$370 Million for Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme

The Government has allocated $370.2 million in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure towards the implementation of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme.

The Estimates were tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 19 by Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips.

One of the main objectives of the programme include increasing the capacity and accountability of public sector entities for the management of government resources and to increase the efficiency of administering the work of the public sector and reduce the cost of operations.

Other objectives are to: support the development and delivery of integrated public services which meet the needs of customers; and to strengthen the link between planning, budgeting and performance management through the introduction of a framework for integrated results based management.

Since February 2014, the programme has seen the implementation of the Application Management and Data Automation Software (AMANDA), which is now installed in nine local authorities (Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, Manchester, St. Catherine, St. James, Trelawny, St. Elizabeth, Hanover, Clarendon and Portmore Municipality) and the fire departments.

Other achievements include: a comprehensive and widely consultative evaluation of Ministry Paper 56/02 completed and a new programme of public sector modernisation drafted; certification of local authorities/referral agencies staff as AMANDA production and technical specialists; data sharing policy proposal drafted to guide the development of a public sector wide data sharing policy framework; and support given to the Ministry of Agriculture in the preparation of its Citizens Charter.

Anticipated targets for the 2015/16 fiscal year include further implementation of the AMANDA system in local authorities and referral agencies; modernisation of the government electrical inspectorate; automation of the business registration system and training programme; strengthening customer service across the public sector; and to procure hardware for the implementation of the human capital enterprise system.

Plans are also in place to strengthen the government of Jamaica’s results based management framework; establish the results based management policy; implement a corporate governance framework for public bodies; and establish the code of conduct for boards and board competency profiles.

The programme is being implemented by the Office of the Cabinet; Ministry of Finance and Planning; Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining; Companies Office of Jamaica; and the Houses of Parliament.

It is being funded by the Government of Jamaica, the Inter-American Development Bank, European Union and the China Co-Financing Fund.