THE recruitment of a new permanent government chief executive must begin ‘as soon as possible’ but there is no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ when it comes to the role, according to a report produced by a former head of Jersey’s civil service.
John Mills, who is now the Island’s charity commissioner, was asked by Chief Minister Kristina Moore to advise on how the role of chief executive should change, following the shock resignation of incumbent Suzanne Wylie in March.
Two days after her resignation was announced, Mr Mills committed to write an ‘options paper’ on how the role might be ‘redefined’ – to, in Mr Mills’s words, ‘give the new CEO a bigger and better set of levers to make things work well in support of the Council of Ministers’.
Mr Mills gave his paper to a group led by Deputy Moore reviewing the chief executive role on 5 April but his thoughts have recently been made public.
Last month, Dr Andrew McLaughlin – a Jersey resident who used to lead Royal Bank of Scotland International – was appointed interim chief executive on a fixed-term contract from September until next May.
Part of his job will be to lay the foundations for a new, permanent post-holder.
Mr Mills, in his paper, does not call for wholesale change.
‘The wheel does not have to be reinvented, but the existing one oiled well and given new tyres,’ he writes.
He also argues that a single chief executive should remain as head of the civil service and there does not need to be any change in the law.
However, Mr Mills does recommend that there is a ‘significant strengthening of the direct support available to the CEO’.
This includes, he says, the creation of a ‘small and well-supported corporate management board – no more than five or six members – with a clear remit to focus on corporate leadership’.
‘This would replace the structure which is currently known as the “executive leadership team”,’ he added.
He said the board should include the chief executive, Treasurer, a new Cabinet Office director to support ministers and take a lead on strategy and policy development and advice, as well as potentially two other chief officers, a general counsel – a new role to provide legal advice – and the chief executive’s private secretary.
Mr Mills recommends: ‘The recruitment must begin as soon as possible but the interim period is nevertheless crucial.
‘The new CEO must know that he or she will be joining an organisation which has established a satisfactory structure and is consciously working to improve and getting to know what “good” looks like.’
The Chief Minister has also previously encouraged applicants from local candidates. However, Mr Mills’s report stated that ‘a view must be taken on whether it is important actively to aim for a “local” appointment and, if so, how that might be brought into scope without undermining the principle of appointment on merit.’
