Speech at Modern Managers awards ceremony

Good evening. I am very pleased to have been invited here this evening to join you in celebrating your success.  

It is good to see so many of you here from a range of departments,  who have all successfully completed a challenging programme of study. 

I know that this task is made even more challenging when undertaken alongside an already demanding job. Thank you for your hard work and commitment; I congratulate you on your achievements. 

Reform programme

• the global economy remains fragile and recovery is slow
• unemployment is still high – we are putting extra resources into helping Islanders back into work
• we are transforming our social housing and planning for the health needs of an ageing population

These are challenges – but they can also present opportunities; opportunities to secure a successful future for Jersey, working together with a common purpose and shared vision. 

Our public sector must be flexible and responsive to the needs of Islanders. You are helping to achieve this by driving the changes that will make our services as efficient and effective as possible, so we can all see that we are providing good value to the taxpayer.  

Redesigning services 

Work has already started on the reform programme, a key part of which will involve redesigning aspects of our services. We have reviewed all our interactions with customers so we can allocate resources where they are needed. 

We know that our staff manage a total of 2.9 million interactions with Islanders each year, not including Health or Education. 

Of those 2.9 million interactions the vast majority are still conducted face to face. We know there will always be a need for face to face contact and we don’t want to bring that to an end. However – only 8.5% of interactions are digital and we want to increase that. 

Not only do the majority of Islanders want that, it would also make things quicker and more efficient. That’s just one example of how change can be positive, meeting public expectations and improving effectiveness.

Training

I know all of you here tonight, who have come through the Modern Managers programme, can play your part in promoting pride and confidence through your work in the public sector.

I want to see a society where all Islanders take responsibility for themselves, where each of us has the opportunity to succeed, where hard work is rewarded and help is available for those who need it.

If we work to achieve this - continually re-assessing the way we do things – we can emerge as a public sector that is 'fit for the future'.

Tonight, I would like again to congratulate each of you and wish you every success. You should be very proud of your achievements.