Government of Jersey

Simply Change engagements (FOI)

Produced by the Freedom of Information office
Authored by Government of Jersey and published on 19 August 2022.
Prepared internally, no external costs.

Request

Modernisation & Digital – Simply Change Engagements:

In reference to the half year P.59 report on consultants expenditure Ending December 2021

Consultants-use by the Government of Jersey (P.59-2019) – Report by the Chief Minister – December 2021 (R.187) (statesassembly.gov.je)

There is no mention of the Simply Change company being utilised by Modernisation & Digital inside this report, yet in a previous FOI request under the Response to Question D referencing "Engagement 4" services were reported to be framed up to year end of 2021? Yet no sign of this costing?

Simply Change engagement FOI (gov.je)

It is also noted the Jan – June 2020 P.59 Report appears to have the same type of omission: Consultants: reporting on their use by the Government of Jersey (P.59/2019) – report of the Chief Minister – June 2020 (statesassembly.gov.je) However, Question C of the abovementioned previous FOI does provide that information.

It is noted that Triverto Ltd is mentioned inside this period with a description of "M&D Transition". Considering all previous P.59 reports that explicitly state Simply Change by name and generally of a Change Management nature involving M&D Transition:

Was Simply Change sub-contracted to Triverto Ltd on this occasion, thereby explaining the omission of Simply Change in that report?

If not, then the costs for Simply Change have not been published correctly in line with P.59 Report on Consultants and there is an error. Can this figure be attained for June – December 2021 and presented as per Question C of the previous FOI request already referenced. For clarity and public interest correcting the omission here would be logical.

Is Simply Change still receiving work as a "Direct Award" or has Simply Change signed up to the Professional Services Framework?

If Simply Change has signed up to the Professional Service Framework from what date is\was that effective?

E

Is "Engagement 5" for Simply Change covered under a "Direct Award" or in line with questions C and D, has this switched to Tendered Award or Contract under the Professional Services Framework.

Which of the following is Rob Walsh of Simply Change holding or has held as a title\post inside the various Engagements with the Government of Jersey?: "Strategic Relationship Director (or Head of)"? "Head of Business Enablement"? "Change Consultant"?

Please provide the Job Description for the post(s) answered via Question F.

As a fellow Director of Simply Change, what post(s) is\has Steve Whitehead holding or has held inside the various Engagements with the Government of Jersey?

Please provide the Job Description for the post answered via Question H.

Has an assessment of the value and benefit delivery over the entire period of time Simply Change has been undertaking work on all five engagements been undertaken?

Who inside the Government of Jersey undertakes such validation work, especially against Direct Awards?

L
Is the Group Director of Modernisation & Digital or the Chief Operating Officer the ultimate Responsible or Accountable Officer for the performance, delivery and benefit realisation of Direct Award engagements such as this?

Response

Simply Change was not sub-contracted to Triverto.

The Proposition 59 report referred to above relates to the period January to June 2021. The Proposition 59 report covering June to December 2021 is in its final stages and the information requested is scheduled for publication once the data has been validated. Article 36 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.
Additionally, Proposition 59/2019 works on a cash basis and reflects payments made during the period which will not necessarily relate to the time period being reported, it may be that payments relate to a larger or smaller time period.
C

Simply Change engagement FOI (gov.je)

Please see Response F, relating to the contract award process.

Simply Change is not part of the current Professional Services Framework.

A previous Freedom of Information response has provided information in relation to the contract with Simply Change, and as such Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.
Simply Change engagement FOI (gov.je)
Please see Response F, relating to the contract award process.

Modernisation and Digital Head of Business Enablement Post FOI (gov.je)

Please see Response B, relating to the contract award process.

The Government of Jersey does not hold a job description for the role of Strategic Relationship Director, Head of Business Enablement, or Change Consultant.
Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) 2011 Law applies.

The Government of Jersey does not comment on individuals. Information relating to the engagement Simply Change have carried out has already been supplied.
Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.
A previous Freedom of Information response has provided information in relation to the contract with Simply Change, and as such Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Simply Change engagement FOI (gov.je)

Please see Response A, relating to the services provided within the contract.

There are no job descriptions to supply for this work.

Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Yes, regular reviews of the key deliverables have been undertaken throughout the Simply Change contract.

Regular reviews currently take place with the Governance and Compliance Manager.

The ultimate Responsible and Accountable Officer for the performance, delivery, and benefit realisation of the Simply Change contract (s) is the Chief Operating Officer.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of "information held by a public authority"

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if

(a) it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b) it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.
(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.

Article 25 - Personal information

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005.

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if –

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2005; and

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law.

3) In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted.

Article 36 - Information intended for future publication

(1) Information is qualified exempt information if, at the time when the request for the information is made, the information is being held by a public authority with a view to its being published within 12 weeks of the date of the request.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant –

(a) of the date when the information will be published;

(b) of the manner in which it will be published; and

(3) In this Article, "published" means published –

(a) by a public authority; or

(b) by any other person.

Public Interest Test

Article 36 is a qualified exemption, which means that a public interest test has to be undertaken to examine the circumstances of the case and decide whether, on balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public.

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information

It is intended that the Chief Minister will report to the Assembly the cost of consultants, interims, fixed-term employees, and agency staff employed by the Government of Jersey. This Proposition 59 report will be published on www.statesassembly.gov.je following the Chief Minister's report.