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Response to PAC letter on performance management
Thank you for your letter of 22 December 2021 on performance management. I have set out my answers to the Committee's questions below.
- Please explain how you work with the Government of Jersey to support your organisation?
The States Greffe relies on the Government of Jersey in respect of a variety of 'back office' functions, including HR, financial management, procurement and IT support. We are also part of corporate arrangements for matters such as Freedom of Information, data protection, cyber-security, risk management and health and safety.
The Greffe provides administrative and procedural services to the Government, including minute- taking and quality assurance of ministerial decisions.
I agreed a high-level statement of the relationship between the States Greffe and the government, in accordance with recommendation 5 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2019 report on the non-ministerial departments, which is attached.
- What would improve both your relationship, and the level of support you receive?
For the most part, we have a good working relationship with government colleagues. In her report on the non-ministerial departments, the Comptroller and Auditor General recommended that a high-level statement on the operation of business partnering should be agreed that applies to all support services provided to Non-Ministerial Departments and reflects the specific circumstances of Non-Ministerial Departments, reflecting the principle of securing value for money across the States as a whole. Completion of this work would clarify the level of service to be provided to the Greffe by the Government and enhance accountability.
- Have you noticed any changes to your relationship with the Government of Jersey since the introduction of Target Operating Models and/or the Jersey Performance Framework in 2018?
There was some disruption with the level of service provided during the period when 'target operating models' were put in place, particularly in respect of finance and IT support, but things seem to have settled down more recently.
A longer-term effect has been the tendency for some in government to see the non-ministerial departments as a single entity, due to the decision to consolidate the non-ministerial departments in various government publications. This has caused some confusion about reporting lines and the constitutional status of the different departments. The creation and effective operation of the non- ministerial forum in 2020-21 has helped to improve communication between government and the non-ministerial departments and tackle misunderstanding.
However, some problems remain. For example, we receive regular reports on information security breaches which combine all of the non-ministerial departments together and, as a result, do not provide us with useful information for the Greffe. We have had instances of job vacancies in the Greffe being advertised as vacancies in "Non-Mins Department". The recent corporate intranet initiative banded all the non-ministerial departments together and, as a result, has not been used by any of the departments. On the positive side, we are involved in work to create an induction module for new States staff on the work of the Assembly, which will help colleagues across the public service understand the differences between the executive and the legislature.
- If you had any complaints or issues, how did you raise it, what was the outcome, and were you satisfied?
Complaints or issues not resolved using normal processes are escalated to senior management and can, ultimately be brought up at the Executive Leadership Team, the non-ministerial forum, or directly with relevant DGs or the Chief Executive. It is almost always possible to reach an outcome which is acceptable to all parties, once the different factors underlying a problem are fully understood.
- How could that service be improved?
The services provided to the Greffe could always be improved by there being a better understanding of the role of the Greffe and States Assembly and the Greffe's non-ministerial status; as well as more dedicated resource available to support the department, particularly in respect of HR.
- Please can you provide an indication of your level of confidence in the department that supports you, and tell us how that could be improved?
N/A. There is no single department which "supports" the States Greffe.