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Meet Our Permanent Secretaries [Agency Heads]

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We also found that a significant minority of permanent secretaries are still appointed through ‘managed moves’ where the civil service leadership – often at the request of ministers – move officials horizontally without any formal process or competition. Since 2010, managed moves account for around a third of permanent secretary appointments – including the appointment of the Cabinet Secretary himself

– Akash Paun and Josh Harris, with Sir Ian Magee

There is always confusion about the role of Permanent Secretaries in our system of government given the murky (some say direct) influence of ministers. The report attached Permanent Secretary Appointments and the Role of Ministers gives an insight into a problem that is not Barbados’ alone.

Related Link: Barbados Ministries

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46 responses to “Meet Our Permanent Secretaries [Agency Heads]”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    The images of two PSs missing (cannot be located), Ronald Bascombe and Diane Chambers.

  2. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Philmore Best

  3. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Grantley Smith, Nancy Headley

  4. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Margaret Sivers

  5. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Seems to me that the ability to influence the implementation of public policy is significantly present with those with DIRECT control over government owned funds … So to that number one must add Timothy Simmonds and Hamilton Roach over whom none of the afford mentioned have any influence over

  6. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    I have had dealings with quite a few PS over the past few years and the one thing that is unavoidable is an appreciation of their affable nature, and genuine desire to assist. I have about four years experience in the Public Service and the position of PS with necessity comes with the ability to deal with people issues. I have heard it said that in Barbados at least, it is preferable in the main to deal directly with the PS and avoid the Minister if possible, and perhaps there is some truth to that

  7. David Avatar
    David

    Isn’t Grantley Smith Director of Finance and Sivers seconded to projects in Finance to setup the Central Revenue Agency?

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Baffy

    If the Auditor General continues to write profusely about government’s financial indiscretions read financial rules, who are we to blame?

    The politicians or the PSs?

  9. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Wunna buying into the “Permanent Secretaries are to blame” mantra?

  10. BAFBFP PhD Avatar
    BAFBFP PhD

    Maybe David, but the names I gave are all PS level ppl, in fact Smith is Head of the Civil Service … to my “uncertain” knowledge …

  11. BAFBFP PhD Avatar
    BAFBFP PhD

    Shelly Carrington … Tourism… another nice humanoid.

    PS are career public servants and they by culture are programmed to follow regulations to the boring letter, frustrating at times but necessary. The AG’s report may point to wrong doing, but the most that can be placed on a PS is perhaps a lack of desire to step forward and blow a whistle … These ppl are normally as straight as they come.

  12. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @BAFBFP
    I have had dealings with quite a few PS over the past few years and the one thing that is unavoidable is an appreciation of their affable nature, and genuine desire to assist.
    ***********

    Wuhloss!! Kudos from BAFBFP for a group of people whom he would otherwise characterize as unproductive and not producing any Forex. These people may be nice but it seems that every Ministry and sub ministry has a PS which is a reflection of a bloated Cabinet (and the slides don’t even show the PS in the PM’s office).

    Like the number of Ministers there are too many PS so when the bloodletting begins it should start at the top but as career Civil servants they are in the words of EWB “like asbestos” i.e. fireproof.

  13. BAFBFP PhD Avatar
    BAFBFP PhD

    Sargeant

    I agree … don’ choke … but you have pointed out the serious down side. Now is this of their making?

  14. David Avatar
    David

    Bear in mind the PSs updated in this blog were taken from the BGIS website (see related link). These persons are referred to as Agency Heads.

  15. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    If we serious about $400 million in chops …oh what a great plc. to start..AT THE TOP….why do we need so many Jr.PS in these times? I would also like someone to visit that triangular shaped Small Business Enterprise Office in Fontabelle….and similar offices where the clerical staff sleep in air condition comfort everyday….packing holes for politicians…to over burden the Civil Service with lackeys.

  16. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    What is the job description of a Permanent Secretary in Barbados?

    Who is his/her boss?

  17. BAFBFP PhD Avatar
    BAFBFP PhD

    Hants

    I liken the PS to the CEO of the organization (the Ministry), and the Minister to the Executive Director. The Executive Directors are responsible to the Board or Cabinet so that would make the Prime Minister the Executive Chairman. Now shareholders can change Boards and Boards would normally have the ability to change CEO’s, which in the Civil Service translates to swapping them around or pushing them aside, but not firing them. The removal of a public servant should never be placed in the hands of a Politician … sorry

  18. DR. THE HONOURABLE Avatar
    DR. THE HONOURABLE

    PS
    An appendage not necessary in today’s world

    New Structure please ! Its available. Check the USA for guidance and examples

  19. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    How sweet!
    None of them look like they would hurt a fly….

