Since independence administrative and acquisition of politic sovereignty (1962), Jamaica has sought to establish an efficient, responsive and cost-effective framework of its activities within the public sector with the aim of achieving national growth and development. Therefore, Jamaican Public Sector has been consistently upgrading its systems and processes to align with emerging demands.

Chapter IX of the Political Constitution provides for the Public Service. But on the whole, the Public Service is mostly governed by established Statutes, Regulations, Orders and Procedures. The Public Service Regulations (1961) and the Staff Orders of the Public Service of Jamaica govern the Conditions of Service for Public Officers. The Staff Orders outlines the responsibilities of workers employed to the Government of Jamaica, and specifies such matters as hours of work, compensation, code of conduct, training and development, leave, performance management, among other issues (It has been revised in 1976).

In 2004, a new major revision of the Staff Orders was undertaken with the aim of revitalizing the public service by means of the techniques and ethics of modern administration which will make it possible to narrow the gap between the promise and realization of economic betterment and social equality. The focus was both put on effectiveness in the implementation of programmes and policies and on technical competence so that the public administration will not serve to inhibit or frustrate the activities of the private sector.

In Jamaica, the responsibility for policy making in the public service is shared by three central agencies, namely: 1. the Public Service Commission, 2. the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MOFP), and 3. the Cabinet Office.

1. The Public Service Commission (PSC)

Section 125 of the Political Constitution provides that the Governor General, acting on the advice of the Public Service Commission may appoint persons to public officers remove such persons from public offices and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in any such office.

Where the functions have not been delegated pursuant to Section 127 of the Political Constitution, the Public Service Commission makes recommendations regarding appointment, promotion and transfer of officers. Part III, Sections 14-22 of the Public Service Regulations (1961) sets out the recommendations that the Public Service Commission may make in this regard.

Given its role in making recommendations to the Governor General, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has a general supervisory role concerning the admission to the public service. Vacancies in the public service are advertised where there are no suitable candidates already in the service or having regard to other criteria a determination is made that it would be in the best interest to hire someone not already in the service.  Criteria considered by the Commission in relation to appointments include educational qualifications, general fitness, previous employment and references.

The PSC consists of a Chairman and between three and five members, appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister after consultation with the minority leader.

2. The Ministry of Finance and Planning (MOF)

Jamaican Ministry of Finance and Planning, through its Public Service Establishment Division, implement policies and manage programmes relating to compensation, benefits, industrial relations, employment and pensions for public sector employees.

Important to note that the recommendation for Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) moves specific aspects of this unit's work out of Ministry of Finance and Planning (MoF): 1. Superannuation Unit; 2. Compensation Unit; 3. Pensions Administration Unit; 4. Industrial Relations Unit; 5. Employee Relations Unit; 6. Research and Establishment Control Unit; 7. Scholarship and Training Assistance Unit; 8. Benefits Administration Unit; Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Secretariat.

3. The Cabinet Office

To facilitate the transformation of the Public Sector, the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) was established within the Cabinet Office on Monday, November 16, 2009.

PSTU's mandate is to lead, monitor, evaluate and facilitate the implementation of the restructuring of the Public Sector for efficient, effective and economical Government.

. This sub-committee approves and provides direction and oversight to the restructuring of the Public Sector.

The direct monitoring of the work of the PSTU was done by the Consultative Monitoring Group (CMG), which comprises representatives of Government, the private sector, trade unions and academia to review the strategies being pursued by the Unit and to monitor their implementation.
Likewise, its three (3) focus areas are the followings:

1. Determining the focus of the Public Sector in terms of the Government of Jamaica (GoJ)'s priorities.
2. Rationalizing and streamlining the Public Sector.
3. Establishing the policy framework for the transformation of the Public Sector. 

