The Corporate Management Board of Jersey.

[boatyboy]

Jersey's Corporate Management board came into the spotlight in the States assembly on two occasions this month.

Deputy Le Clair asked in the States Assembly, why when Jerseys top tier of Executives meet weekly for one and a half hours and only rough notes are kept. The chief executives have no official minutes informing States members and the taxpaying public regarding topics discussed and decisions reached during these high level meetings.

Later in the week the CM Terry Le Suer admitted the independent panel appointed to review the cases of States employees suspended and under investigation does not give the appearance of being objective answering a question from Deputy Bob Hill.


Deputy Roy Le Herissier said he did not feel the Corporate M. Board could be called independent when the people reviewing a possible senior officers suspension are the peers of the same chief officer who would have ordered that suspension.

Senator Stuart Syvret added, it was still important to achieve the appearance of objectivity and impartiality in these matters, and the arrangements in place are structurally incapable of meeting the test. The CM replied one has to look at the practicalities of what will actually work. I think what we need to do is see whether or not it is satisfactory, and if it is unsatisfactory, then it will need to be revisited.

So to put it another way, a civil service senior manager is suspended by his boss who sits once a week with the bosses of all the other States departments in a meeting.

When this person sits for a fair hearing regarding his work or maybe other issues, he has to answer to his bosses friends and colleagues of the Corporate Management Board.

You couldn't make it up.

[shafted]

Shocking, what's more we pay for these people, they are public servants and should be accountable for their actions.

The CMB should be taped, like Hansard so a true record is made, we hold politicians to account, why do the civil servants not have to obey the same rules? After all they are the real decision makers, so I want to know what they decide.

The awful thing is that even though this has come to light, it doesn't seem likely that it will change and that the States will order the CMB to keep minutes. You would think the politicians would want this information.