FINN (COM) Daily Record: 10 November 2003

FINN (COM) DAILY RECORD FOR 10 November 2003

(With relevant stories from FIBS)

Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)

CAMP MATTERS WITH CHRIS SIMPKINS

A Report for FIBS by Lisa Riddell (LR) 31/11/03

With less than one week to go before the Camp has a new elected representative, it seemed appropriate to hear from the Chief Executive, Chris Simpkins (CS) on the subject of the modern relationship between Councillors and the head of the Falkland Islands Administration.

LR: Thank you for coming along to talk to us today, Mr. Simpkins.

CS: A pleasure, Lisa.

LR: Before we talk about that relationship in the broader sense, can you tell me whether there were aspects of your past employment that prepared you for your situation here? Is it similar to that of manager and directors, perhaps?

CS: Well, I guess unless previous experience had been relevant, I wouldn’t be here in the first place. But I’d been Chief Executive of a District Council in a very rural part of the UK for some 14 years, so that was certainly good preparation. There are many similarities but also many differences, not least the variety that I now enjoy – the range of Government activities is enormous. This is a pretty unique place and long may it stay that way. But I think the overriding issue is actually about dealing with working with people. And, the world over, that seems to be pretty similar, I think.

LR: For those new to the Islands, could you give us a brief insight into exactly what your role is within the Government?

CS: Technically I’m head of the Civil Service, so I’m the Chief Policy Advisor to the Government and Chair the Government Management Team. Clearly, that involves being able to get the advice of a whole range of professional people and expertise all around Government. It’s my job to ensure that the policies approved by the Government – the elected Councillors, that is – are implemented efficiently and effectively. I do that by working with all the other Civil Servants but especially the Directors and Heads of Department, obviously, each of whom has responsibility for particular services. It’s also my job to manage the interface between the Elected Members and the Civil Service and, to a certain extent, at least, between the Government and the Governor. I would emphasise that it is not the job of Civil Servants to make policy. And, it’s certainly not my job. That, quite properly, is the role of the Elected Representatives – Councillors. And, they, of course, work through Executive Council and Legislative Council.

LR: As you have just explained, you are the head of Government Administration and Councillors have portfolio responsibilities for particular Departments. But how does the set-up actually work in terms of who is answerable to who? Do Councillors speak to Heads of Department through you or do they communicate directly? And, if so, how are they kept in the picture? How does the structure work?

CS: One of the things, which the Public-sector, and again in the UK, is very fond of, is these structure charts. Personally, I find them unhelpful. Structure charts imply that communication only takes place through people and up through tiers and across to another Department and back down again. That’s really not the way communication works in any organisation. Informal communication is much more important and far more powerful. I firmly believe that a good relationship between individual Councillors – the portfolio holders and the Departments for which they hold those responsibilities – is absolutely crucial. It’s important and there are certainly many occasions when Councillors will seek my view on Departmental issues. It’s impossible for one person to know everything that’s going on and certainly in the case of the Chief Executive, in obviously, a diverse system of Government, like the Falkland Islands Government. Heads of Department and Directors will all brief me on issues so that, for example, anything that’s controversial, I’ve got some warning of or, indeed, issues which may have an impact across Government. So, it’s mostly strategic issues and those, perhaps, little things, which experience might suggest have a potential to go pare-shaped, that I will get informed of, hopefully before anything goes wrong. But certainly I would encourage and do encourage Councillors to develop a relationship with the Departments for which they have responsibility. But inevitably I can get dragged into all sorts of things and, indeed, do on a daily basis. One of the joys is that I never know in the morning, or I think I know in the morning when I come to the office, what I am going to be doing for that day. The phone can ring and those plans can go straight out of the window.

LR: Absolutely. I think that happens to most people. So, in a way, do you feel that you brought your stamp to this set-up or have you just continued because you felt the system was quite efficient already, you just continued that and added a few little tweaks here and there?

CS: It is pretty efficient but that’s not to say that it can’t be improved. Indeed, I’ve been working with Councillors to try and identify ways in which Government decision-making structures and processes might be improved. Some are being implemented and others will be the subject of a public consultation exercise later this month about which I shall be speaking to you again. We are keen to try to streamline Government, if we can, and provide more opportunity for public scrutiny. So we are looking to see how we might reduce the number of Committees and whether there is a role for a public accounts committee, for example, to act as a sort of watchdog. I think I have been able to bring – indeed I hope I have – been able to bring some of my experience from the past to bear. There is a very great danger of getting overwhelmed with performance indicators but common sense must prevail at the end of the day. What we’ve got to be sure of is that basically the simple message, if what we are doing doesn’t make a difference to the average person on the street, then we shouldn’t be doing it.

