Government of Pitcairn Islands GPI

1
Government of Pitcairn Islands (GPI)

• Structure 2008

2
Introduction

• Timeline
• Reflection on the Ten Year Plan
• Partnership with HMG
• Recommended adoption of ECHR
• Devolving operational responsibility to GPI
• Community taking responsibility
• A commitment to the future

3
Timeline

• February to August - Restructure of Internal
  Committee
• July - Draft discussion paper
• 8th August - Community workshop
• 13th August Document back to Council
• September - Present approved document to HMG for
  discussion
• December - Election of new council members
• January Job applications/interviews for new
  Heads of Government positions
• 1st April 2008 Commencement of the new
  government structure
• Note
• September to March Help required in writing
  department policies and job descriptions for the
  new government structure

4
Reflection on the Ten Year Plan

• Currently in the pipeline
• Wind power
• Breakwater
• Mobile crane 10 ton capacity
• Rebuilding of the General Store
• Housing development
• Export development

• Achieved within 3.5 years
• Road Hill of Difficulty
• Slipway jetty repaired
• Rebuilt school and school house
• Communication system
• Telephone in every home/TV
• Museum built
• PIPCO
• Fire safety equipment
• Additional heavy equipment 1.5 million

5
Partnership with HMG

• Mutual respect and trust
• Self determination
• Mutual obligations and responsibilities
• Freedom to run Pitcairns affairs to the greatest
  degree possible
• A firm commitment from the UK to help Pitcairn
  develop economically and to assist in emergencies

6
Quote(Extract from OTWP March 1999)

• We both need a new partnership to take our
  relationship forward building on the best of
  what has gone before, but charting a new course
  for progress and prosperity for the future.

7
Devolving Operational Responsibility to GPI

• Stage one
• Restructure and reform of the Islands Internal
  Committee
• Stage two
• Clarifying the roles of Governors Office, PIO
  and empowering Council
• Stage three
• The set up of three overarching Government
  Departments to administer Pitcairn
• Stage four
• A full review and revision of Pitcairn Islands
  laws as necessary and the introduction of ECHR.

8
Devolving Operational Responsibility to GPI
(cont.)

• Empower Pitcairn via its elected body to take
  more responsibility for its own affairs
• The roles of the Governors Office and PIO are to
  be redefined.
• In some instances overall responsibility might
  stay with the Governors Office, or PIO, but with
  a councillor appointed to represent the
  portfolios.

9
Structure
10
Structure (cont).

• This slide shows Council taking more operational
  responsibility.
• The following slide shows the roles and
  responsibilities as they currently stand.
• PIO HMG take responsibility for roles marked in
  yellow.
• Council for those in red.
• The new roles are those marked in blue.

11
Structure (cont).
12
New Council

• New Council 12 voting members out of 12
  attending
• Mayor
• Commissioner
• Six elected councillors
• Governors appointed
• Governors representative
• Island secretary
• Internal Committee Chair

13
Council Structure

• This new structure will have ten Pitcairn Island
  residents on Council
• Eight elected and two by virtue of their roles
• The Commissioner and Governors representative
  will continue to sit on Council and reflect the
  partnership between Council, PIO and HMG
• The Internal Committee chair be elected this year
  on a two year appointment - this will be reviewed
  by Council prior to the next election
• All members will have equal speaking and voting
  rights.
• The Mayor shall have the casting vote if necessary

14
Council Structure (cont.)

• All councillors will hold office for a period of
  two years, initially on a trial basis, rather
  than one year
• The Mayor will continue to hold office for three
  years to ensure continuity
• The doctor, school teacher and policeman will
  report to council through their department head
• The Governors appointee to Council will continue
  in addition to the Governors representative

15
Council Structure (cont.)

• Appropriate salaries commensurate to status be
  paid to councillors
• All roles be allocated to the person with the
  most appropriate skill and abilities, regardless
  of gender or place of birth
• An interview process will be conducted as
  appropriate for each appointment
• Heads of Departments will carry full time
  operational responsibility and be reimbursed with
  salaries commensurate to the importance of the
  roles
• Heads of Department will report to Council and
  the term of their appointment will be two years,
  after which the position will be re-advertised

16
Council Structure (cont.)

• The Commissioner will be responsible for the
  operational administrative and Human Resource
  side of Government
• The Mayor will be head of Council and Government
  and is an elected representative of the people
• Both the Commissioner and Mayor will report to
  Council, and serve the community equally and
  without favour
• Job descriptions for each Council and Council
  appointed role, together with Department
  Policies, will be written by those willing to
  help with the process.
• Where appropriate external advice will be sought.

17
Community taking responsibility

• A performance review and disciplinary process
  will be introduced to monitor progress and to
  deal with non-performance issues
• Greater responsibility for budgets and
  expenditure will rest with Council
• who will work closely with PIO, DFID and the
  Governors Office in this regard
• The current Secretarys Office and current
  Library be converted into an office suite to
  accommodate the Mayor, Commissioner, Secretary
  and new Government Department Heads
• The Library will be relocated to the room at the
  back of the hall

18
Commitment to the future

• The Commissioner returns to Pitcairn on February
  3rd and will commence work immediately with the
  new Council.
• It is intended that the new structure will go
  live at the beginning of the financial year 1
  April 2008 and will be fine tuned over the two
  year term of the incoming Council.
• We are only just beginning this process. We
  should see it as an exciting journey from which
  we can all learn.