Senator Nelson Wants Public Sector Transformation Fast-Tracked

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator Dwight Nelson, has said there is an urgent need to fast-track the transformation of existing structures in the public sector.
“There are still too many structures in the pubic sector that are antiquated, that are old, that are not in keeping with modern needs and, as such, militates against proper and effective customer service,” Senator Nelson said.
He was addressing a public sector customer service conference and workshop at the Terra Nova Hotel today (March 11), hosted by the Public Sector Modernization Division (PSMD) of the Cabinet Office.
Senator Nelson said that the vision of an efficient public sector could be advanced by organising around the needs of customers, and changing the way the public sector is perceived. This must be done by changing attitudes toward work and putting the public interest first, and by ensuring that structures, systems, and processes are flexible in response to the changing needs of stakeholders, he said.
Senator Nelson emphasized that leadership was critical to the transformation to develop, inform, monitor, support, and motivate. He pointed out that the public sector modernisation programme has had many successes, in transforming the service delivery systems and processes, and changing the perception of the civil servant and government.
“Today, the public servant is a proud member of the civil service, dedicated and committed to delivering excellent service. It is important that I interface with all ministries and all public service entities, and starting with my own ministry, I, who have come into the public sector as an outsider, am very impressed with the way the public service and civil servants behave,” Senator Nelson said.
He commented that society’s clamour for better standards and delivery, along with other forces, has resulted in improvements in the public service.
The public sector modernisation vision and strategy 2002-2012 seeks to create an impartial, transparent public service, which puts the public’s interest first, and where valued and respected professionals deliver high quality services, effectively, and efficiently.
The workshop will look at the role of government as a modern service provider, and make recommendations for improvement. It will also examine the proposed alternative service delivery models currently being researched by the PSMD in the Cabinet office, and identify conceptual and implementation challenges.
In addition, the work group will discuss the policy directives needed for effective service delivery across the public sector, and develop guidance notes for consideration in the policy formulation process.