Promoting our Island Identity and International Profile
Policy Development Board
Terms of Reference
- Purpose
- A strong and inclusive sense of Island identity underpins the success of many of the goals prioritised by the Council of Ministers in the Common Strategic Policy.
We want a sustainable and vibrant economy, to protect our environment; and to retain a sense of place, culture and distinctive local identity. We also want to promote social inclusion, and to further the Island’s interests, profile and reputation internationally not just as a world-class financial centre but as a generous, responsible outward looking island.
To achieve this, we need an Island at peace with itself, proud of its varied cultural and economic heritage, and confident of its place in the world.
1.2. Building on Jersey’s heritage and distinctive identity the Policy Board will develop an action plan that will build a stronger, more inclusive sense of Island identity. It will seek to provide common focal points for our growing and increasingly diverse population, and help the Island project its unique culture and varied talents as part of a positive and coherent international personality.
- Background and rationale
- Jersey is hard to describe, even for those who understand how it can be part of the British Isles and yet not part of the UK, European but not EU, a country with a flag but not full sovereignty. For many outsiders, and perhaps to the casual observer, Jersey is English; a bucket-and-spade seaside resort with a Financial Services Industry. Jersey’s inhabitants know better. There are many more strings to our economic bow. Our culture is a unique blend of French (especially Norman and Breton), Portuguese (especially Madeiran) and British, with more recent arrivals from Eastern Europe and Africa adding to the mix. We have a rich history which has shaped Jersey as a place. However, there’s not always a common understanding of who we are and what’s important to us.
- This matters in two main ways. Firstly, our ability to work together, care for each other, grow our economy and look after our environment is dependent on us being bound to each other by more than a common set of rules. Whatever our backgrounds or occupations, we need a shared sense of what it means to be Jersey.
Secondly, in this globalised but uncertain world, the key to our long-term future lies in nurturing a much richer international profile for our Island than just our world-class finance industry. Our extraordinary endeavours in culture, heritage, philanthropy, development, sport, business, art, digital, agriculture, tourism and conservation, for example, should also be part of our international personality. Coordinating and projecting these facets of our Island identity will help us “Change the Narrative” and build the reputation and relationships we will depend on to thrive in the future.
- Scope
- The Policy Board will:
Interrogate the various strands of what it means to be ‘Jersey’, from both an internal and external perspective
Review historical events that have defined Jersey’s culture where appropriate
Examine problems in the way we perceive ourselves and barriers to cohesion
Identify opportunities to better define, coordinate and project a coherent and inclusive Island Identity.
3.2. The Board will work in a cooperative way with other Ministers, Departments and Policy Boards, appreciating that the solutions will often be cross-cutting and collaborative. It will also recognise the financial constraints to public spending, proposing policy options which are practical, innovative and low-cost.
- Membership
- Membership will consist of a mixture of States Members and non-States Members who have a particular interest or stake in one or more areas of Jersey’s national identity. Other relevant stakeholders will be invited to meetings on an ad hoc basis to discuss specific relevant topics.
- The Policy Development Board will be chaired by the Minister for International Development, Deputy C.F. Labey.
4.3. The full list of members and contributors will be published after the scoping and research work has been completed by the end of 2019 and approved by the Chief Minister.
- Roles and Responsibilities
5.1. Secretariat to the Board will be through direct support from Minister Carolyn Labey’s Private office.
5.2. The Board will be supported by a number of officials when required, to the same standard and applying similar practices, including the production of evidence, options, any reports, and public engagement, in the same way as officials would apply in supporting individual Ministers.
5.3. In doing this, officials are under an obligation to produce reports and provide thereon free and open access to information to members of the Board, save for any data protection limitations, and impartial advice, as requested.
5.4. Board members will respect the impartiality of officials, and maintain the confidentiality of any information or advice provided, in so far as it is not already in the public domain.
- Timeline
- The Board will meet every 4-6 weeks, beginning in November 2019. It will produce an interim findings report by June 2020, and an action plan by the end of 2020.
- Records and reporting:
7.1. Minutes of meetings will be taken as an official recording of the work of the Board and published in a timely manner and will be publically available.
7.2. The findings and recommendations of the Board will be reported to the Chief Minister, following approval by the Chair. The dissent of any members will be noted where requested. The findings will also be presented to the Council of Ministers (COM), following which the report will be made public.
Signed:
Senator John le Fondré
Chief Minister
gov.je