LR: We can’t help but notice that some Chief Executives leave rather rapidly and others hold on longer. Do you think there is a perfect amount of time for a Chief Executive to be in this role?

CS: Gosh. That’s a difficult one. Generally, I am not in favour of rapid turnover. I think that applies right across the organisation, except to say that it is important, equally, to have the opportunity to bring in new ideas. But it can be very disruptive. Rapid turnover certainly can be very disruptive and unsettling for an organisation. Now, that’s not to say that I am not in favour of fresh ideas but success lays in there being a good working relationship with Councillors and the community. And, that can’t happen overnight. It takes time. I would agree wholeheartedly with those who say that they don’t want all the latest ideas from the UK or elsewhere, for that matter, simply transplanted into the Falkland Islands. That clearly wouldn’t be appropriate. But equally, I have to say, that no change, is not an option, however much we might desire it. There’s always the need, at least, to try and improve efficiency and effectiveness. And, that, in itself, implies change. The current contractual arrangements for Chief Executive, I think, are probably about right, actually. That is, initially three years contract with an opportunity for a further two years if everybody wants it. I suppose it’s not inconceivable that there could be further extensions but that’s certainly not an option at present. On the other hand, if the Chief Executive, or indeed any other Officer, for that matter, is perceived to have been a failure then Government understandably wants to secure a change and I can well understand and appreciate that point.

LR: In the far past, Councillors had less policy power than they do now and I think most people think that was a good thing. After all, they are democratically elected.

CS: Indeed.

LR: Unfortunately I have also occasionally heard the grumble that Council has taken this too far and ignore the professional advice they are given by the heads of department in favour of practical vote-winning decisions. How do you feel about that observation?

CS: As you say, Councillors have been democratically elected, so they have an electoral mandate. Civil servants don’t. The simple rule is that Councillors are perfectly entitled to disagree with professional advice, providing what they propose to do is lawful, of course. The electorate has an opportunity to express their views on the performance of Councillors at elections. That’s Democracy. It may not be perfect but most of the world seems to think that it is better than the alternatives. Actually, Councillors don’t have limitless powers to over rule their professional advisors. But equally, professional advisors don’t have the monopoly on wisdom. And, it’s very, very important, indeed, absolutely crucial that the views of elected members – after all, they have been put there by the electorate to represent them – they have to make some very, very difficult judgements often and controversial decisions on occasions. Particularly in a community the size of the Falkland Islands, that can be quite a challenge. It’s very difficult because, as I think I’ve said before, everybody lives next door to a Councillor. And they are very easily "got at" if you like. And, indeed, we saw some pretty good examples of that over the recent months and, indeed, through the budget preparation exercise for the current year when we were going through this priority based budget system, which means that Councillors had to look at options for expenditure in the future. And, clearly, those things which are very dear to people’s hearts. That’s how democracy works. The ability to lobby Councillors – that’s one of their roles. It is very important and we must make sure that’s properly nurtured. But equally, it is the role of Officers to provide their professional advice. It’s the role of members to weigh up that advice and take it into account when looking also at the views they are hearing from the people they represent.

LR: Of course and I mean the argument actually goes the other way as well. Some people claim that the Heads of Department are running the country. You can’t really win.

CS: If you are going to put your head above the parapet, you can expect to be get shot at, quite frankly. That’s the nature of public service. As I say, the simple rule is that Civil Servants don’t make policy. Yes, of course, we have the ability to influence by putting up policy options and making recommendations. That’s the right and proper thing to do. The minute Civil Servants stray into making policy then, frankly, they are in trouble.

LR: I don’t think it too controversial to say that most Islanders feel – some Councillors perhaps - because of the power of a strong personality or superior ability to express themselves, appear to hold more sway than others. Is this something you’ve observed or is it just a superficial impression and behind closed doors they are all equal.

