and publish this statement.

Whilst  this  report  covers  the  period  of  2019  and  doesn't  reflect  the  period  of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is being published at a time where the work of Chief Executive and his officials have exemplified the hard work and commitment that all Islanders would hope from the civil service during a time of great hardship and worry for the Island.

The basis of the assessment

Throughout 2019, I continued to work very closely with the Chief Executive across all of these strategic and priority objectives, as well as on day-to-day issues and in dealing with the opportunities and threats that have arisen along the way. We meet several times a week in various formats, including through our weekly one-to-one meetings and as part of larger meetings, including the Council of Ministers, the States Employment Board, and other working groups. He has also participated alongside me and on his own at Scrutiny and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings and in other external fora.

In assessing the Chief Executive's performance in 2019, I have examined his delivery of the objectives and priorities I have set him, but I have also drawn on my own personal observations – the quality of his advice, the soundness of his judgement, the breadth and depth of his knowledge, the speed with which he is able to grasp and analyse complex data and issues, his seemingly endless energy and effort, the courtesy and calm of his conduct and his leadership skills, not just when working with our Ministers and senior leaders, but also when engaging with colleagues of all levels.

Alongside my own observations, I have again supplemented my own assessment with evidence from a range of other sources: including the views expressed by senior colleagues during the year, from the business and financial outcomes reported in the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts and from the report of the independent assessor, Dr John Nicholson.

The 2019 Annual Report and Accounts were published in March and are available for review on the gov.je website and, with the agreement of the Chief Executive, Dr Nicholson's independent report is again being published in full alongside this statement.

2019 performance assessment

In summary, my assessment is that the Chief Executive had had another successful year and once again his performance has been highly professional. The high expectations established in 2018 began to deliver fruit in 2019, with the focus moving from analysis of the organisation and its issues, to that of starting to implement new structures and ways of working.

The  Annual  Report  provides  a  comprehensive,  audited  record  of  public  service operational outcomes under the Chief Executive's leadership, but I will highlight several achievements against the objectives and priorities I established:

• One Government is now largely in place and, with some exceptions (such as in Justice and Home Affairs, following a change made by the States Assembly), the departmental operating models are now established. The benefits of the collaborative approach – and of also bringing almost 500 public servants together into the interim Government office in Broad Street – were not only highlighted in how the first-ever Government Plan was developed, but also in the effectiveness of the cross-government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The integration and co-location of customer-facing public services has proved to be effective, efficient and popular. More services are now being delivered through the Customer and Local Services Department, as well as from the first of the Closer to Home local community hubs, at Communicare in St. Brelade.

• The Team Jersey programme has started to deliver a step-change in how the public service engages with its own managers and employees, and the many hundreds who participated in the programme have reported positively on what they have learned and how it makes them think. Team Jersey has also provided intensive targeted programmes in some departments, which have helped to resolve a range of organisational issues and build a consensus approach.

• The Chief Executive has developed a good strong working relationship with the Council of Ministers, both as a group and individually with Ministers and Assistant Ministers through day-to-day working. He provides calm and clear analysis and advice and he seeks to resolve issues collaboratively and always takes time to understand Ministers' views and concerns. He has also ensured a more effective service is provided to help the Ministers and myself in carrying out our duties, through the creation of the Ministerial Support Unit. He has demonstrated consistent care and respect in his dealings with States Members and Scrutiny Panels, and ensures that they are kept informed, updated and provided with the documentation they request. It should be highlighted that the Chief Executive is not responsible for disagreements arising from political differences between States Members, Scrutiny panels and Ministers, and that his support is around the operational delivery of Government and its policies.

• Despite a forecasted financial shortfall in 2019, the Chief Executive achieved a balanced  year-end  budget,  through  improved  financial  management  and controls and more efficient operational delivery. The earlier closure of financial accounts and better monthly financial summaries that he has established has also  enabled  earlier  and  better  information  to  be  available  to  assist  with developing the Government Plan and for in-year financial monitoring.

• The  Chief  Executive  worked  closely  with  the  States  Employment  Board in developing and approving the approach to pay negotiations and settlements in 2019, which resolved many longstanding pay anomalies (such as lower pay for nurses and manual workers against civil servants for work of equal value), securing  negotiated  settlements  for  2018-20  with  all  pay  groups  except civil servants.

• The Chief  Executive  has  assisted  Ministers in  implementing  initiatives to promote and support Jersey's economy, as well as planning for the future by initiating work on a future economic framework – which enabled Jersey to respond fast and decisively to the economic impacts of COVID-19 in 2020.

• The Chief Executive coordinated the development of the Government Plan 2020-23,  which  provided  a  clear  and  understandable  roadmap  for  the Government's priorities and actions in 2020 and beyond. While the COVID-19 pandemic has meant a rapid review of the timing of delivery of many of these priorities, and the mechanisms for funding them and the emergency, the work that underpins the Government Plan was rigorous and has proved invaluable in planning the recovery.

• Following the closure of the Future Hospital project, the Chief Executive worked closely with me to develop the new Our Hospital project, establish the governance forums and processes, and ensure that the project has access to the

skills and funding it needs. The project made rapid progress from its initiation in Summer 2019, and the Deputy Chief Minister published several reports during the year explaining its actions and plans. The project has since moved forward considerably in 2020.

• The Chief Executive also launched a project in 2019 to design and deliver a new permanent building for our public service, bringing many more colleagues together and closing buildings which can be made available for re-development and sale.

• As part of the Government Plan, the Chief Executive initiated a review of efficiencies, both within every department and across the public service as a whole. As a result, the Efficiencies Plan, which formed a part of the Final Government Plan, identified the first £40 million of sustainable efficiencies to be delivered in 2020, from an ambition of £100 million over 4 years. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect how those efficiencies are delivered in 2020, and this will be considered in the Chief Executive's 2020 performance appraisal.

• Jersey's long-term infrastructure investment will remain underfunded while the financial approach remains that all money for a capital project must be raised and  ringfenced  before  any  work  can  proceed.  The  Chief  Executive  has developed proposals for the future funding of our Island's infrastructure which will enable investment to be accelerated. Details about these proposals have been delayed as a result of the Pandemic but will form part of our long-term arrangements to rebuild our finances and maintain investment in long-term Infrastructure initiatives.

