Change has come to the Cayman Islands Civil Service in the form of the creation of a 5-year strategic plan. Deputy Governor the Hon. Franz Manderson has commissioned the development of the strategic plan, with the Strategic Reforms Implementation Unit (SRIU) acting as project managers. The approach to this plan is revolutionary in that it focuses on the positive aspects and workings of the civil service, as well as striving to include both customers and civil servants at all levels of the organization as part of the development process.
When speaking about the development process for the strategic plan, Mr. Manderson noted, “I believe that a strategic plan needs to be owned by the individuals that will be called upon to implement the plan. What better way to facilitate ownership than to include those individuals in the development of the plan. If you want a strategic plan that is realistic, achievable and has the potential to create sustained positive change, it is critical that its development include those persons who will be charged with the task of bringing the plan to life.” The Deputy Governor further stated, “In looking around the civil service I am encouraged by the moments of excellence that emerge when we are operating at our best and I am hopeful that together we can make the necessary shifts in our organization so that those moments of excellence become business as usual.”
According to Dr. Tasha Ebanks Garcia, Deputy Chief Advisor (Public Sector Reforms), the process to create a strategic plan draws on the Appreciative Inquiry framework. Dr. Ebanks Garcia stated, “Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a highly flexible organizational development tool for engaging people in building the kind of organization they want to work in. AI leads individuals and organizations to seek out what works and to capitalize on solutions versus looking for what is wrong or broken.” While the process itself is focused on unearthing the positive aspects of the civil service, the problems that exist are also addressed. Dr. Ebanks Garcia noted, “That doesn’t mean that problems are ignored. Problems are recognized as a desire for something else. Our goal is to identify and enhance the ‘something else.’”
This “asset-based” approach brings the strengths of the Cayman Islands Civil Service to center stage and utilizes those moments to build a plan that is based on what the civil service does well. This focus on the positive and “what works” in the civil service is further supported by a desire to incorporate all civil servants in the creation of the strategic plan. The process is built on teamwork, and the contributions of each individual are valuable to the goal of creating a strategic plan.
Mrs. Mary Rodrigues, Chief Advisor (Public Sector Reforms) succinctly summarized the strategic plan development process. “Through collaborative engagement we are going to share and explore moments when our civil service has been its best in order to understand what we are doing when we are at our best and how we accomplished those moments of excellence so that we can replicate and amplify them. Those moments of excellence will drive the development of the strategic plan and will lay the foundation for a reimagined civil service.”
The development process for the strategic plan is slated f