What is an Executive Agency?
An Executive Agency is a semi-autonomous government agency. It remains a part of government but will have more responsibility for its own management and performance.

The primary aim is to reduce central control and delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officers in the various government institutions. Another aim is to to substantially improve the quality and quantity of services provided by Government agencies

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is given full autonomy over the management of their agencies’ financial and human resource. The CEO will be held responsible for performance targets, developed and agreed on with the responsible Permanent Secretary.

The emphasis on results is reflected in the FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT for each Executive Agency. This details the agreement between the management of the Agency and the superior authority on goals, objectives, accountability, performance indicators and measurements, reward and sanctions.

MILESTONES

• June 1998, the Cabinet approved the principles which governed the drafting of legislation to create Executive Agencies. It also approved using administrative procedures within the context of the Constitution on specific laws to create the agencies.
  
• April 1, 1999 four organisations achieved Executive Agencies status:

• March 19, 2001, Governor General Sir Howard Cooke, agreed to the delegation of functions under the Public Service Regulation (1961) to the CEOs of the second set of Executive Agencies. This was gazetted on March 27, 2001.
  
• April 1, 2001, Executive Agency status was achieved by the following organisations:

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is the only repository in Jamaica for birth, still birth, marriage and death records. In 1996 it was relocated to Twickenham Park, St. Catherine after being housed in the Rodney Memorial building in Spanish Town since the 18th century. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 1999. Website: www.rgd.gov.jm

Management Institute for National Development (MIND) was formed in 1994 by an amalgamation of five public sector training organisations. It has been accredited a tertiary level institution by the University Council of Jamaica. Although MIND is the main Public Sector training entity in Jamaica, it also provides training and consultancy service to the Private Sector. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 1999.
Website: www.mind.edu.jm/

The Companies Office of Jamaica was established over 25 years ago as a Department of Government to serve the business community. The ORC administers, among other things, the Registration of Companies Act, therefore having the responsibility for the registration, monitoring and regulation of companies. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 1999.
Website: www.orcjamaica.com

The Administrator General’s Department was established by the Administrator General’s Act in 1873 and requires the Administrator General, among other things, to “take charge of the properties of persons who have died intestate leaving minors as beneficiaries or who died leaving a will but did not name an executor or the named executor had died or refuses to act”. Its chief function is the administration of intestate estates involving minors. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 1999.
Website: www.agd.gov.jm/

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) is the information agency of the government that gathers and disseminates government policy and programmes, locally and overseas. It utilises the full range of media skills and talents – print, radio, television, graphic arts, video projection and public relations to achieve its goals. The JIS was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 2001. Website: www.jis.gov.jm

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is the government agency responsible for environment management, land use planning, natural resources conservation and development control services. It was formed in keeping with the recommendations of the National Land Policy tabled in 1996 and is a merger of the Town Planning Department, Natural Resources Conservation Authority, and the Land Development and Utilisation Commission. NEPA was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 2001. Website: www.nepa.gov.jm

The National Land Agency (NLA), another recommendation of the National Land Policy, brings together under one roof, the Office of Titles, Survey Department and the Land Valuation Department. The merger will allow the NLA to construct, operate, maintain and deliver the spatially referenced land related information and systems essential to all public sector users engaged in land management activities throughout Jamaica. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 2001. Website: www.nla.gov.jm

The National Works Agency (NWA) assumed the responsibilities of the now defunct Public Works Department. Its vision is to “create a world class, safe, quality main road network meeting the needs of our clients in the towns, communities and districts where the vacation work and live. It was accorded Executive Agency status on April 1, 2001. Web site: www.nwa.gov.jm

The Birth of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency - A number of Government Agencies, Ministries and Departments have begun to undergo a process of modernisation under the Government’s Public Sector Modernisation Programme which was first introduced by the Government of Jamaica in 1996. This change aims, among other things, to ensure that clients are offered world class customer service. While the changes will be rolled out over the next two years, what was known as the Immigration Citizenship and Passport Division has been granted Executive Agency status, and is now known as the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency, PICA.

PICA plays a pivotal role in protecting the nation’s security and therefore, the transformation programme sets out to bolster security mechanisms already in place, ensure accountability and transparency in operations, and increase productivity while providing world-class customer service.

The Child Development Agency became an Executive Agency on June 1, 2004 and is a merger of the Children Services Division, the Adoption Board and the Child Support Unit. It is headed by a Chief Executive Officer.

The CDA integrates the functions of the three entities in order to provide comprehensive delivery of services to children and their parents (our clients). The Agency has statutory responsibility for children who are in need of care and protection i.e. those abused, neglected or abandoned as well as for children who are experiencing behavioural problems.

As part of its emphasis on promoting children’s rights, the CDA monitors the adoption of international child care conventions locally and aims at developing and promoting its position on children’s issues internationally.

Website address: www.cda.gov.jm

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Web site: www.pica.gov.jm