On each of the objectives and priorities, there is ample evidence that the Chief Executive has made significant and demonstrable progress and that the public service is working well and continuing to improve and modernise under his leadership throughout the year. Many of the uncertainties and disagreements that were evident in 2018 dissipated in 2019,  as components  of modernisation  were  completed,  more  legacy  issues  were resolved, the new senior leadership team was fully embedded and effective, and internal and external scepticism about his plans gave way to increasing recognition of his achievements.

The independent assessor's report

The independent assessor provides a separate assessment of the Chief Executive's performance, based on comments drawn from his interviews with internal and external stakeholders. This too is overwhelmingly positive, and I am pleased to read that the areas for possible improvement highlighted in the 2018 report are ones in which progress is noted.

The primary area for improvement that Dr Nicholson's report had identified was "to play more positive mood music' – focusing more on a positive future, rather than how poor the past was – and to focus on wins and successes."

Dr Nicholson concludes: "Feedback would indicate that this has largely been achieved. The Chief Executive has sought consistently to talk about progress and to recognise the

hard work of staff, rather than to keep highlighting the legacy of issues that are yet to be addressed."

I endorse Dr Nicholson's positive view about how the organisation now feels and communicates.  Indeed,  in  mid-2019,  the  Chief  Executive  issued  a  message  to colleagues, announcing that the "stabilisation" phase of modernisation was largely complete and that the public service was now in the "recovery" phase, where the benefits of the changes and of their efforts would be increasingly visible.

However, Dr Nicholson adds that "under pressure, the Chief Executive can still resort to referring back to what he inherited. So, whilst progress has been made, and the feedback is largely positive, there is still some work to do." In my own view, having worked so closely with the Chief Executive throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, if this were still the case on occasion in 2019, it is not something that I have witnessed in recent months. As I mentioned at the start of this statement, the organisation has pulled together in a remarkable manner in the last 6 months or so and has delivered a response to the Pandemic that Islanders should be proud of.

On the Chief Executive's leadership approach, Dr Nicholson highlights that "Members of  the  Leadership  Team,  and  those  most  affected  by  its performance,  attest  to  a significant shift in the way in which the Chief Executive led the Public Service: authority and influence became more widely distributed as the year went on, while the Chief Executive adjusted his own style to reflect the team's growing maturity, and the bolstering of his personal reputation, as the benefits of the One Government approach became apparent."

Dr Nicholson also noted that: "The case for significant change was widely accepted, as was  the  staff  selection  process.  New  ways  of  working  had  produced  some  clear successes, which were effectively publicised and contributing to a noticeable shift in perception of the new regime – inside the government and more generally amongst Islanders. The Chief Executive, emboldened by such green shoots, had signed up to an ambitious programme of measurable commitments linked to the 6 overarching personal objectives he had agreed with the Chief Minister."

Dr Nicholson said that "2019 was the year in which diagnosis and design had to give way to introducing new structures and ways of working – in short, implementation. This shift needed to be supported by a new tone at the top. In place of criticism of the way in which things had been done in the past, a fresh note of optimism had to be struck."

He highlights "an impressive record of delivery against performance targets in most areas. Where targets have not been met, convincing explanations are provided for delays and omissions – mainly as a result of external factors or shortfalls in resource, which could not have been anticipated. It should also be noted that, while not all commitments made were successfully delivered, other significant achievements were recorded, which are additional to – and, in some cases, more effective ways of meeting – the original aims and objectives agreed between the Chief Executive and Chief Minister."

Dr Nicholson concludes by saying: "At the end of 12 months of relentless activity, the Government seemed poised at the beginning of 2020 to start reaping the fruits of Charlie Parker's first 2 years as Chief Executive. It was at this point that the Chinese city of Wuhan first came to the attention of the world at large. Next year's appraisal report will

describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jersey's vision to transform itself – and assess Charlie Parker's ability to respond to a threat registering somewhere between game-changing and life-threatening."

I am grateful to Dr Nicholson for his report and to all those who agreed to be interviewed by him and gave up their time. I note and will reflect on his comment that: "It may now be  appropriate  to  pare  back  the  exercise,  involving  fewer  expert  witnesses', and adopting a lighter touch to performance measurement." I also agree with his view that while the Chief Executive's focus in 2020 has primarily been on dealing with the COVID-19 emergency and recovery, his personal performance commitments for the rest of 2020 and 2021 need to be agreed as soon as the revised Government Plan is completed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am very pleased with the Chief Executive's performance in 2019, impressed at the energy and professionalism he brings to his leadership of the public service and grateful to him for his diligence, calm advice and experience as together we navigated numerous difficult challenges for the Government. Without the work that he has done to improve the way that the public service collaborates as One Government, his insistence on evidence-based actions, backed by clear performance monitoring and assessment, and his recruitment of a number of experienced senior officers into key posts; I have no doubt that Jersey would have been significantly less-well-prepared than we  were  to  face  and  overcome  the  COVID-19  pandemic  in  2020,  which  will undoubtedly form the major part of his 2020 performance review. The Chief Executive and I will take the findings of Dr Nicholson and reflect on how we can continue to deliver improvements and continuing change.

Government of Jersey Chief Executive Appraisal: Independent Assessor's Report on Year Two Performance Dr John Nicholson

2020

Executive Summary  2 Introduction  4 Objective 1: One Government and modernising public services  8 Objective 2: Organisational change and Team Jersey  14 Objective 3: Developing a stronger focus on customer service  19

Objective 4: Building and developing good working relationships with COM, Assembly Members and Scrutiny Panels  25

Objective 5: Financial, performance and business management  29

Objective 6: To promote and support the economy of Jersey both internally and externally  32

Personal Change  37 Conclusion and recommendations  42

Executive Summary

In his second year as Chief Executive and Head of the Public Service for the Government of Jersey, Charlie Parker's focus was on continuing to engineer transformational change in the way in which the island is governed. But whereas in 2018 the emphasis had been on analysis of a situation he had inherited, and the development of a programme to address its flaws, 2019 was the year in which diagnosis and design had to give way to introducing new structures and ways of working – in short, implementation. This shift needed to be supported by a new tone at the top. In place of criticism of the way in which things had been done in the past, a fresh note of optimism had to be struck: the ship of state was heading towards an identified destination, manned by a crew more than capable of completing the voyage successfully, and providing appropriate leadership in the new environment.

