TIU Executive Director Leading Change in Public Service

Leading the process of change is a passion for Maria Thompson Walters, who heads the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU).

As such, it is no surprise that she puts her all into ensuring that the TIU achieves its mandate of implementing projects to achieve a modern public service that is efficient and effective and delivers high-quality services.

She tells JIS News that as “head cook and bottle washer” at the TIU, she not only carries out her duties in spearheading the implementation of a new wave of public-sector transformation initiatives but also works closely with the team to ensure that all the projects are being executed well.

“We have 13 projects here at the TIU and I try to ensure that I am involved not necessarily on a day-to-day basis but I know what is going on in every single one of my projects and that I am available to the team… . I jump into projects if there is a gap. I become a project analyst [or] an administrator while still running the project and ensuring that we keep our timelines,” she says.

Established in 2017, the TIU, for which Mrs. Thompson Walters serves as Executive Director, has been working assiduously to develop a modern public service that is fair, values people and consistently delivers high-quality services.

Under her leadership, the TIU has achieved several milestones, including the development and implementation of a new public-sector compensation system; implementation of an enterprise-wide human resource management information system – MyHR+; introduction of Shared Services and the rationalisation of public bodies.

She cites among the entity’s major achievements, the success of MyHR+, which has approximately 80,000 employees across ministries, departments and agencies registered on the system and managing their payroll.

“If I had to look at a starting point for this version of public-sector transformation, it would be that project and the success that it had,” says Mrs. Thompson Walters.

She indicates that the public-sector-reform programme was fuelled by benchmarks that were agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the 2015 IMF Programme, and as such, getting MyHR+ off the ground was very important.

“We had to get, I think at the time, 20 entities on to MyHR+ by a particular time period, and we did it,” Mrs. Thompson Walters shares with delight.

“We closed the procurement, we worked with our supplier to create the project plan. We did the blueprint for the system, and we added all the entities for the government to hit the benchmark that it had,” she says, adding that such an achievement demonstrated that there is capacity in the public sector.

Mrs. Thompson Walters’ work has not gone unnoticed, as she was conferred with the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) during the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House on October 16.

She was honoured for her contribution to human resource management and public-sector transformation.

“I would like to think that it’s a recognition of the passion with which we approach transformation in the public service, the success that we have achieved, so far, here at the TIU, and the fact that we are focused on ensuring implementation of projects,” says Mrs. Thompson Walters in relation to receiving the award.

She tells JIS News that she was driving home, after working late one night, when she got the call from the Office of the Prime Minister about the award.

“I was quite surprised. It was the farthest thing from my mind,” says Mrs. Thompson Walters, adding that she initially thought it was a prank call.
She expresses that the award is a testament of the investment made every day to make Jamaica a place that everyone wants it to be.

Moreover, the TIU Executive Director says, she is grateful for the national recognition, which she is dedicating to her late mother, father and brother.

“The three of them had so much expectation for me and what I would do with my life. So, to get this award and they are not here is a little bittersweet for me. It tears me up every time because I know they would have been prouder than I am,” she tells JIS News.

She also dedicates the award to her daughter and the team at the TIU, noting that “my daughter has taught me patience and calm. Over the years, I have been blessed to work with excellent teams, but the teams at the TIU are extraordinary, that is how I would dedicate this award,” she adds.

Mrs. Thompson Walters says the work of the TIU is integral to the public sector moving head and becoming a modern public service.

“We’ve shown that it is something that can be done. We’ve done it in pockets and if we keep at it… it is something that we can achieve,” she contends.

Prior to leading the TIU, Mrs. Thompson Walters worked at the Ministry of Finance, before joining the then Cable and Wireless as the Vice President of Compensation for the Caribbean.

She later became the Chief Human Resource Officer for the Caribbean and was the first female member of the company’s Operating Board.