    Now let us explore the characteristics of effective leaders….especially leaders who need to be effective with the people’s business….while under the directions of politicians who are strictly looking to become millionaires in. Five year period….

  20. David Avatar
    David

    If anyone were to have a chat with the project manager responsible for rolling out IT based systems in the public service the finger always point where?

  21. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David
    Saw it?

  22. Pat Avatar
    Pat

    @Hants

    The Permanent Secretaries are responsible for the operations of the Ministry/Department. They are equivalent to our Deputy Ministers, but not as well paid (less employees). Each Deputy Minister has several Assistant Deputy Ministers under him. Bim small so there would be no need for ADMs.

  23. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    I think you have at least one mismatched face in your list. The face you have for Lionel Nurse is that of his brother Leonard Nurse who has been working at UWI for several years now and is actually our only Nobel Laureate in Barbados afaik.

    PSsss in the GOB are actually a much malinged group of generally hard working and conscientious people who get the blame for many of the problems in their ministries. Problems which they in the main have little or no authority to fix.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Thanks checkit-out, amazing how difficult it is to find decent pics of the PSs.

    Are you suggesting that with all the fiscal indiscipline encroaching on malfeasance that they can be absolved?

    Do you agree that we need deputy PSs?

  25. BAFBFP Phlippin Destructive Avatar
    BAFBFP Phlippin Destructive

    Do you agree that we need Senior Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Senior Research Officers and Research Officers …? What about CEO’s of statutory corporations that duplicate existing Ministry responsibility, consultants … and so on

  26. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    There are too many Ministers,MPs, PS’s, Government Departments,Constituency councils etc. The lot is ripe for streamlining/ rationalisation? Can they all justify their existence? I think not.

  27. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    David : BAFBFP;
    I retired from the public service a bit over a decade ago and have not kept in touch with matters there since then, so take what I’m about to say with a bit of salt as it might be seriously dated. Caswell can comment and tell us where I’m wrong re. developments over the past 14 years or so is concerned.

    Looking at the slide show above, there are a few PS’ that I do not recognize at all. Several others were not PS’ when I was working and a few were PS’es then and now. In general, with possibly one exception, the list David has put up on BU comprises persons who are intelligent, honest, hard working and who afaik had no political axes grinding, serving both administrations to the best of their ability.

    In my time, and I think now as well, the PS ran the administrative side of the ministries while the Chief Technical Officers ran the technical side of those ministries that could be classified as Technical Ministries, eg. MTW, Health, Agiculture, etc. There was a (super) Ministry of the Public Service which, in concert with Services Commissions, handled all matters related to Personnel, eg., hiring, firing (hardly anybody was ever fired). There is also a (super) Ministry of Finance which looks after all aspects of the financing of Governments operations, Projects, programmes, budgeting, estimates, oversight of related statutory bodies, etc. I don’t know what is the current complement of staff there but I can’t really see where there might be significant scope for reducing staff there. When I was working, the Ministry of Finance was really an elite collection of Economists, Budget Analysts, Project Analysts etc. with the supporting staff to run the Government’s several projects. The staff there interacted well with the Minister of the period, often with the Minister recognizing the good work they were doing, encouraging them and bringing them snack boxes, etc. when they had to work overtime to meet deadlines for important events. I understand that such relationships are no longer so evident.

    PS’s had absolutely no authority of themselves to hire anyone, discipline anyone, terminate anyone, reward anyone over and above their listed salaries, promote anyone, etc. PS’es could however make recommendations to the relevant authorities for those essential functions above but it was moot if the PSC reacted positively or quickly to any such recommendations. Nevertheless the PS was seen as responsible for all these functions even though he or she had little authority to effect them.

    Caswell can tell you a lot about the revision of the Public Service Act which, inter alia, was designed to correct some of the inherent faults in the system. I’m not certain if they have yet been corrected or if the PS’ and heads of departments know of their “new” authority and how it could / should be dispensed.

    The primary function of the PS was seen as being “The Accounting Officer”. This had very little to do with accounting per se since very few PSes had accounting qualifications. (There may be a few now). There is in all Ministries an Accounts Department headed by a Finance Officer who usually has significant Accounting qualifications and public sector experience (generally no private sector experience however) and with a relatively small but hard working staff made up generally of clerks and relatively low level accountants. The PSes generally rubber stamp the outputs of the Accounts department after ensuring that he could trust documents brought for his perusal, input or signature by his senior staff.