Much of the heavy lifting had been completed in Year One. The case for significant change was widely accepted, as was the staff selection process. New ways of working had produced some clear successes, which were effectively publicised and contributing to a noticeable shift in perception of the new regime – inside the government and more generally amongst islanders. The Chief Executive, emboldened by such green shoots, had signed up to an ambitious programme of measurable commitments linked to the six overarching personal objectives he had agreed with the Chief Minister.

This  second  appraisal  report  demonstrates  an  impressive  record  of  delivery  against performance  targets  in  most  areas.   Where  targets  have  not  been  met,  convincing explanations are provided for delays and omissions – mainly as a result of external factors or shortfalls in resource, which could not have been anticipated. It should also be noted that, while not all commitments made were successfully delivered, other significant achievements were recorded, which are additional to – and, in some cases, more effective ways of meeting

– the original aims and objectives agreed between the Chief Executive and Chief Minister. This applies across all the six main appraisal objectives.

With regard to the leadership of his own team, and the overall tone of messages he delivered to the organisation, the Chief Executive clearly delivered on commitments made. There were changes to the Leadership Team's composition. Members of the Leadership Team, and those most affected by its performance, attest to a significant shift in the way in which the Chief Executive led: authority and influence became more widely distributed as the year went on,

while the Chief Executive adjusted his own style to reflect the team's growing maturity, and the bolstering of his personal reputation, as the benefits of the One Government approach became apparent. Some of the divisions which had hampered progress in 2018 – for example, between newcomers and old-hands – dissipated during 2019, and a very successful year reached a crescendo with the stunning level of support the Assembly gave to the first Government Plan.

At the end of 12 months of relentless activity, the Government seemed poised at the beginning of 2020 to start reaping the fruits of Charlie Parker's first two years as Chief Executive. It was at this point that the Chinese city of Wuhan first came to the attention of the world at large. Next year's appraisal report will describe the impact of the COVID pandemic on Jersey's vision to transform itself – and assess Charlie Parker's ability to respond to a threat registering somewhere between game-changing and life-threatening.

Understanding the context

Organisational change

The work required to bring about large-scale change in organisations can be divided into eight stages:

1. Carry out due diligence: assess the situation and decide what needs to change.
2. Develop and communicate a change strategy.
3. Develop and communicate a detailed plan of how the strategy will be implemented, which manages expectations and sets stretching – but achievable – targets, with timescales.
4. Start to pull the levers of change: e.g. redesign structures and processes, ways of working, mindsets and behaviours.
5. Build the confidence of key stakeholders that you know what you're doing, that the plan is robust – and that it is beginning to produce measurable benefits.
6. Evaluate early feedback, positive and negative: understand obstacles to progress and fine-tune plans to overcome them.
7. Identify, communicate – and celebrate – early successes. Explain where plans have changed – and why.
8. Sustain interest by varying the pace of change, publicising the growing benefits flowing from new ways of working, encouraging organisational tourism' to witness better practice in action, across and outside the organisation. Insist that improvement must be continuous to ensure the organisation's resilience and enduring success.

Applying this framework to Jersey's determination to transform itself into an efficiently governed modern economy, the Chief Executive's Year One Assessment Report focused mainly on the effectiveness of his work on diagnosis, design of new structures and processes, formulation of a strategy and plans to manage in new ways of working and the effective communication of some quick wins. Most – though not all – of the activity being evaluated, therefore, fell into the first five of the stages of change set out above. The report's conclusion was generally very positive. The due diligence process was described as thorough and effective, resulting in a comprehensive cataloguing of what needed to change and unusually well-designed programme to engineer the transformation. However, at the end of last year's appraisal process, the Chief Minister and the Chief Executive agreed with the independent

assessor that in Year Two, there would need a shift in emphasis from diagnosis and design to delivery. This would call for a significant shift in what was expected from the Chief Executive, with commensurate change in how his performance should be evaluated. For example, at this stage in the programme, it becomes crucially important to obtain, evaluate and respond to the views of those who are being asked to change the way they think and behave. So, in this Year Two report, greater emphasis is placed on third party comments than was the case with its predecessor.

The Year One report set out, on a department-by-department basis, a detailed account of all the structural and procedural shifts which needed to be made, in order to turn the One Government concept from consultant-speak into improved everyday working practices. Progress on each individual element was evaluated, along with consumer reaction (obtained from interviews with a pool of expert witnesses) and, where necessary, commitments by the Chief Executive to specific further actions during the next twelve months and beyond.

This level of granularity reflected the fact that the transformation process was in its infancy: as a result, there was still widespread misunderstanding of its objectives, and in some parts of the organisation, as well as in the media and amongst other opinion-formers in the community – open hostility to the new regime. They wanted to stick to established ways of doing things, without regard either to their effectiveness or to changing circumstances, in Jersey and in the wider world.

A year ago, significant parts of the organisation were in shock, as a consequence of the scope and pace of the early stages of the Change Programme. This extended up to the top of the organisation where the Executive Management Team had had a challenging year. At a personal level, those who had served under the previous Chief Executive had been through a tough assessment procedure, which had led to the exit of some of their colleagues. Some of them were experiencing feelings of guilt which are symptomatic of the survivor syndrome'. Some of them also felt resentment at the appointment of (a few) off-islanders to senior posts. The newcomers could sense this, as they adapted to life in Jersey. The pressure of everyday business, combined with the launch of an ambitious programme of transformational change, created a level of busyness very few had experienced before. It also restricted the time available to build a cohesive team, which could exemplify the new values and ways of working

– collectively and as individuals.

Critical to the success of the new approach was the development of a strong performance culture, across the organisation. As a first step towards this, Charlie Parker agreed with the Chief Minister that his own performance must be robustly and independently appraised, against a set of agreed objectives, which would reflect the demands of the period under review. As circumstances changed, so might the Chief Executive's objectives – and the way in which his performance appraisal was conducted and reported.

Revising the process

Last year's appraisal report represented the first stage of this process: it reviewed the Chief Executive's performance in Year One and set out a list of commitments against which he has been assessed during Year Two. This year, his performance has been assessed using a range of financial, operational, and customer service measures, wherever these are available. Appraisal judgements are based on four different sources: official documents (the States of Jersey Annual Reports and Accounts and Jersey's Performance Framework); the Chief Executive's self-appraisal; comments made by third parties (individuals selected for having had first-hand dealings with him and, therefore, being well placed to evaluate the extent to which he has achieved his objectives and the manner in which he has done so), who were interviewed by the assessor; the assessor's knowledge of how other leaders facing similar challenges in different organisations are squaring up to the challenge of managing transformational change at this point in time.