Strategies and Mechanisms

This Guide has organized the Professionalized Civil Service in the following critical sections:

1. Entrance into the Civil Service

As mentioned in the chapter 1 of the Staff Orders, all appointments into and within the Central Government Service should be made in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Regulations.
Any suitably qualified Jamaican/CARICOM national is eligible for appointment in the Public Service. If extensive recruitment activities do not yield a suitably qualified candidate of Jamaican/CARICOM nationality, then others may be considered.
Persons entering the Public Service may be appointed on a temporary or permanent basis, at the discretion of the appointing authority.
Persons who are appointed to the Service for the first time may be required to serve a probationary period of six months. The probationary period may be extended, with the approval of the appointing authority, for a period not exceeding six months, on the basis of the supervisor's assessment.

2. Training

According to the chapter 5 of the Staff Orders, all employees should be provided the opportunity and support to be trained and developed.
The Authority for the responsibility for the establishment of training policy, the setting of training standards and the administration of scholarships and fellowships rests in the Cabinet Office.
The Permanent Secretary/Head of Department is responsible for determining the training needs of the Ministry and its Department. Each employee is responsible for his/her personal growth and development for the enhancement of his/her career.
Responsibility for the selection of persons for training for the Public Service is vested in the appropriate Service Commission. Responsibility for the selection of officers to undertake local training courses of less than 90 days is delegated to Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments. The selection of officers to undertake local training courses of 90 days duration and over, should be referred to the Chief Personnel Office.
In some circumstances, at the discretion of the Ministry with responsibility for the Public Service, persons selected for training may be required to enter into a loan agreement before the start of the training programme. The loan agreement may require that the recipient gives an undertaking to resume duties, or take up employment in the civil service immediately following completion of the course of study, for a period of up to five years.

The Management Institute for National Development (MIND) is the main public sector training entity in Jamaica. The University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) accredits MIND as a tertiary level institution. MIND was established on February 1, 1994 by an amalgamation of five public sector training organizations which themselves had been established between 1975 and 1978. MIND became an Executive Agency of Government on April 1, 1999.

As an Agency, MIND has been afforded significant autonomy, and is mandated to operate its business along normal commercial principles. The Agency has been delegated financial responsibility from the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and delegated human resource responsibility from the Governor General through the Public Service Commission.

3. Promotion and assessment

Art. 1.8 of the Staff Orders sets out that selection processes for promotion opportunities should be through competition duly conducted, and should provide fair and equitable access and opportunity to all candidates across the public service who may be interested in, and eligible to apply for the position.

In exceptional circumstances, Permanent Secretaries/Heads of Departments may make a case for a promotion without competition, e.g. where the talent pool is limited and known, or where the decision relates to the training and development strategy in the Human Resource Management Plan. In such cases, the appointment decision should be posted, so that anyone who may have had an interest may exercise the right of appeal.

If two or more candidates are assessed to be equally suitable, then seniority may be used to determine the most suitable candidate.

Chapter 9 of the Staff Orders deals with Jamaican assessment processes in the public service. Such process is called the Performance Management System and falls under the general direction of the Head of the Civil Service.

The objectives of a Performance Management System are:

a) The optimum utilization of human and other resources.
b) The improvement of efficiency, effectiveness and economy within the organization.
c) The improvement of the quality of programmes and services delivered to the public.
d) The responsibility for monitoring the overall operation of the Performance Management System is vested in the Officer designated by the Head of the Civil Service.

Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are required to implement the Performance Management System within their respective Ministries and Departments.

Chapter 9 OF THE Staff Orders lists the different role and responsibilities of the public servants.

4. Disengagement

According to chapter 14 of the Staff Orders, the authority for all acts of separation is vested in the Governor General acting on the advice of the appropriate Service Commission or delegated authority.
The Governor General may delegate any or all of the functions under his authority in respect of separation to Permanent Secretaries or to such other authority or Public Officer as may be specified.
The terms and conditions under which an employee may leave, or be made to leave the Public Service are governed by the Public Service Regulations and the applicable Pensions Act.
Employees may leave or be made to leave the Public Service for various reasons.

