By Robert Surcouf
RECENTLY we’ve seen some challenging but well-researched reports coming out of various independent organisations such as the Institute of Directors, Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Jersey Charities. While much of the press coverage of these reports has focused on the more negative aspects and the opportunity to criticise government, which after all makes for great headlines, it does not give the full picture and sadly too many will not read these documents.
In reality, they contain evidence-based observations, challenges and ideas that could help society to deal with many of the challenges it is facing, both commercially and socially, within the current geopolitical uncertainty. A deeper dive shows that they have not been written with the aim of doing down government but instead they attempt to inform.
These types of reports are not new and in the past they have gathered dust, often being dismissed by previous governments unwilling to engage with an arrogant assumption that they know better. However, if we were to go back and look at many of the reports, they have proven to be right. Why? Because they were written with the best intentions and were based on engaging with those who often have the best sight of the challenges and possible solutions. Does this mean we will continue to have the same cycle of underachievement that seems to be plaguing various aspects of our society?
Personally, I think not and the reason for that is a green shoot of positive engagement from the current government, members of which do seem, unlike some of their predecessors, willing to listen and engage positively. Do I think this is the position across all government portfolios, not necessarily, but it does show a real opportunity for change and I do hope that it is far more than just words as we enter the last 12 months of active government before we then move into the traditional election cycle of blind criticism and inactivity.
There are many thousands of people who are heavily invested, both financially and with their time, in the future development of Jersey as a positive community and a government that can engage and support business opportunities, enhance effective regulation, cut unnecessary red tape, value our arts, culture and social events and value the contribution of a vibrant third sector that can achieve so much. While smart budgets and targeted funding are part of the challenge, there is a need to be open to efficiencies and a willingness to learn from others who have experience and knowledge perhaps beyond that within our civil service and government.
Our current Chief Minister’s positive engagement and comments in relation to many of the recent reports is promising, and if he can bring the rest of the Council of Ministers with him – and there are signs of this happening – and there is focus on the delivery of projects in a cost-effective manner that is focused on the outcome then maybe not all is lost.
My concern is whether there is sufficient buy-in to those changes from what seems to have become a quite bloated civil service. If we look at the private sector the profit motive has been a long-standing focus on creating efficiencies, using technology effectively and when making these decisions they are based on costed assessments. The third sector has a similar driver, but that tends to be not a focus on profit but on maximising the delivery with what is often a very restricted budget. There seems to be far less evidence of this type of culture at the centre of our civil service, though I do recognise there are a lot of people who work incredibly hard delivering services to all in our community 24/7.
Now I’m not suggesting that we need Elon Musk to start a Department of Government Efficiency review about the civil service, but it could be very useful if the most senior officers were heavily motivated to deliver efficiencies across the board and to start the evolution of the delivery of services locally. This may not necessarily be redundancies; it might be more efficient processes, better adoption of technology or more flexible working practises that can deliver more output. We need our civil service and the whole approach to how services are delivered to consistently evolve and develop and take advantage of new technology and working practices.
This is something we consistently see in business and those who fail to develop tend not to last very long. This is very much as Darwin suggested, evolve or become extinct.
Having been involved with the Jersey International Motoring Festival, which this year will be 25 years old, I can say that every year we try to take small steps to ensure it is different and evolves, while also still providing the traditional aspects that so many locals and visitors enjoy. Some ideas land well and become part of our evolving tradition, others are dispensed with after one year when they do not generate the interest; and some do not make it off the drawing board when the budget is finalised.
The key is that by evolving we can better manage change and avoid being forced to take radical steps that can be fraught with danger. This is as true for organising a garden party as it is for running a small country. Evolution is far safer and predictable than revolution.
Robert Surcouf comes from a Jersey farming family, though his mother was Spanish and moved to Jersey in the 1960s. He became an accountant and now specialises in risk and enterprise management. A father of two school-age children, he still helps organise and participates in local motorsport events and was one of the founding members of Better Way 2022 before the last election. The views expressed are his own.