    PSes are generally extremely hard working officers as they are “responsible” for ensuring the quality of the outputs and interactions of the Ministry with all its publics. Thus, in many Ministries, the PS while maintaining a general oversight of his/her Ministry, might delegate responsibility for some sections of the Ministry to his / her Deputy PS. Thus a Deputy PS may, eg., be made responsible for the Registry or Personnel matters, etc.

    I saw a deputy as being essential in the past formulation of a Public Service Ministry. However, a modified Organizational chart for a Ministry may not need such a post but could have heads of department reporting directly to the PS.

    re. Senior Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Senior Research Officers and Research Officers. Those posts usually define differences in Experience and / or qualifications for carrying out various functions. I suspect the job names made it easier for identifying where along a career continuum any member of staff should be placed. The problem in the public service is that oftimes, influence at the political level and often outside a particular Ministry, can determine where an individual is placed on the totem pole. Such placement can often wreak havoc with the work ethic of a whole department. I see no advantage in say having no senior research Officers or senior assistant secretaries. What needs work is eliminating the political or other inputs that often make a nonsense of the system.

    Statutory Corporations are another kettle of fish which lie outside the checks and balances (financial and otherwise) of the general Public Service. Their CEO’s and deputies have usually been political hacks of one stripe or the other. But sometimes they perform an essential function. I suspect much wastage could be eliminated after having a close non-partisan look at many of our statutory corporations.

    Re. Consultants. Sometimes there is a clear need for a consultant to recommend best practices, etc. However the Consultant system appears to need some serious work to ensure that it is not used almost exclusively to reward politicos.

    I suspect that the time is ripe for a thorough look at rationalization of Ministers, Ministries and therefore PS’ Deputies, Assistants, Consultants etc. But such work, to be properly done requires a lot of time. Judging from the tenor of the discussions coming out of the GOCB’s recent statements, time may not be on our side.

    Once again, I would say that the expenditure cuts that are needed should be salary cuts and not job cuts and the powers that be should do their best to get the persons who can allow this to happen, to join that bandwagon. Such persons may counterintuitively be the Unions and the BLP. But the Government should pursue whatever means is necessary to get them on that bandwagon.

    BTW; Where is the Government getting the 100 million or so for its new CLICO solution? NIS? Another pie in the sky promise?

    Please excuse the long post. As I said Caswell can certainly fill in the details I did not go into.

  28. 70th week Avatar
    70th week

    Cu + Zn =?

  29. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    70th week;
    You an alchemist? or an Annunaki?

  30. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Edison Alleyne in Drainage. He is so cute!!!

  31. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    I don’t know about cute but why is Edison Alleyne in the drainage unit? He was an excellent Finance person. His skills knowledge and aptitudes were perfectly suited to that Ministry. That he is not in that Ministry now might speak volumes and partially explain why we are now in the fiscal bind engendered by a floundering Minister of Finance. I wonder how many of the current PS’ have been misplaced by this administration?

  32. Pinkie Avatar
    Pinkie

    missing from the list are Sonja Welch, PS, Prime Minister’s Office, Antoinette Williams, PS, Training Adm Division, Mr. Alison Forde, PS, Civil Service, Jennifer Campblell, PS, Solictor General’s Office ….there are others of course

  33. Pinkie Avatar
    Pinkie

    BAFBFP Phlippin Destructive | July 14, 2013 at 7:23 PM |
    “Do you agree that we need Senior Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries”

    there are no Senior or Assistant Secretaries in the public service, now if those jobs are to be created then good for those stenographer/typists who are more qualified for their jobs but have no place to go

  34. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ checkit-out | July 14, 2013 at 10:35 PM |
    “70th week; You an alchemist? or an Annunaki?”

    Cu + Zn = a Silenced 70th week now fallen to 17-1 week of forex to cover imports.
    Remember these weeks of imports do not make provision for overseas travel, overseas tuition payments reinsurance cover remittances, management fees and profit remittances.

    Your man 70th seems to have gone underground since this $400 million debacle and talk of devaluation. Not a word of wisdom or strategy to cuss off the miller or even Ryan Straughn or Even the Guv of the Central Bank or even Charlie Skeete.

    Soon we will have to rename him “70 days before “D” day.”

    As far as your proposals to achieve the cuts you need to take into consideration that the first requirement to achieve such a challenging target is that of engendering a general air of confidence and injecting a felling of enthusiasm to motivate those who will be entrusted with such a massive task.

