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2.17 Deputy S. Pitman of the Chief Minister regarding the role of the Corporate Management Board:
Would the Minister confirm to Members the role of the Corporate Management Board and why States Members are not invited to attend the Board's meeting?
Senator F.H. Walker :
The Corporate Management Board is a management board working to and for the Council of Ministers. Its role is to advise Ministers on policy issues, to ensure that the workforce and resources of the States are managed effectively and that the policies of the States are implemented properly. The advice given by the Corporate Management Boards to the Council of Ministers is included in reports which are available for scrutiny and many, of course, have been scrutinised in recent months. The Corporate Management Board does not take policy decisions. That is the exclusive role of Ministers and ultimately, of course, the States Assembly. Ministers are legally and politically accountable for their decisions. The role of States Members is to approve, scrutinise and monitor the delivery of States' policies and decisions. It is not our role to become involved in the detail of how they are implemented. That is what governments throughout the world pay their
civil servants to deliver and hold them to account for that delivery. We in Jersey are no exception. If we want and expect an efficient government we need to be careful to avoid blurring the roles between politicians and managers. Hence it is neither necessary nor is it desirable for States Members to attend meetings of the Corporate Management Board.
2.17.1 Deputy S. Pitman:
Given the major role that this board plays in shaping the public services would the Chief Minister consider that minutes are taken at the board's meeting and made available to States Members?
Senator F.H. Walker :
No, again that is confusing the role of the politician and the manager. If the Corporate Management Board was taking decisions then I would agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy but they are not. They make recommendations. It is the Council of Ministers and ultimately the States and only the politicians who take policy decisions and that is the important thing. Members of the States need to be involved at a high level of policy setting and then monitoring and vetting. We should not be involved in the detail of how our policies are managed. That is what we pay our civil service for. It seems to me that there is a misunderstanding about the 2 roles and some Members, not least the Deputy , would like to become involved in micro-management, which is not the job of a politician.