The Year One report was based around the Chief Executive's performance in six areas, agreed between him and both the Chief Ministers he has served under. For each of these areas, there was a summary of achievements claimed, observations made, and commitments for further improvement in Year Two and beyond. The same six areas were used to start the appraisal discussion with the third parties involved in this year's process. They were also asked to evaluate the Chief Executive's leadership of his Top Team and to make other observations they believed might enrich the Year Two performance appraisal. This year's report is based on third party evidence collected from 34 respondents – a mixture of senior colleagues (Directors General and Directors), politicians, representatives of partner organisations, and some leading figures in the community. All these conversations were conducted on a confidential basis, either face-to-face or by phone. A digest of opinion was collected by the independent assessors: relevant illustrative comments and suggestions are included throughout this report. The Year Two report covers the Chief Executive's performance against objectives set at the beginning of the period and progress made on the One Government Transformational Change Programme.

A final section of the report deals not with the Chief Executive's achievements during the period, but of the manner in which he has made them – i.e. how he has conducted himself. It assesses the extent to which he has modified his approach in the light of suggestions made in last year's report, and considers what further changes will be required in mood music' – via different tone in communication – as well as in leadership style and practice, to meet the changing demands on leadership during the next period.

This report will be shared in the first instance with the Chief Minister and the Chief Executive. It will belong to the organisation, though at least some of its contents will be shared with wider audiences, in a manner agreed between the Chief Minister and the Chief Executive, with the understanding that any publicly available documentation preserves the confidentiality guarantees given by the assessor to the third party commentators.

One Government and modernising public services

One Government

Background

The Common Strategic Policy, which was created to give focus to the Council of Ministers' ambitions, was passed unanimously by the Assembly in 2018. During 2019, the first Government Plan explained how the government intended to implement the policy, bringing together income, funding, policies, initiatives and strategic outcomes for the first time. The plan was passed at the end of 2019 with 43 out of 49 members voting in its support.

Year Two Achievements

Impressive progress has been made on One Government, after overcoming initial cynicism. It is generally accepted that the Chief Executive's vision, drive, tenacity, passion and commitment were instrumental in maintaining initial momentum, dealing with resistance and making measurable advances. Most observers reported positive shifts in collaboration and working across departments, with siloes having been significantly broken down. Progress can be reported on many of the specific One Government and overall modernisation objectives set out in last year's appraisal report.

For example:

Third party comments

Most of the expert witnesses consulted, inside and outside government, were generous with their praise for the Chief Executive's achievements in this area.

• "Charlie is a very visionary leader. People now buy into the One Government. He has really brought a different kind of focus. When he first arrived, there was always an element of, Charlie is the new guy and he's got this One Government thing' – and people didn't really believe in it. But now, at all different levels of the organisation, people are working across boundaries, working far better together and really seeing the benefits that One Government will bring. It's really gained momentum this year. That is down to Charlie's vision, persistence and communication."

• "I've been really pleased with Charlie, because the structural changes he has made have been so effective. The new structures are more fluid / flexible – we used to be much too compartmentalised / departmentalised."

• "The lack of opposition and amendments to the Government Plan was truly remarkable."

• "Excellent performance here. This is Charlie's forte. Getting One Government through, achieving consistency across the government, and breaking the power of silos have all required drive, passion and commitment. Charlie has provided all three. He's had to be forceful, even to the point of becoming a bit dictatorial, and it hasn't helped that some of his DGs are seen as yes-men."

• "The fact that annual accounts were wrapped up much earlier meant that we were given the numbers in time to plan properly. The impact of this is mainly on the top three Tiers, less so on the rest of the staff and islanders."

However, not all were convinced:

• "At first, Charlie was seen as a breath of fresh air and to be doing a hell of a job. Two years later, with the organisational structure still incomplete and with confusion about what's going on, I can't see a clear plan or priorities."

Progress in Year Two towards introducing a full suite of new TOMs compares unfavourably with that on One Government. This is reflected in third party comments:

• "Going against that positivity about One Government, what's interesting is that – from an organisational change perspective – a big focus this year has been on Target Operating Models (TOMs) and restructures, which seems to have been done in the least One Government way possible. So, whilst there is so much good stuff, unfortunately, what seems to have happened there is that the TOMs have been developed into silos. There were some principles put out (on how to redesign departments) – but there are almost more exceptions to them than there is evidence for them (e.g. one to eight reporting ratios, lines of hierarchy, etc.). The intention was absolutely right, but I feel like the way it's ended up being done wasn't."

• "Silos have been replaced by vacuums. It's not clear which Ministers are responsible for what."

• "TOMs have been done comprehensively at the top; more challenging further down, especially in complex departments like Health and Education."

• "We are now into Charlie's third year and we are still talking about Target Operating Models. Some considerable time has slipped on the delivery of these within departments, very few are complete. I wonder how much harder this could have been driven to achieve the desired change over the desired time-period. It has had the effect of drawing out the uncertainty for staff. You obviously want to do something like this properly, but you also want to do it quickly."

• "Tier 3 roles have happened pretty much universally across the organisation. We'd done the consultation, but we haven't been able to fill all the roles. For example, it has taken nine months to recruit the Digital Team."

• "We're a small government. We really ought to be able to do, for example, the integration of Health and Social Care."

• "Charlie made good progress with this in 2019, but I still think there is a sense of there being smoke and mirrors. Whilst those at a senior level inside the organisation can see the ways in which the organisation has changed and is changing, the narrative for those outside – including some non-ministerial politicians, the media and the public at large – is different. They are not necessarily seeing how this is all coming together. From my perspective, it's coming together as fast as you could expect – but Charlie has had to do a huge amount of work to make that happen."

Gaining agreement to the Government Plan was a significant achievement, though some people described the approach adopted as somewhat formulaic and not sufficiently tailored to the unique circumstances of Jersey.

Third party comments

• "Getting agreement to the Efficiencies Plan was a real sign of the politicians' confidence in Charlie."

• "On the transformation of the organisation, I'd say that we were a year behind and slowing down (e.g. on the Efficiencies Programme)."

• "We didn't sell efficiency well enough and the Efficiencies Programme will certainly need to be revised."

