No qualifications, no problem at NSWMA

An internal audit has uncovered irregular human resource practices at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), including the appointment of four senior directors who did not meet the minimum qualification requirements.

These positions carry a combined annual salary of $43 million.

The audit, conducted between September and November 2025 with a draft report completed in January 2026, also found that three of the four regional operations managers – earning a combined $21 million – were serving in their positions without any documented evidence of qualifications.

Additionally, dozens of lower-level employees were found to be working in positions for which they were not qualified.

In one case, a director role requiring a postgraduate degree in engineering and offering a $13 million salary was filled by an employee with no academic qualifications.

Another position, which required a master’s degree and paid $9.4 million, was filled by someone with three Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects in 2024.

A third director post, which required a postgraduate degree in engineering or its equivalent, was held by a director with no academic credentials on record, despite a bachelor’s degree being listed on their résumé. The role carries a $10.3-million annual salary.

The human resources-focused audit noted that employing unqualified staff compromises organisational effectiveness, potentially affects decision-making, and exposes the organisation to operational and reputational risks.

However, in an emailed response to The Sunday Gleaner last week, Executive Director Audley Gordon defended the appointments, asserting that the NSWMA has consistently ensured that its managers and directors possess the “requisite skills and competence” and are best suited for the required roles.

“The concern of a lack of particular skills and/or competence was raised in an internal audit report on the recruitment, promotion and termination process that examined selected employment from approximately 2008 to 2026; this report is currently in its draft stage. In the closing meeting, the HR team rebutted some of the issues presented by the audit team,” said Gordon.

“I also revealed in this closing meeting that I received word that the draft audit was handed to/shared with persons within the media. I was assured then by the audit manager that she has no knowledge of the purported leak. This audit is still in its draft stage, and an official management response has not yet been provided to the internal audit team and this report has not yet been discussed by the NSWMA board. I am very proud of my team, who have consistently delivered year after year on their performance,” he added.

Denied knowledge

of any breaches

He further denied knowledge of any breaches related to the failure to advertise job vacancies, in accordance with the NSWMA staff manual.

“The authority is not aware of any breaches regarding failure to advertise posts. It is the organisation’s policy to advertise internally and/or externally, and this has been done,” said Gordon.

But the audit found that several employees had been appointed to posts that were not advertised.

The report said the information was retrieved using NSWMA’s intranet after a request for the human resource department to produce the file of all advertised positions was not honoured.

Even in cases where positions were advertised, late applications were sometimes shortlisted for interviews.

Further, the report revealed that 11 of the employees selected for unadvertised positions in a sampled group were not interviewed.

The report also highlighted that senior leadership roles were filled without board involvement.

Gordon confirmed this, but said an interview was conducted for one of the posts “by a very distinguished five-member external panel”. He said this was in accordance with the staff manual.

Additionally, he said applicants for the posts of senior managers are interviewed by a panel approved by the executive director.

“There is no legal requirement for members of the board to be on such a panel,” he said.

The audit also flagged as irregular discretionary salary placement within authorised pay bands.

It found that staff salaries, although falling within the designated pay bands, were determined “at the discretion of management” rather than through documented policies or objective criteria.

It noted, as an example, that a secretary in one department who did not meet the required qualifications for the post, was placed at the third of 12 levels.

However, a senior secretary assigned to another department, who holds a bachelor’s degree, was placed at the second level.

The audit also pointed to a senior director being placed at a level of 11.7, though qualifications listed showed three CSEC subjects for the master’s degree position.

It also highlighted an administrative assistant with two degrees being placed at the lowest point despite exceeding job requirements. The position requires an associate degree.

The report also noted that there was no evidence that the NSWMA board or the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service authorised a memorandum from Gordon, which allowed the human resource department to move all directors who successfully complete probation to the top of the respective salary scale.

“It should be noted that in addition to their basic salaries, directors also receive 25 per cent of their annual salary as a gratuity payment,” the report said.

Unfairness and favouritism

It noted that the lack of documented policies guiding salary placement can lead to perceptions of unfairness and favouritism, potentially resulting in employee dissatisfaction and disputes.

Further, it said this exposes the NSWMA to risks of non-compliance with established compensation policies, which may affect internal equity and the credibility of the remuneration system.

It has been recommended that management formalise objective, transparent criteria for salary placement and engage the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to address past compensation decisions that deviated from established procedures.

The audit also flagged the relocation of four managers without documented policies or formal procedures guiding the transfers.

One manager was transferred from St James to Kingston, another from St Ann to Kingston, while two were transferred from Kingston to St James and St Ann, respectively. The audit further revealed that the managers travelled daily from their residences to their new work locations with no provisions made for accommodation.

The report identified significant procedural and financial deficiencies regarding the transfers, noting that the reassignments were conducted under a vaguely defined NSWMA Reset Strategy without formal policy, documented justification, or objective criteria.

The undocumented transfers, it said, resulted in substantial, unbudgeted expenditure, with three managers alone accruing mileage and toll claims exceeding $1.13 million in a single month.

The report said that if left unchecked, these travel patterns are projected to cost the NSWMA approximately $17 million annually in mileage and tolls.

It said the lack of formal transfer policies at the NSWMA creates significant risks, including regulatory non-compliance, negative impacts on employee well-being and contractual rights, uncontrolled financial expenditures, and organisational reputational damage due to inconsistent decision-making.

It was recommended that management formalise the transfer process by establishing clear, transparent policies for staff rotations, requiring standardised documentation and proper authorisation for every movement, and conducting a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to identify more fiscally responsible alternatives to excessive travel spending, such as providing employee accommodation.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com