CS: I think Councillors here certainly compared to previous lives, as it were, as I say, are very much more exposed than they are – by my own experience – by in comparison with those in a local authority. Until I came here, I worked in Councils in the UK that had many more Councillors than we do here. In that situation its perfectly natural for a few leaders to come to the fore and for others to be almost invisible. We have only eight Councillors here, so its pretty difficult, frankly, for any of them to be shrinking violets. They all devote a great deal of time to public service, much more, I suspect, than most people would imagine. They have different ways of going about their work. But I have to say that I have not observed any of them failing to be effective. They each have their particular areas of interest and they certainly disagree among themselves on occasion. But if one of two of the members appear to take the lead on an issue, my observation would be its only because their colleagues allow them to do so. And, it often reflects their particular areas of interest. Frankly, I don’t think there’s a problem with that. It naturally is something that comes in for criticism from time to time. But again if the electorate doesn’t approve of the way an elected representative is carrying out his or her role, the operation of democracy can resolve that issue at the next election.

LR: I actually interviewed the outgoing Governor some time ago and he told me that his role as FCO Representative and Governor of the Falklands people occasionally clashes. Do you sometimes have a similar problem, bearing in mind you have to sit on lots of committees. Presumably a decision in favour of one department’s needs might not be viewed favourably by another department?

CS: Yes. I can certainly see the dilemma. It’s one which we almost certainly face on a daily basis. I think that dilemma is not so much about a department’s needs but more about the need for a particular service in the community. We must remember the department only exists because its providing a community-based service. As I said earlier on, if what we are doing doesn’t make any difference on the street, then we simply shouldn’t be doing it. One thing is certain, there will never be enough money to deliver all the services that people want and demand. One service that we hear a lot about, of course, is the Health Service. There’s not a country in the world that can afford to provide the range and standard of health care that its population expects. Medical science is advancing rapidly and new treatments are particularly very expensive. Of course health care is vitally important but there are many other services that people expect to be provided. The issue is, of course, we simply cannot afford to do everything. So to some extent, the unenviable task of Councillors is to prioritise and ration limited resources. And then, frankly, sometimes to manage the disappointment. Within my areas of responsibility in providing advice to Councillors, I have to do the same. Taking difficult decisions comes with the space.

LR: Going back to that health issue, some time ago there was the whole case of priority based budgeting and Councillors did make the promise that health wouldn't be touched or barely touched by this, so I think that is probably what brings up all the annoyance.

CS: As I say, our expectation in the Health Service – and not just here – its not confined just to the Falkland Islands at all – but as a patient, we expect to get the best possible service available. And an analogy I gave a couple of weeks ago – if you are caring for a sick child, chances are when you go into the consultant’s room or the Doctor’s room, you have got a pretty fair idea because you have done research – often with the availability of internet access and so on, people are going in to face their doctors much better informed than ever they were. They know often where the latest treatments are. And obviously our remoteness here gives access to those treatments or makes access to those sorts of treatments often very much more expensive. Those are challenges which are being faced by the people in the health service again, probably virtually every day. And, its magnified compared with the availability of health service in the UK but I’d have to say, as a patient, my own observation would be that generally speaking the health service provided by the Falkland Islands Government is at least as good and in many cases, much better than is available to patients in the United Kingdom.

LR: I am sure everyone would agree, it is a good service and they do want it to stay like that but returning to the theme of this interview, most good relationships are based on magic ingredients. What might that be in a successful relationship between a Councillor and a Chief Executive?

CS: I think it’s about chemistry. I have always thought and felt that when you are interviewing people for a job, on paper at least, having gone through all the applications, anybody that’s being interviewed ought to be capable of doing that job. Otherwise, why are they there. So what it comes down to in the interview is actually, is that magic point there? Is that Chemistry there? I think in terms of the working relationship, once having been successfully appointed, from the Chief Executive’s point of view, I’d say the two most important things are mutual trust and respect. Add to that an ability to debate and disagree then move on without feeling wounded. Criticism and fairly heated debate on occasions can be pretty constructive but it’s really important that we are able to put that behind us and then move on and fight another day.

LH: In just under two weeks, Campers will have a new representative. Are there any words of guidance you would like to direct towards that individual?

CS: Of course, two of them have been Councillors before and all of them understand the Falkland Islands better than I could claim to do. So, I must be careful. But having worked with elected representatives for thirty-three years now, I would offer, perhaps, just three pieces of advice. The first is try not to underestimate the size and complexity of their task which those candidates seek to undertake. It is enormous and in my career, I have come across very few elected representatives who, six months after they were first elected, haven’t said they never realised that things were quite so complicated as we now understand. I think the second little gem of advice goes back to this point about partnership between elected representatives and the Civil Service. And, I am reminded here of a phrase that the leader of the Council in my last local authority used to use on occasion in his own inimitable way. And, I think he was absolutely right. He used to say "they" meaning the Officers, "should not be doing it without us, the Councillors and we Councillors sure as hell can’t do it without them, the Officers" And, I think that sums it up really. Sometimes Officers, the Civil Service, are believed to be the opposition. We are not. It’s about partnership.

