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No witch hunt among government boards, please
Thursday, January 12, 2012
WE were naturally pleased to see the proactiveness of Mr Godfrey Dyer who stepped down as chairman of the state-run Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), to make way for the new tourism minister to appoint another, should he be so minded.
The appointment of state boards is something about which we have a keen understanding and so we commend Mr Dyer for doing the gentlemanly thing. We know of board chairmen who have dug themselves so deep into the entity which they chaired that they were severely traumatised — to the point of tears — when told they would have to resign upon the election of a new administration.
It is our belief that the appointment of government boards provides the new Portia Simpson Miller administration with a unique opportunity to signal the kind of political foundation it will be laying for the next 50 years of Jamaican Independence.
The secret has long been out that many people are appointed to boards as a way of rewarding them for political friendship. Some are put there as agents to watch over the interest of the party, and even to ensure that to the victors go the spoils. Such beneficiaries need not have the requisite skills that could move the entity forward and achieve the service deserved by the long-suffering people of Jamaica.
We regard government boards as a critical part of the governance structure. They are frequently closer to the ground than central government and can make a huge difference in the quality of service provided by the State.
It would be naive, let us be the first to admit, to expect a new administration not to have some people on such boards who are like-minded. A government trying to implement policies promised in a manifesto and assumed to be approved by the electorate, must have people who will understand the concept and vision and move with dispatch to implement. That is, to borrow from the Americans, not rocket science.
What concerns us is when a board's membership is configured to ensure that the politically connected are the ones who get a straight line to the troughs and pork barrels. When an appointment is made to the board it must be obvious that the appointee has the related skill set and is able to bring that to the table. And the public should be told at the time of the announcement which should include their resumes.
The new Government will find people on boards who are supportive of the previous administration. But not all of them will act as saboteurs or news carriers. Many of these Jamaicans are there because they want to serve their country.
We are also willing to admit that determining the ones who are bona fide can be a ticklish undertaking. But if the approach is one of inclusiveness, on the belief that Jamaicans have a right to their party affiliation and as long as they are willing to serve to the best of their abilities, the administration will get boards that work and work well.
Let us bear in mind too that the skills pool is not as exhaustive as we would like to believe. A party-inspired witch hunt is the last thing we can afford.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1jEmDePq1
Thursday, January 12, 2012
WE were naturally pleased to see the proactiveness of Mr Godfrey Dyer who stepped down as chairman of the state-run Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), to make way for the new tourism minister to appoint another, should he be so minded.
The appointment of state boards is something about which we have a keen understanding and so we commend Mr Dyer for doing the gentlemanly thing. We know of board chairmen who have dug themselves so deep into the entity which they chaired that they were severely traumatised — to the point of tears — when told they would have to resign upon the election of a new administration.
It is our belief that the appointment of government boards provides the new Portia Simpson Miller administration with a unique opportunity to signal the kind of political foundation it will be laying for the next 50 years of Jamaican Independence.
The secret has long been out that many people are appointed to boards as a way of rewarding them for political friendship. Some are put there as agents to watch over the interest of the party, and even to ensure that to the victors go the spoils. Such beneficiaries need not have the requisite skills that could move the entity forward and achieve the service deserved by the long-suffering people of Jamaica.
We regard government boards as a critical part of the governance structure. They are frequently closer to the ground than central government and can make a huge difference in the quality of service provided by the State.
It would be naive, let us be the first to admit, to expect a new administration not to have some people on such boards who are like-minded. A government trying to implement policies promised in a manifesto and assumed to be approved by the electorate, must have people who will understand the concept and vision and move with dispatch to implement. That is, to borrow from the Americans, not rocket science.
What concerns us is when a board's membership is configured to ensure that the politically connected are the ones who get a straight line to the troughs and pork barrels. When an appointment is made to the board it must be obvious that the appointee has the related skill set and is able to bring that to the table. And the public should be told at the time of the announcement which should include their resumes.
The new Government will find people on boards who are supportive of the previous administration. But not all of them will act as saboteurs or news carriers. Many of these Jamaicans are there because they want to serve their country.
We are also willing to admit that determining the ones who are bona fide can be a ticklish undertaking. But if the approach is one of inclusiveness, on the belief that Jamaicans have a right to their party affiliation and as long as they are willing to serve to the best of their abilities, the administration will get boards that work and work well.
Let us bear in mind too that the skills pool is not as exhaustive as we would like to believe. A party-inspired witch hunt is the last thing we can afford.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/edito...#ixzz1jEmDePq1
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