Cabinet Office
The
Cabinet of the Government of Jamaica is the principal instrument of
government policy. It consists of the Prime Minister, and a minimum of thirteen other
Ministers of Government, who must be members of one of the two Houses
of Parliament. However, not more than four members of the Cabinet
may be members of the Senate. The Minister of Finance must be an elected
member of the House of Representatives.
Mission
Statement
To provide the Prime Minister and the Cabinet with high quality
information and policy advisory services leading to sound and timely
Cabinet decisions which are effectively implemented by line Ministries
and to lead to reform of the Public Service to one that is more
efficient, effective, accountable, and that treats the public as
valuable customers.
The
Cabinet Secretary
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Ambassador Douglas Saunders |
Apart
from administration, the mission of the Cabinet Office is carried
out primarily in five general areas:
- Business
of Cabinet and its Committees/Subcommittees;
-
Business of the Permanent Secretaries’ Board;
-
Reform of the Public Sector;
-
Management development, classification standards, and efficiency
audits for the Public Sector; and
-
Training of Public Officers.
The Cabinet Office is located at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Cabinet
Office Operating Structure
The
present structure has evolved through three phases:
Phase I
Prior to July 1, 1993, Cabinet Office functions were the receipt
of Cabinet submissions, notes or reports, the preparation of agendas
for Cabinet meetings, recording the transactions of these meetings
and the circulation of decisions.
Phase II
In July 1993, this phase started when the Administrative Reform
Programme II (ARP II) – comprising the Financial and Programme
Management Improvement Project (FPMIP) and Human Resource Management
Information System (HRMIS) were transferred from the Office of the
Prime Minister to the Cabinet Office; in addition, the subject "Policy
Coordination and Analysis" was added to its responsibilities,
and the Cabinet Secretary was designated as Head of the Civil Service,
and Chairman of the Permanent Secretaries’ Board with attendant
responsibilities.
Phase III
This followed the restructuring of government ministries in January
1995, and the transfer of some functions of the former Ministry
of the Public Service to the Cabinet Office. Cost rationalisation
measures, namely the sharing of administrative and accounting facilities
with the Office of the Prime Minister, have been instituted since
the new Cabinet Office was established in July 1993.
Cabinet Office Operational Functions
Functions
of the Cabinet Office are:
1. Critically reviewing submissions, notes and technical papers
received from ministries/agencies prior to presentation to Cabinet.
2. Providing accurate records from the meetings of Cabinet, Council
of Ministers and various Cabinet Committees/Subcommittees, transmitting
transactions to the relevant persons and coordinating the business
of meetings of the Development Council, the Prime Minister’s
Committee on the Economy, the Human Resources Council, and the Legislation
Committee.
3. Monitoring implementation of Cabinet Decisions.
4. Developing an efficient data storage and retrieval system for
the records of Cabinet and building an appropriate library primarily
for the work being undertaken by the Cabinet Office.
5. Managing and directing the various public sector reform programmes,
including improvements in the quality of customer service.
6. Assessing the effectiveness of government policies.
7. Information system support and analysis of current issues and
the general operations of Government.
8. Ensuring high standards of training for public servants that
are relevant to needs.
9. Directing and coordinating the corporate planning process of
ministries/agencies, as well as smooth and efficient operation of
the business of Government, inter alia, through a Permanent Secretaries’
Board.
10. Assisting in developing and approving organisational structures
in the Civil Service, as well as determining the appropriate classification
of staff.
11. Administering the award of scholarships for job-specific training
needs.
12. The provision of training to meet certain needs of the public
sector.
13. Undertaking duties that the Cabinet Secretary or other staff
in the office may be called upon to do by the Prime Minister or
Cabinet.
SUBJECT
AREAS
- Business
of Cabinet
- Corporate
Planning for Government
- Human Resource Management Policy
- Human
Resource Management Information System
- Job
Evaluation
- National
Security Strategy Implementation
- Organisational
Design and Staffing
- Performance
Management, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Policy
Formulation and Coordination for Government
- Public
Sector Modernisation (PSM)
- Regulations of Utilities
- Standards and Efficiency
- Succession
Planning including Strategic Training
and Development
DEPARTMENTS
For
more information on the Cabinet Office visit http://www.cabinet.gov.jm/
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