Organisational change and Team Jersey

Organisational change

Achievements

The enormity of the challenges associated with organisational and cultural change was well- documented in last year's appraisal. It is clear this year that there may even have been an underestimate of how difficult it would be to effect the desired change. That said, there has been huge progress. Clearly, the majority of people across the organisation are committed to the objectives, which is an achievement in itself. This buy-in has, however, led to frustration on the part of some since they perceive progress to be slower than they would like.

Everyone acknowledges how wide-ranging and fundamental the changes are. Given this, the degree of progress is very impressive. And, despite delays, the way in which messages are communicated and the degree of engagement have improved, leading to a change in the mood music.

In terms of progress against specific objectives, the following can be reported:

Third party comments

• "I'm seeing good green shoots now. It was painful, but Charlie has got better at explaining how we are doing. He now delivers a softer message, as a result of which, I see lots more happy people across the organisation."

• "People now realise that they work for the government / island, not just their' department."

• "Last year we moved and were able to amalgamate a number of departments. This year it's more difficult to measure the change. But I have noticed that the staff I work with are more confident, more relaxed and more secure."

• "It's going slowly – that's the nature of the island and one of the challenges here. But we've made some good strides."

• "People are feeling that, in so many areas, there is just so, so much to do in so little time – and I think we're at risk of doing a hell of a lot to 80% completion and 50% quality. I wonder whether we could be taking a step back in places. I like that Charlie drives tempo – and we needed that as a government. And his vision is the right one."

• "The I Will' initiative, which is about inspiring women into leadership, is a really well- thought-out initiative. That's a good deliverable that helps people feel that we are moving towards being an organisation that is more diverse and flexible."

• "I think we're fiddling while Rome burns. Moving offices, spending a fortune on IT, when people are suffering."

• "Jersey had a particularly difficult year last year – we had civil servants on strike, teachers on strike, various other people threatening to go on strike. That's never happened before."

• "In summary, Charlie Parker has taken on an almost impossible task. He probably underestimated it, not realising that Public Services had lacked any leadership at the top for years, was decades behind in its systems and processes, hopelessly over-stuffed and largely self-serving, rather than being customer requirement orientated. The local expectation was that he would sort everything out in a year or two – something that was always going to be impossible. Furthermore, in order to achieve his objective, he probably came to realise very early on that there were no existing staff capable of doing so – hence the need to bring in more outsiders than he first thought."

• "Charlie has been responsible for instigating Team Jersey, which is being led by a UK- based organisation but is now well-integrated in the Jersey Civil Service. That's worked pretty well. While I was worried this would be a repetition of messages put out by previous batches of leadership, they are trying to get new cultural messages out and I have realised, through some of the courses I have been on, that not everybody did have access to these pots of information historically. There is a degree of improvement required in terms of how we treat each other across the government. So, I do think this is a force for good."

• "On the people change piece, the first half of 2019 was spent convincing people of the need to change. Team Jersey started to get traction in the second half."

• "People used to be apprehensive about culture change. Now there's much more buy-in and they like the internal branding / communication of it."

• "For me, the jury is still out on Team Jersey. It's got a lot of potential but perhaps it was underestimated just how big a cultural shift this was going to be. There is still quite a long way to go when you look at some behaviours in some departments. It's probably more around the middle management level (not top leaders) where there is work to be done."

• "Team Jersey had a faltering moment at the end of 2019. We now have a better understanding of the challenge involved in getting 7,000 people through a Culture Change Programme. Senior leaders have been given more authority: Team Jersey is no longer just the Charlie and Andy show."

• "Team Jersey sessions were better than I was expecting, but I'm not sure that people come away from them feeling real ownership. Culture isn't just an enabler, it's everything. Team Jersey is a bit too processy'."

• "Team Jersey is good for those who want to engage, less good for those who don't."

• "The Team Jersey people have been frustrated by differences across departments. Not clear what their legacy will be."

• "The One Voice Pulse will give us a measure of staff engagement. I think feelings are more positive now, with people believing their voice matters and that they can speak up. Bad behaviours are challenged and discussion around the water cooler is much more positive than it was a year ago."

• "I think the key for Team Jersey, when it comes to the end of its life in maybe 18 months' time, will be to identify what different looks like. We will have spent £X million on the initiative, but what can we see for that spend? What can the public at large see for that spend?"

Developing a stronger focus on customer service

Overall progress

Achievements

The aim to develop a stronger focus on customer service has been successful over the course of 2019. Many perceive this area to have been the real win and believe that the Chief Executive has played a significant part in driving improvements.

A new customer service strategy has been agreed and publicly accountable mechanisms to track performance are being developed. A performance framework, reflecting the principles of outcome-based accounting, has been introduced, though there is some scepticism about its impact. Relationships have continued to improve with partner organisations in the voluntary and community sectors. Historically, the way in which complaints were dealt with was a problem. The changes achieved in 2019 may have helped to reduce the number of complaints, and now, when they do occur, the way in which they are handled has been dramatically improved. A customer complaints strategy has been introduced. The new complaints process went live in October 2019 and a GOJ Customer Feedback Manager has been appointed for the first time. All this has been driven by the Chief Executive, who is widely acknowledged to be driven by the customer. Plans are in place to enhance complaints handling yet further, along with reviews of the nature of complaints, development of best practice' guidelines and implementation of advanced complaints handling training.

In terms of specific delivery against commitments:

Third party comments

• "The stats on One Front Door have been excellent. It has been refreshed. We've also delivered on customer strategy and a customer complaint strategy and have managed to fill most customer staff posts."

• "Objective 3 was really the success that did land last year. We have a unified customer gateway, with customer and local service in a single service centre."

• "It was a stroke of genius to have customer service all under one roof."

• "In the old days, different departments never shared data."

• "Stronger customer service is happening at the hubs, not so much in real life'. Mental health groups and family hubs are up and running."

• "There are still some service lines to come together. This resonates back with the completion of the TOMs, that services are fully aligned with their new, long-term parentage as quickly as possible."

• "There is certainly more focus on customer service. We've got an entire department now, which is essentially dedicated to giving islanders as smooth an interaction with all government services as humanly possible – this seems to be working extremely well."

• "The wins this year have been subtler. Local TOMs have helped with customer focus. Customer strategy is now led by a senior manager, rather than from the top."

• "The departmental operational business plans give a much clearer focus on how departments are processing against delivery to their key objectives. This year, we're also embedding a publicly accountable means of tracking performance across the public service."

