Agencies Achievements & Ongoing Initiatives
Annex H
They have been researching and reviewing existing policies that govern Human Resources Management and
meeting regularly and holding meetings with representatives from Ministries and agencies across the public
service with the view bringing the policies in line with modern day needs.
From this exercise, a revised policy manual and a revised post qualifications booklet will be created and the
policies will be made available on the government’s website so public officers, human resource officers and the
general public alike will have equal access.
The Ministry of the Public Service for the 2016/2017 budget period will be allocated one hundred and eighty six
million, three hundred and thirty eight thousand, two hundred and sixty-six dollars an increase of almost
twenty-five million dollars over last year’s estimates. Much of this allocation will be spent in the provision of
insurances, pensions to government officials and accommodations.
The lion’s share of this Ministry’s budget, some sixty-one million dollars, is needed for health insurance policies
to government officers; the majority of them being negotiated in union collective bargaining agreements.
However, with the introduction of National Health Insurance it is expected that some reduction would be seen
in these costs over the ensuing years
We have a growing public service. Current government owned housing is inadequate for existing needs and new
programmes that require new facilities continually come on stream. In 2015/2016 accommodations needs
ranged from relocation of sizeable agencies such as the Department of Statistics to the leasing of an airport for
the Ministry of Transport. New moves on the horizon include the Post Office headquarters from East Hill
Street to the Town Centre Mall; the Department of Labour and the Eugene Dupuch Law School to the old City
Markets Building on Rosetta Street in what is now known as the Citicorp building; the Department of Public
Health to the old Kellys warehouse on Soldier Road and the Bahamas National Geographical Information
System (BNGIS), from East Bay Street to the Pilot House. I am cognizant that we cannot continue in this vein
and it is the government’s intent over the long term to accommodate ministries and departments in government
owned quarters. However, until such time as that is accomplished, we must find ways and places to
accommodate offices for government business.
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2016/2017
DRAFT
ESTIMATES
OF REVENUE &
EXPENDITURE
In 2015, the government commissioned a study, through the Commonwealth Secretariat, for a review of the
Public Service; this study showed that there is a need to concentrate on among other things, governance,
greater use of technology, succession planning for the public service, training at mid management and senior
levels as well as greater inter-ministerial collaboration. In light of this, the sum of one million dollars had been
included in the estimates to foster these developments.
Training at all levels, is an ongoing need for the Public Service. The Public Service Centre for Human Resource
Development will play a pivotal role in the training of government personnel at all levels. Just last month, in
conjunction with the Public Service Commission, the Clerical Level Assessment was held to assess some one
hundred and seventy two persons at the level of Chief Clerk for promotion to the Executive ranks. Now, when
posts of Executive Officer are advertised, those persons who were successful in this assessment would be
eligible to apply for the positions.
The last Service-wide Promotion Exercise for clerical ranks was held in 2011. Since that time some 335 officers
have become eligible to climb up the various ranks moving from:
Clerk to Senior Clerk
Registry Clerk to Senior Registry Clerk
Senior Clerk to Chief Clerk
Senior Registry Clerk to Chief Registry Clerk
Private Secretary to Senior Private Secretary
The Public Service Commission is in the process of finalizing this exercise and to date some two hundred and
sixty seven officers would have received letters signifying their promotions with a retroactive effective date of
1 April, 2014.