States IT meltdown
Guernsey’s Civil Service: A Catalogue of IT Failures and Negligence The recent public statement by the Data Protection Authority1 regarding the catastrophic failure of Guernsey’s government IT systems should send…
Public Servants Must Answer to Those Who Pay Them
In Guernsey, the economic balance is increasingly delicate, and the burden of supporting public services falls heavily on a relatively small proportion of the population. Of the 22,000 employed individuals,…
States IT project – £200m down the pan?
The £200 million Agilisys contract 1 has exposed severe governance failures in Guernsey’s public sector. For an island with just 15,000 taxpayers, this amounts to over £13,000 per person—a financial…
The Case for a Public Services Ombudsman in Guernsey, again.
PSO is needed more than ever. Guernsey has taken pride in its reputation for effective governance and robust public institutions in recent years. However, behind the scenes, all is far…
Can kicked down the road till 2025
The States held a series of votes on the establishment of a Public Services (PSO) in Guernsey on 21st February 2024. They decided against the immediate establishment of a PSO,…
Why We Need a Public Services Ombudsperson in Guernsey: A Simple Explanation
Imagine you have a serious complaint about a public service in Guernsey, but the system to resolve it is slow, complex, and doesn’t really listen to you. Right now, if…
Public Services Ombudsperson, disclosure obligations & the role of a Review Board
Expanding on point (3), in my post about a Public Services Ombudsperson and about “Disclosure Obligations,” the consequences of the current lack of disclosure obligations from the Civil Service during…
The Necessity of an Independent Public Services Ombudsperson
Proper oversight of our civil servants. Context The Policy & Resources Committee’s proposal to reject the idea of a Public Services Ombudsperson (PSO) for Guernsey is made in a detailed…