    Now how can such a Herculean task be achieved in an atmosphere where the same policy makers are talking at cross purposes and contradicting one another on what is really required to deal with the problem?
    There is No unity of purpose and agreed strategies being communicated to the people.
    How can we expect the Opposition or other stakeholders to buy into the ruling administrations plans when they themselves don’t know what’s involved.

  35. Paying close attention Avatar
    Paying close attention

    Who is the touted (by Tony Best) economist Charlie Skeete does Best pay his tout to deliver economic prognoses out of his backside?
    Skeete is a bewildering piece of work he’s been predicting Barbados economic meltdown from the days of Owen Arthur.
    Does he reside in Barbados nobody knows him aprt from Best who claims Skeete is a former IMF economist.

    Under Owen Arthur “economist” Skeete told Tony Best morning after morning on VOB news the economy was on unsustainable path on the verge of implosion.
    Twenty years later the piece of s%#* still at it contradicting Worrell and gleefully adamant its doomsday for the island’s economy.
    He’s been wrong so long we can rest assured this too shall pass.What Charlie Skeete what.

  36. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Paying close attention | July 15, 2013 at 9:11 AM |

    Charlie Skeete is just repeating the advice of the Governor of the Central Bank and regurgitating the words of the warning by the P M.

    At least you can’t call or label him Mr. Skeete a BLP yardfowl or stooge as you would wont to do with Ryan Straughn or Prof. Howard and certainly the miller.

    We shall soon see who is right. The Governor of the Central Bank or you.

    We will be paying close attention when the shit hits the fan just after the Crop-over jump-up and drink-up last mass sessions.

    PS: Your contribution has been filed for future reference.

  37. Paying close attention Avatar
    Paying close attention

    miller- Dr. Worrell said the dollar is NOT under devaluation threat. Skeete on VOB said the dollar WILL be devalued. What words you trying to put in paying close attention mouth?

  38. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    Miller;
    Just a commitment to do the right thing for Barbados rather than pandering to their selfish interests. In the process they may make the Government look good but they will make themselves look better.

    Sending home 1000 or 3000 people now cannot, in any way, be good for this economy but it might be the only option if the Government cannot negotiate the constitutional power to get the required expenditure cuts. Surely, despite the intransigence of the government, it would be better for the BLP to release some of its members to support a bill that would allow the constitutional reduction of salaries, while letting the public know (from the rooftops) that it is an action reluctantly taken only in the interests of Barbados and caused by the ineptness of this current government. The unions are actors anyhow and their bosses will cave in while proclaiming that they are serving the general interests of the people.

    I know that it would be a bitter pill for the Opposition to swallow but swallowing it might signal a turn around in our politics and suggest an alternative for current enlightened leadership.

    I still don’t understand 70 weeks’ position. Alzheimers may be taking hold.

  39. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    Simple Simon | July 14, 2013 at 10:50 PM |

    Edison Alleyne in Drainage. He is so cute!!!

    Simple Simon you in heat or you just always hot??? Come on that man doan look so cute to me. Stop mekking me laff out loud!

  40. Yagga Rowe Avatar
    Yagga Rowe

    Simple Simon | July 14, 2013 at 10:50 PM |
    Edison Alleyne in Drainage. He is so cute!!!
    ——————————-
    always come down to this
    with women
    who/cute
    discrimination started with such thinking
    women ?
    should be seen/not heard

  41. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Paying close attention | July 15, 2013 at 9:39 AM |
    “miller- Dr. Worrell said the dollar is NOT under devaluation threat. Skeete on VOB said the dollar WILL be devalued. What words you trying to put in paying close attention mouth?”

    So why the immediate need to cut so drastically $400 million from the current year’s expenditure budget? What is the urgent purpose bordering on an emergency to take such a sharp draconian painful decision?

    It is NOT Skeete who first raised the spectre of devaluation this time.
    Just have a read or listen to the P M in delivering his speech at the recently held national consultation meeting with the private sector with the Opposition in attendance.
    He is the one who based on the Governor’s recommendations mentioned the threat to the dollar unless these drastic steps are taken immediately.

    Am I lying on the P M?

  42. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ checkit-out | July 15, 2013 at 9:40 AM |

    No one in their right mind would wish for this administration to fail in saving this country from going over the cliff.
    As a matter principle the Opposition should lend its critical support to any set of proposals including the need to amend the Constitution to make provision for the cutting of salaries as one option available to the government to stem the fiscal haemorrhging.

