Mark Wignall | Where are those job descriptions, PM?
Published:Wednesday | February 28, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Most political promises made while campaigning are tailor-made for the foolishly gullible. When Bobby Pickersgill as transport and works minister made the promise in the 2002 election campaign that 'Jamaica will be pothole free by 2003', the sensible saw only a poor attempt at bad poetry. I laughed it off and voted for the PNP anyway.
When Andrew Holness promised us in the heat of the 2016 campaign that a vote for his JLP would translate to us sleeping with our doors open, we are certain he was not having strong drink and was only using a weak moment in trying to send the fool a little farther. I voted for his JLP even knowing it was 'a ullo'.
Promising us that cabinet members would be presented with job descriptions entered the realm of doable, workable and believable. I genuinely believed that the young, no-nonsense PM would institute that even if he had to add at the end of each, '... and any other duties that the prime minister will assign to you.'
It implied that those job descriptions would be subjected to the personal performance audits of the prime minister. Nothing formal, just the PM knowing what is taking place; which minister is getting stewed each evening and always late for cabinet and portfolio meetings. Plus, he could keep tabs on the practice of an excess of arrogance when interacting with local stakeholders instead of listening and encouraging useful dialogue.
I must confess that the PM sold me a six for a nine over this matter. Why? Because it would have perfectly matched with his young and different style. Instead, some ministers are constantly humming along while others are in a side car just hitching a ride.
Don't be fooled into believing that ministerial duties are easy. Effective portfolio duties constitute the tough, day-to-day matters that are driven by the ministerial vision for the portfolio. It involves early-morning duties and meetings late into the nights. If one doesn't have the drive and the energy to do 20 things all at once, then one is severely misplaced and in reality is mothballed in some cabinet drawer.
KEY MINISTRIES
Most of the performance focus is on the key ministries like tourism, security, health and education. One can hardly say that those ministers are just throttling while in neutral. The public has its way of recognising real attempts to make a change in a difficult socio-economic environment, and they know 'mout chat' from workable policy and management of those policies.
The excuse cannot hold that the actual process of heading government has not afforded the PM time to institute the job descriptions. Surely his party and his administration are no babes in the woods, and he ought to know that many are the ego trippers who would latch on for a consultant post and a chance to don a jacket and tie and 'get respect' while drafting the job descriptions.
Two years into the 2016 win, the JLP administration has already scripted the template of those job descriptions. It is not enough to dissect the performance weakness before parliamentary committees because not many in our population follow those processes.
Imagine the prime minister waving around a a few sheets of paper and saying to the public, "These are the performance assessments of all of my ministers based on their job descriptions. I must confess that I have transmitted to those involved that I am far from pleased and to others I have expressed my appreciation for their tenacity in these trying times. I have spoken to all involved and we have discussed timelines in terms of turning around the negative assessments.
"As for my own performance, it is you the people I am asking to give me your rating. Positive or negative. Of course, you know I would much prefer if in your honest assessment I am given a positive rating but, in any case, let me know."
Waving around those sheets and showing clip after TV clip of that would take the nation by storm and convince the people that someone is directly in charge.
But then again, maybe all the PM should do is place 'acting' before each minister's portfolio.