Due process must be followed for all cases of separation for cause:

1. Absence without Permission 
2. Misconduct
3. Poor Performance
4. Conviction For Criminal Offence
5. In the Public Interest

This chapter of the Staff Orders also regulates retirement and resignation conditions.

Evaluation of Policies and Programs

Introduction

The Government of Jamaica's commitment to Managing for Results has been reiterated through a range of policy statements, program activities and other policy instruments such as, Ministry Paper 56/02 "Government at Your Service: Public Sector Modernization Vision and Strategy (MVSP) 2002-2012" and the five-year Action Plan for the Public Sector Modernization Vision and Strategy which was reviewed and reformulated to form the Medium Term Action Plan (MTAP).

This commitment was further reiterated in November 2009, with the Framework Preliminary Document Design: Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES), which was approved by Cabinet Decision 49/09. In the design of the framework, broad-based consultations in the form of workshops, meetings, and forums are held with key stakeholders from Ministries, Departments and Agencies and with government officials (Cabinet Office/Performance Management and Evaluation Unit, Planning Institute of Jamaica - PIOJ, Auditor General's Department, Ministry of Finance and Planning - MOF, and Parliamentary Oversight - Public Administration and Appropriations Committee - PAAC).

This Framework is guided by the following principles: 1. Emphasis on performance results that matter most, through the presentation of achievements in outcomes, rather than operational details associated with outputs; 2. Reduction of complexity through simplifying the process and making the preparation of performance plans and reports more uniform, timely and relevant; and 3. Enhancement of accountability and transparency through statues that compels the preparation, presentation and scrutiny of Government performance information.

Also, this framework aims to provide a formal process through which the Government of Jamaica will be able to monitor and report on results; support the setting of broad strategic priorities and the reflection of these priorities in the plans of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) through the development of performance indicators and targets (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 6).

Institutional Framework

In Jamaica, the Cabinet Office through its Cabinet Support and Policy Division - Performance Management and Evaluation Unit is the governmental institution responsible to lead and supervise existing policies and programs with the aim of ensuring the achievement of the national priorities and objectives (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page 12).

The Cabinet Office has been restructured around four main Divisions in addition to a Corporate Affairs Unit and the National Security Strategies Implementation Unit (NSSIU); and the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU): Cabinet Support and Policy Division, Public Sector Modernization Division, Human Resource Management Division and the Portfolio Agencies (Office of Utilities Regulation - OUR - and the Management Institute for National Development - MIND).

The Cabinet Support and Policy Division is responsible to provide policy advice and logistical support to Cabinet Office and Cabinet Committees to ensure that the business of Government is conducted in a timely and efficient way and enable proper collective consideration before policy decisions are taken; to coordinate the development of the overall strategic framework and short, medium and long term priorities to support the coherent and coordinated delivery of government objectives aligned to major national and sectoral policies; and to manage the corporate planning process for the Government, monitoring and evaluation the overall performance of government to ensure that policies actually result in the planned changes in the delivery of services.

Additionally, the Performance Management and Evaluation Unit (PMEU) manages and oversees the business planning process of the Government (GoJ), ensuring that a sustainable plan is in place that reflects research or evaluation activities across the GoJ.

The PMEU responsibilities are, as follows (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page 12 and 13):

a) Lead the performance monitoring system across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs),
b) Provide ongoing technical guidance to MDAs;
c) Provide compliance oversight and coordination of the business planning process;
d) Establish a system evaluation
e) Provide oversight of performance monitoring; and
f) Develop and communicate new standards, guidelines, procedures and methodologies.

Strategies and Mechanisms

The Government of Jamaica has developed strategies and mechanisms for an effective evaluation and monitoring of national policies and programs. Therefore, it has established a Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES).
The  Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) is a public management tool used to improve the way in which government achieves results by examining outcomes and impacts of projects, programs and policies which can be used for informed decision-making.