    However, The Opposition should not give its unequivocal support unless or until this ruling administration gets its act together.
    Why are we having mixed signals coming from Cabinet members and inside advisors? What is the real situation and how serious is the problem?
    Isn’t attitude being expressed by the likes of CCC, ac, “paying close attention” and 70th week indicative of the obfuscation and blame game and “scape-goating” indicative of the utterances and behaviour of this administration?

    Moreover, this administration must stop ruling out certain expenditure cuts like constituency councils, privatization and possibly layoffs where there is NO justification for retaining the services of the employees since there is nothing to do.
    Let them access other welfare systems involving voluntary work for welfare programmes

    But most importantly the ruling administration must lead by example. They must be prepared to make the first steps on the sacrificial road to recovery. Let them cut some of the existing fat at the top. Why do we need a 19 member Cabinet to run such a small country and with a contracting economy?

    Once this administration comes clean with the people with a set of honest proposals then the BLP Opposition should put their shoulder to the wheel in unison with all nationally committed Bajans to save Bim from further economic sinking.

    But they the Opposition must be always wary of the sleight-of-hand tactics this ruling administration is capable of; as effectively demonstrated during the last general election campaign especially with that note of political support and horse trading innocently sent by OSA to his opposite number Freundel.
    We will NOT mention the sending home of 10,000 civil servants or the mass privatization of social services like health, education and transport.

  43. checkit-out Avatar
    checkit-out

    MillertheAnnunaki

    Beautiful post above. Well said! I agree almost entirely with everything you said and the way you put your entire argument.
    I think you have put up a short term road map that is absolutely clear. The first step is the current administration’s.
    But suppose they can’t see reason. What then?

  44. pieceuhderockyeahright!!! Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright!!!

    @ Simple Simon

    Leave well enough alone, Edison of come let me do unspeakable s to you” is where he should be, in Drainage, where that buffoon can do no harm.

    The title PSes is outdated and should, in keeping with the current practice of this lost administration, be renamed like they are renaming all schools and fish markets

    No longer to be called PSes but ESes

    No, e is not coined for some technological acronym, like e-ready or something fancy like that, no this stands for Emissaries of Stagnation. Eternal impotent Stalactites of the State, many promoted beyond their current or future competencies, by a system and by similarly intellectually challenged ministers

    So here we are 2/3 ‘s of these appointments are decided based on unknown metrics, length of service, and other unknowns, and 1/3 based on the Barney Lynch’s and We Jonesing crew

    I have to go and E(a)S(e) my bowels and assuredly when I look in the bowl before I flush the evidence of that “ease” I can be assured that I will see the face of many of those whose names are here assembled in the list of permanent sh*tes aforementioned.

    I am still seeking to get inspiration for an equivalent of toilet paper and how flushing the bowl gets rid of faeces so that I can come back and share this (not the shit, the solution) with the BU family so we can apply it to the affairs of running our country

  45. Gabriel Tackle Avatar
    Gabriel Tackle

    Well said Miller.Not forgetting to cut their Pensions drastically and make them wait until 67 to receive it like everyone else must do.The number of years of service before qualification should be 6 nr x5 year terms cumulatively applicable.

  46. The Watcher Avatar
    The Watcher

    The Civil Service needs revamping. A complete gutting of the agency and subsequent re-building from the ground up is what is needed. But we, Barbadians, are so scared of the backlash that it will never be done. Take one sticky-fingers employee of that agency, a short, brown skinned guy with strangely colored eyes who proclaims himself(well “itself” since the “he” description can be brought into serious question) the KING of ICT in Barbados. Talk about a money waster! Since his appointment there, this entity has talked up a good game, spent time fighting others for power, but has done NOTHING! Absolutely NOTHING! Many multimillion dollar projects which have been dreamt up by this individual have yet to come to fruition. Yet, millions of dollars have been spent. Apartments have been bought and constructed by the said, his friends and cronies some of whom have properties in Miami and elsewhere but there’s not investigation by the authorities. Now that the US has announced the bust of a major synthetic drug ring in which Barbados is involved, and possibly quite heavily, I wonder if we are going to wake up and clean up this place or wait until the world distances itself from us because of our stupidity then to act.
    Send home non-performing PS’s and their deputies. Dismiss heads of departments who cant lead or manage, and then useless civil servants, especially those blind BLP followers who seem to think that no other party should hold the government here. Let them go find something else to do other than be the proverbial millstone around the neck of the country. Let them spend some of their ill-gotten gains back in the same economy which they helped to destroy and pillage.
    Strong action results in a strong economy!

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