Implementation

1.  All existing Permanent Secretaries and their Deputies will be required to attend practical courses in Project Management.

2.  Project management will be one of the qualifications of the post of future Permanent Secretaries.

Implementation

1.  All laws and regulations of Barbados will be posted on-line and linked to by every Government department web-site.

2.  If any Barbadian citizen or resident thinks that a regulation is unfair, then they may request its review by the advisory committee who shall make a recommendation to the Minister.

3.  If the Minister rejects their recommendation, then the advisory committee may appeal to Cabinet.

4.  Cabinet decisions shall be final.

Implementation

Each Minister will have an advisory committee that meets no later than quarterly, with the following members.

1. one representative of each of the relevant professional associations, appointed by the professional association;
2. the permanent secretary and deputy permanent secretary;
3. any critical stakeholder of the issue under discussion;
4. the Minister.

Implementation

A 5^th Schedule shall be added to the Insurance Act (CAP 310) specifying the following procedure for individual home, motor, health and life insurance claims.

a)  Except in national emergencies where a significant number of similar claims are made, all claimants are to receive all benefits which are not in dispute within one month of the application being made.

b)  Within 3 months of the application for benefits, the claimant should receive the remaining benefits, except if the Court has granted the insurance company specified additional time to further investigate and determine a claim (for example, in cases of suspected fraud, or exceptionally complex claims).

Introduction

The government already specifies posts that require qualifications to the level of Fellow of internationally recognised professional bodies (eg post of Actuary in CAP 308A).

Implementation

1.  The qualifications of all regulatory posts will be included in the Civil Establishment Act (CAP 21) and published on-line.

2.  The basic capabilities of professional posts will objectively verified by having them qualify, by examination, for chartered or equivalent membership in the relevant international professional body at the level of Fellow.

Implementation

1.  All statutory corporations that do not have up-to-date audited financial accounts and are not profitable will immediately be brought under the management of a Permanent Secretary.

2.  If the business still cannot be run profitably after one year, and it is not critical to the national interest, then it may be privatised.

Introduction

When caring nurses and teachers operate in a badly managed system, they can become emotionally exhausted.

Implementation

All schools and health care facilities will be managed to the ISO 9001 quality management standard.

Introduction

Politicians by themselves cannot victimize an individual.  However, they can use a politicised public service.  While political victimization may not be eliminated, it can be discouraged with the loss of pension penalty.

Implementation

1.  The Constitution of Barbados, Section 104, states that the Service Commission can recommend to the Governor General that the pension of any public servant be reduced or suspended due to being guilty of misbehaviour for which he has been removed from office.

2.  The Public Service Act will be amended to explicitly state the acts of partisan political behaviour that will attract immediate dismissal and suspension of the pension.  The acts will include politically partisan: approving and non-approving applications, providing and denying services, and facilitating and frustrating processes.

3.  Politically partisan behaviour will be determined by audit results and/or appeal decisions.

Implementation

1.  The Constitutional amendments made in 1974 that effectively politicized the civil service will be removed.

2.  The Public Service Act notes that the role of the Public Service is to perform “with integrity, honesty and impartiality”.  Public servants are to reflect a public service that is “apolitical, impartial and professional; maintains the highest ethical standards;” and “recruits and promotes persons based on merit.”

3.  The schedule in the Civil Establishment Act (CAP 21) will include, as it was specifically intended, the qualifications for each public service post.

4.  The relevant service commissions will recommend the most suitable people to posts with objectively verified demonstrated competence as the only selection criterion.  The specific qualifications required for each post will be published on-line.

Implementation

The Defamation Act (Cap 199), section 10, will be amended to remove the absolute privilege for words spoken by Members of Parliament.