• "The departments now are responsive and friendly. They look more relaxed. If they don't know the answer, they are quick to get back to the individual."

• "Charlie is very focused on this area, but I'm not sure that the public is aware of it. His involvement with the media has improved, though the cynics see it as spin and Charlie doesn't always come across as empathetic."

• "A new customer strategy was also agreed last year. Charlie was very supportive of it and actually challenged whether we could deliver even more and get people bought into it more. We couldn't really have asked for more in terms of the CE endorsing that strategy."

• "Charlie gets it and is supportive of all of our work, but I'm not sure every Director General is quite as supportive. They're supportive on the face of it, but the challenge

of actually getting things to change is far harder than it should be. So, part of me wonders, although Charlie is saying the right things, how does that cascade down?"

• "I had a tax query and – where before I would have been lost in their byzantine maze

– I was directed to one place in town and managed to speak to someone that day about my question. I was quite impressed by the way that was being done."

• "The one area that has caused problems has been the Income Tax Department. Three things happened at once: they physically moved the front-of-house' activities to a new building; they were hit with installing a completely new computer system; the finance industry poached a few of their key accountants. This created problems, but I think this is all behind us now."

Building and developing good working relationships with COM, Assembly Members and Scrutiny Panels

General

Achievements

During 2018, the Ministerial Support Unit (MSU) was set up, One Government was launched, and the Common Strategic Policy was developed and published externally. Objectives for 2019  therefore  revolved  around  embedding  the  changes,  developing  relationships  and delivering improvements to backbenchers. In broad terms, it is acknowledged that there has been significant progress, which is outlined under the specific headings below. It should be noted, however, that the Chief Executive is not responsible for services to States Members.

Third party comments

• "Overall, there is now more honesty between officers and politicians."

• "Charlie is a better political operator than some of the politicians. I'm not sure what his support team are doing – do they interface directly with Ministers? No one wants a failing government, but I'm not sure whether the Civil Service really supports them strategically!"

• "Things are going much better here. There are still some issues with officers who do not respect the political process, but Charlie is good at resolving issues quickly and properly. It's significant that some DGs have gained influence and authority as their departments have grown."

• "Charlie now has 90-minute meetings with the Chief Minister and they always happen. Other Ministers feel freer to come and see him."

• "Much better support for Ministers now."

• "Historically, Jersey has suffered from the Civil Service being over-powerful. Charlie has tried to build ministerial authority."

• "MSU has been a triumph, though Assistant Ministers are less well-served, and Assembly people much less so."

• "With the Council of Ministers, I think the working relationship is good. There is very much an alignment of interests with the Chief Minister around the delivery of the Government Plan."

• "With the Council of Ministers, I'm not sure that Charlie listens as much as he tells. He has a tendency to hear what you say, but then translates it into what he believes. He still needs to listen more carefully to what people are actually saying."

• "Charlie has put a lot of effort into the Assembly and this has paid dividends. He's put effort into individual briefings of Assembly Members."

• "His accessibility to Members – from my perspective – is absolutely excellent. If I send him an email, I always get a response – usually within a few hours."

• "There is a way to go in terms of Charlie gaining all of their trust, when it comes to the States Assembly. However, you're never going to keep everybody happy in the job that he's got, and he is quite happy to be the fall guy and take bad news on the chin on behalf of the government."

• "Charlie continues to fight for better Member support. However, he was barred from the States Assembly because they felt he pressurised them during the coffee break."

• "Assembly Members still feel a bit intimidated by Charlie and talk about him lurking in the corridors."

• "Assembly Members still need more support, but they should be encouraged to be more innovative on their own behalf."

• "In terms of Scrutiny, they are predominantly formed by backbenchers, so there is also a degree of cynicism and criticism, but that's government for you. Charlie has put very proactive processes in place to try to improve these working relationships – not just with himself, but with DGs and with our operational teams. I think it's working; I think people are beginning to make more effort to improve those relationships. It was previously frosty and adversarial, whereas I would say it's a little more collaborative now."

• "Scrutiny Panels tend to be used as political vehicles – nihilistic, rather than constructive challenge."

• "Scrutiny should be evidence-based and objective. Unfortunately, it tends to be more about people than process."

• "The Scrutiny Panels are tetchy things – there's an adversarial relationship. Charlie is superb at managing them."

• "I've been to three Scrutiny Panels in the last year with Charlie. He has known his subject; he's answered the questions and he has handled Scrutiny really well."

• "At Scrutiny, we are called in to be told how to do our work. Charlie was trying to be helpful, but it felt like meddling."

• "I would say the relationship with Scrutiny Panels is probably neutral. In some quarters, there is a healthy respect; in some others, there is a degree of cynicism. I think the question for them remains, What's different?' The answers to this question should be seen as positive – but only if we can break it down into more detail."

Financial, performance and business management

General

Achievements

There was significant progress during 2019 with regard to financial, performance and business management objectives, although there have been some frustrations with the pace of change.

In terms of specific achievements:

Third party comments

• "My challenge is whether we are really as far forward as we would want to be (compared to this time last year). For example, performance reporting is very patchy across different areas. How are we still, two years into the new structure, accepting some of the poor things going on departmentally? And who should be responsible for dealing with that?"

• "Still a bit muddled at the top – who's in charge of what? Senior jobs are being merged and different DG posts created."

• "Much better stats and tracking of risks and policies now. The information is then made available in easy-to-understand formats. Charlie certainly gives the politicians much more information than his predecessor did."

• "There's now an eye-wateringly high level of investment. I hope it produces results."

• "This has improved immeasurably. The quality, quantity and timeliness of reporting across financial, performance and business management figures have improved hugely."

• "We've just changed our budgeting system as part of the One Government strategy. Now, if a backbencher wants to put forward a proposition to spend more money, he has to find the relevant income stream to pay for it. Which is far more sensible than what we previously did. The change went through very well and Charlie was instrumental in that. There was a lot of debate about how to balance the books, and we're in the process of moving to zero-base budgeting, so we should have a much more accurate budgeting system going forward."

• "Charlie is very attuned to the financial side and has been excellent at spotting, e.g. underutilised assets."

• "Again, there is a way to go here. Improvements have most definitely been made over the last few years compared with what existed. There has been the same challenge of setting fire to the whole house', insofar as the professionals that we meet to deliver improved financial performance have gone through a restructuring, which was quick and hard. We lost a few key players along the way, which has hurt us a bit. There are plans afoot now to improve performance and business management."