LR: Thank you very much for coming in.

(100X Transcription Service)

NIGEL FANNIN: He Made Sense of Hydrocarbons Exploration

By J. Brock (FINN)

It was with sadness that news of Dr. Nigel Fannin’s death after a long illness on Tuesday, 04 November 2003. He was well liked here because he had the knack for making the most complicated subjects of hydrocarbons and geology understandable to the majority of the people who attended his public meetings. Along with Dr. Phil Richards, Dr. Fannin, both employed by the Falkland Islands’ geological consultants, British Geological Survey (BGS) he travelled to Camp as well as Stanley in order that people could be informed about what would happen when oil exploration began in earnest in the Falklands.

Dr. Fannin would often spend weeks in the Falklands while helping with the set-up of the now Mineral Resources Department as well as attending various meetings overseas, such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists annual conference in the United States. He was also a member of the British delegation to the Joint Hydrocarbons Commission that was set up to monitor the Joint Area of Co-operation to the South/West of the Falklands.

His expertise, warmth, drive, and enthusiasm for oil exploration in the South/West Atlantic will be sadly missed. To Dr. Fannin’s family and friends both here in the Falklands, overseas and in the UK, the most heart felt sympathy.

TWENTY-FOUR RECEIVE NVQs FROM CITY AND GUILDS

By J. Brock (FINN)

Twenty-four people have received certificates denoting NVQs that they have earned over the past few months at a reception at Government house on Friday, 07 November 2003. External Verifier and Advisor, Ms. Ann Doyle has come to the Falklands to oversee some of the training and to present certificates to both people and Departments.

Also presenting certificates was H. E. the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce. He began with presenting certificates for NVQ Level 3, Caring for Children and Young People, to the following: Margaret Battersby, Julie Courtney, Colin Ford, Michele Pring (her parents received the certificate), Maggy Battersby, Alex Blake, Susan Evans, Derek Goodwin, Rachael Hancox, Dawn Hoy, Anton Livermore, Sarah Jane Rich, David Roberts, Pauline Sackett, (Her husband accepted the certificate), Gina Smith, Tysson Smith, David Tyler and Jeanette Vincent.

The following received their Certificates but were not at the reception: Michele Pring, Claire Hewitt, Neil Hewitt, Helen Wallace, Christine Davies, Moira Eccles, Roy Summers and Corina Goss.

H. E. the Governor Mr. Pearce then introduced Ann Doyle, who handed out the Departmental and Centre NVQs Sarah Jane Rich received the Certificate for Health and Social Care on behalf of the Social Work Department. On behalf of the Health Care Department, Jeanette Vincent received a certificate for Contributing to Care Setting. The NVQ Certificate for Social Care, Care Level 2 was accepted by Rachael Hancox and Val Padgett accepted Certificates in Information Technology and Customer Service. She congratulated those people, Departments and Centres that had received Certificates and praised the level of training that was available locally.

Before continuing with the reception, Governor Pearce congratulated all who received their certificates and acknowledged the tremendous amount of work that goes into earning them. He also mentioned the personal time everyone spent so that they could attain the high standards that City and Guilds require before the Certificates are presented.

FIBS NEWS DIRECT: Monday, 10 November 2003-11-10

MOD PENSIONS ADVISOR:

MOD Pensions Advisor, John "Jacko" Jackson, is in the Islands this week to offer help to any Servicemen and Women who think they may be entitled to a pensions claim. He will be giving a presentation in the Town Hall at 1900 this evening., offering advice to anyone from the forces, the Merchant Navy or the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

TAMAR TO BE TOWED:

The Tamar is to be towed to Punta Arenas for repairs to the rudder after it hit a sand bank on Friday. The tug, Califarte, arrived at Saunders Island this morning and the two boats are due to leave tomorrow, weather permitting.

MPA – STANLEY WALK:

A couple of weeks ago we reported on a walk by the Royal Logistics Corps from MPA to Stanley. Today, the marchers handed over a cheque for just over £1800.00 to Terry Peck from SAMA at the Liberation Monument, with more cash still to come. The money was raised through sponsorship.

(100X Transcription Service)