The PMES strategies are, as follows:

1. Clearly articulated strategic priorities for the Government for the medium term (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 6)

Vision 2030 Jamaica - National Development Plan provides the basis for tracking long-term trends in Jamaican society and assists the Government in sustaining a sense of direction over a 15-20 year period. The national development plan reflects the Government's commitment to achieving long term national goals and outcomes.

Consequently, the Government can make political choices about national strategic priorities in a much shorter horizon (3-5 years), taking into account the prevailing fiscal, social and political context and the Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Framework which provides a medium term strategic direction with priority national outcomes which are linked to Vision 2030 Jamaica - National Development Plan. As well, to achieve effective performance accountability, strategic objectives are formally reflected in plans and budgets of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

As mentioned above, critical purpose of the Government is to formalize a process of setting strategic priorities for a three (3) to five (5) year period, and review these priorities annually. Subsequently, these priorities then are presented to Parliament and the public through a three-year Government Business Plan to complement the three-year Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). The Government Business Plan provides a high level road map that consolidates the specific actions of MDAs (programs and services) for each strategic priority with a "what it will cost" summary, and enables Ministries to develop Ministry level plans and MTEF submissions linked to whole-of-government priorities.

2. Adopt "whole-of-government" business plans to reflect strategic priorities and associated performance accountability of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) directly involved in addressing each priority (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 7)

The Government Business Plan aims to accompany implementation of the proposed Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and set the broad functional and fiscal goals of the government over a three-year horizon. This Business Plan will describe how the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) strategic priorities will be pursued and the specific performance indicators and targets that will be used to monitor and report on results.

Heads of MDAs will ensure their plans and programs are aligned with the MTEF so that Government's performance can be adequately reflected in spending. Other important linkages will be between the Business Plans of MDAs, the Performance Management and Appraisal System (PMAS) and the Accountability Framework for Permanent Secretaries and other Senior Executive Officers.

The Management Accountability Framework has been developed by the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU) for supporting the Accountability Framework, which was adopted from the Canadian model.

3. Improve the current corporate and operational plans and annual reports by introducing a results-based approach through two new Ministry level instruments: a three-year Ministry Business Plan and a three year Ministry Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 7)

The three-year Ministry Business Plan requires that each Ministry specify its role in relation to any directly relevant strategic priorities set out in the Government Business Plan, as well as, any other selected major goals of the Ministry. This Plan will include meaningful performance indicators, targets and results related to outcomes and expenditure and a status report on key performance indicators for the previous fiscal year. The Plan will also detail the actual performance results to the targets set for the previous year.

4. Ensure harmonization of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) level plans, government policy and the MTEF through collaboration between the Cabinet Office, the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 7)

The required management and oversight of the budgeting and business planning processes across the GoJ, which includes ensuring common use of the performance methodologies and alignment of business plans to budgets, will be put in place through the establishment of a joint committee to be chaired by the Cabinet Office.

5. Implement a common structure for performance monitoring and reporting by MDAs (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 8)

This common structure aims to support the systematic collection of data on sector specific indicators to provide government and other stakeholders with information on the status of Government plans and programmes. The structure will also include the publication of MDAs annual performance reports, GoJ's annual performance reports.

6. Developing a schedule for the evaluation of plans and programmes in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System (PMES) - Framework Document, page. 9)

A more formalized approach to evaluation will be adopted by MDAs through the use of a systematic assessment of ongoing or completed projects, programmes and policies. The evaluations will provide information that is credible and useful, enabling the incorporation of lessons learned into the decision making process.

Each MDA will develop and submit annually to the Cabinet Office, a schedule of evaluation activities. The Cabinet Office will ensure that proposed evaluation activities are identified across all MDAs (projected over a 3 year period), review all evaluations as completed and will ensure that key issues emerging are flagged for the Prime Minister's and Cabinet's attention as needed.