• "My confidence in the HR department is growing. There's a real opportunity for the function to shine."

• "We have set the dial for transforming IT."

• "Charlie is going to have to demonstrate benefit from those big EY cheques. There are lots of benefits – but they need to be extolled as such. Otherwise, all that money that's been spent will be seen as lost' in the eyes of the public."

To promote and support the economy of Jersey both internally and externally

Overall

Achievements

There were significant developments in this area during 2019, including some which were not listed in the Chief Executive's objectives for the year. In particular, there have been investments in infrastructure and optimisation of space and buildings. Successes include the Island Plan, the Employers' Group and immigration.  Going forward, more progress needs to be made on economic development, including the delivery of an economic framework.

Specific achievements included:

Third party comments

• "Charlie recognised that we had neglected the business and civic infrastructure. The island was looking tired and there was clearly a need to invest more in infrastructure, and to grow the economy and our productivity. Both are now being attended to."

• "We have promised but haven't really delivered an economic framework."

• "I'm not sure that there's been much progress on economic development – internally and externally."

• "The government still should be using local suppliers more, for example, in Recruitment especially."

• "They used to keep Charlie hidden, but this year he has been seen out and about much more often – we didn't want to like him, but I do!"

• "When he came to Citizen's Advice, he didn't waste a second of his time and his visit was really appreciated."

• "Partners now view the government more positively (e.g. the IOD)."

• "He's good at lunches, though not much happens after he's gone."

• "Charlie's capable, eloquent and has all the tools to make this work, though his team is not the strongest. The trouble is that his dislike of challenge comes across as irritating arrogance and weakness. He needs to reach out more to Partners, rather than trying to control everything."

• "He's not winning enough hearts and minds in the community. My feeling is that support for what he's doing has ebbed away in the last 12 months."

• "Charlie has done this sufficiently. Some areas have arm's length' organisations that do this (e.g. finance industry; tourism industry), so there's a limited need for Charlie to be too visible in those fields."

• "Not so many external visits this year by Charlie. The Brexit work was well-coordinated, and Charlie talked about it a lot."

• "There was a huge fuss about Brexit – and a great deal of fear – that came to nothing."

• "The collaboration with Guernsey doesn't seem to have worked – and there's a myriad of reasons for this. Charlie originally set some pretty bold expectations, some of which died on the altar of cynicism and some from a lack of willingness. The two services on the islands are quite different. Jersey has a better resourced Civil Service – some might say over-resourced – and Guernsey is too lean. We found that working with Guernsey has slowed us down. We have persevered, but you can see why some areas never got off the ground. I think we either need to double down on this and make it work, or we need to go our two separate ways."

• "He's presided over a period of expanding the promotion of our economy by creating a New York office, a Dubai office, etc. There are most definitely attempts to increase Jersey's visibility globally. There is an attempt to ensure that we are targeting those countries who could benefit from relationships with us (e.g. southern African countries). There is an obvious external drive."

• "I think he's very visible. He certainly can't be accused of shying away from troublesome discussions with antsy industrial sectors. He's quite happy to have frank and open discussions – which I think they probably respect him for."

• "In terms of the business community, I think there is a lot of positive feedback around things being more joined up and people working better together."

• "The Employers' Forum has helped to defuse criticism. They like to be included."

• "In terms of representing the government and conversations with Chamber of Commerce, industry directors, etc., Charlie is doing it in a very responsible way amongst economic stakeholders locally."

• "His engagement with business, the Institute of Directors, the Chamber of Commerce – I never heard any negative feedback. Once people meet him, and once they actually understand where he's trying to take us, they change their opinions."

• "Where hotels can turn over accommodation for their staff, the rest of the industry can't

– and there has been a bit of a housing crisis on the island. So, we're entering into a project with the government, which is giving us the opportunity to discuss how we can use some buildings in the short-term / interim."

Personal Change

Top Team

Achievements

The Chief Executive's overall leadership objective for Year Two related to creating more distributed leadership. The Corporate Strategy Board has now become the Executive Leadership Team, and this is perceived as a positive shift. Whilst perhaps still too operational at times, the team is thought to be loyal, cohesive – and probably better than it thought it was. Charlie is thought to be respectful of the team members and listening more effectively. However, there is a sense that his direct reports remain overly reliant on him. So, there is still scope to enhance the capability and effectiveness of the overall team. On the whole, however, the evidence suggests that this area is a success story. Third party comments are clearly particularly important in assessing Charlie's progress here, with respect to both overall behavioural change and progress on specific objectives identified at the beginning of the year.

Third party comments

• "It took a while for Charlie to realise that we don't have the breadth of senior experience he is used to. There's still a need for us all to step up. The Executive Leadership Team has a new name, more structure and more accountability. Charlie listens to us better now."

• "The Top Team is now managed really well. Charlie comes across as respectful, engaged and questioning, and he manages meetings really professionally."

• "The team is stronger than we thought we were. We solve real problems and there is real momentum now."

• "With regard to the dynamics between team members, there are some groupings and we are not particularly unified. Overall, though, it's good."

• "We still spend too much time on operational, rather than strategic matters."

• "The Top Team is more overloaded than ever – is this part of Charlie's plan? As a result, things either take longer than they should or aren't done well enough – e.g. TOMs."

• "I'm afraid we're still just reactive and very rarely proactive."

• "Charlie has always recognised that respect for his leadership needed to be earned. The Top Team reflects this."

• "Charlie is always right (in his own mind). I know how to deal with this, so it's not a problem for me, but others don't. So, it would be good if he were more receptive to others' views."

• "Charlie is clearly very smart, experienced and has a good track-record. Is there anyone around him, within his senior team, that can constructively challenge his thinking? Are they empowered or is he trying to do it all himself?"

Communications and media strategy

Achievements

One objective the Chief Executive signed up to for 2019 was to communicate more effectively across the organisation. From a personal perspective, he is thought to be an accomplished communicator, who has been as visible and accessible as possible to frontline staff and managers, whilst leading the public service through transformation, investing considerable time in the Government Plan and dealing with other priorities. However, it is noted that effective communication is not the sole responsibility of the Chief Executive; other leaders need to play a meaningful role – and this is a core element of the Team Jersey managers' programme. Furthermore, all the evidence suggests that the Communications Team now in place is highly professional and impressive. That said, there is a sense the comms could be yet more empathetic, on the basis that Jersey is a hearts and minds' place.

Third party comments

• "The communications Charlie has instigated in our new government are significantly better than they used to be. We've got quite an impressively professional Communications Team in place. They took a while to bed in, because of the centralisation, but I think it's been a move that has benefitted the Civil Service – especially in times of trouble. The communications that have come out so far around COVID, for example, have been very professional. Overall, the comms is very evidence- based and much improved."

• "Sometimes, the way big comms are written can cause a little panic. Some of the stuff that's gone out could have been better in its style and wording. They are not always worded very sympathetically, and Jersey is a very hearts and minds' place."

• "There could have been more empathy. I think they're getting better at managing the emotional side of things. There's a growing awareness that they were slightly on the wrong foot, and I think that the communications lately have been a lot better."

Management style and behaviour

Achievements

From a personal change perspective, the previous year's feedback identified a need to be more open-minded, listen more effectively and establish more of a distributed leadership style. Feedback would indicate that the Chief Executive has substantially succeeded in doing this – being more receptive to differing views, coordinating others' efforts, and adopting a coaching approach. He is viewed as a figurehead, and it works well when people can see his authentic, human side. If anything, he could afford to engage even more widely, since there was some feedback that he is listening less to junior people now. With regard to his personal characteristics, people praise his vision, his clear thinking, his resilience and his standards. Going forward, he needs to maintain this momentum and continue to ensure a distributed approach.

Third party comments

• "On the positive side, Charlie is a clear thinker, a good diagnostician, and has high standards and expectations. He's also very tough and resilient, which is just as well since he is operating in a very difficult context."

• "Charlie's a good listener but his method of operating sometimes blocks progress. We need more influence and persuasion, less bull-like behaviour."

• "This year, Charlie has listened and has moderated his tendency to tell people what to do."

• "Charlie's better now at being challenged. His message to me tends to be, Just make it ok!'"

• "He does have a good reputation internally. He is much more of a figurehead than his predecessor was. We needed someone like Charlie. Everyone knows who he is. He's got a clear, simple vision. And I think he's done quite well at engaging with colleagues, even though he can't be everywhere all of the time. He has struck a good balance, he does get out, and he's very good when he meets colleagues. It was so well-received when he came to our department, for example. He takes the time to listen, to talk to people, to get to know our people. He's very good at connecting."

• "Charlie spends time coaching people at every level on doing their bit to effect the change. He is a very good coach."

• "Charlie's door is always open, but people are relatively scared of him."

• "Meet-the-Chief sessions allow Charlie to reveal himself. People love it. He answers questions transparently and he's clearly the genuine article."

• "Charlie is authentic but doesn't always project this. He could afford to show more vulnerability and admit that he doesn't know everything."

• "On occasions, he still tends to be a bit too laddish – backslapping, blokey."

• "Charlie still needs to focus more on the positive changes to come – articulating the destination and painting an inspirational picture of what good will look like. He could also afford to demonstrate his commitment to public service more publicly – rather than just doing it quietly on-site visits – in big gatherings and to the media."

• "The key thing is that Charlie needs to prioritise better (e.g. what matters most?)."

• "There's still a tendency for everything to be top priority. He needs to do more in explaining what the real priority is."

• "I think he may be listening less to junior staff than he used to. He has his own people and it's them he prefers to talk to."

• "Above all else, Charlie is professional and resilient. He never takes his problems out on immediate staff. More generally, he's no longer seen as the villain of the piece."

• "Sometimes, when Charlie is given bad news, he holds onto it for a long time without sharing. Then suspicion creeps in. And, when he finally shares the information, people wonder where that crept in from'. He should go in earlier with bad news, rather than trying to put a positive spin on things."

• "He is good at giving us credit with Ministers and at backing people."

• "Overall, for me, I think Charlie shows a remarkable amount of resilience and self- control. It's quite hard to see when Charlie is stressed versus amused. He draws a good level in managing his own emotions, and doesn't respond in adverse circumstances

– which, in turn, helps to keep the calm amongst others."

Overall approach / tone

Achievements

In 2019, the objective was to play more positive mood music' – focusing more on a positive future, rather than how poor the past was – and to focus on wins and successes. Feedback would indicate that this has largely been achieved. Mid-year, the Chief Executive declared the stabilisation phase of transformation to be ending and that the remainder of 2019 would be focused on recovery and on celebrating the improvements that have been achieved. The Chief Executive has sought consistently to talk about progress and to recognise the hard work of staff, rather than to keep highlighting the legacy of issues that are yet to be addressed. That said, the reality of the situation is that Ministers are still raising legacy issues and identifying matters that need urgent investment. Furthermore, some feedback indicates that, under pressure, the Chief Executive can still resort to referring back to what he inherited. So, whilst progress has been made, and the feedback is largely positive, there is still some work to do.

Third party comments

• "Charlie created the mood music really well; we've got to change."

• "Last year, Charlie was in bullying mode. This year, he's definitely had a new tone which has been very helpful, and he projects himself better."

• "There's definitely been a change of mood music. Much less staff bashing. I really welcome this more complimentary style of management."

• "Under pressure (e.g. at Scrutiny Panels), he can still regress to saying what rubbish he inherited."

• "There has been a celebration of success; there is recognition across the organisation. It's hard for everyone to see that, because we're such a diverse organisation. Something outstanding might be done in one department, but not everyone will recognise the significance of that, simply because they're not involved. I think it would be good to keep reinforcing and celebrating – and bringing everything back round to good behaviours and values. You usually get good outcomes and best practice as a result of good behaviours."

Conclusion and recommendations

In his second year as Jersey's Chief Executive, Charlie Parker has consolidated his personal position and made significant further strides towards embedding the One Government approach to the island's governance. This may have implications for the Chief Executive Appraisal Process. It may now be appropriate to pare back the exercise, involving fewer expert witnesses', and adopting a lighter touch to performance measurement. The Year Two report has been seriously delayed by the involvement of many expert witnesses' in the preparation for and response to the COVID threat. Coupled with the decision to bring the appraisal period into line with the calendar year, this implies that work on the Year Three report should begin early in 2021. It is, therefore, important that, as soon as the revised Government Plan is approved, the Chief Executive signs off on the next set of personal performance commitments, covering the rest of 2020. The Year Two report contains no such commitments, as a consequence of the impact COVID has had on the island's finances and on what the Government can now realistically aspire to achieve over the next period.