A Governance Reform Transition Plan (GRTP) will be launched in the Virgin Islands on November 4, 2024, signalling the transition from Commission of Inquiry (CoI) implementation to ongoing governance reform, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley has announced. Photo: YouTube

15 Bills were passed by the Virgin Islands’ House of Assembly to comply with the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), the last 5 of which were passed on September 27, 2024. Photo: VINO/File

The government plans to mainstream the Governance Reform Transition Plan by January 2025 into the Premier’s Office and collaborate with the Deputy Governor’s Office to combine governance reform with public service reform to establish the Governance and Service Reform Programme. Pictured is Deputy Governor Mr. David D. Archer Jr. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands

The government plans to mainstream the plan by January 2025 into the Premier’s Office and collaborate with the Deputy Governor’s Office to combine governance reform with public service reform to establish the Governance and Service Reform Programme (GSRP).

Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley said during the Twentieth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on Friday, October 18, 2024, “This will allow the governance and service reform agendas to be integrated into one coordinated reform programme which will be led collaboratively between the Premier’s Office and the Deputy Governor’s Office.”

8-point GRTP

Premier Wheatley told the HoA that the plan includes an extensive education and awareness initiative for public officers and the wider community, alongside a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that the reforms mandated by the COI are effectively implemented, monitored, and sustained.

The 8-point GRTP is as follows:

a. Complete the COI Recommendations, including the post-legislative processes we are currently undertaking to get legislation assented to and launched where required, as well as complete Other Reforms the Government agreed to its own to undertake.

b. Conduct the COI Review, including completion of the review process and establishing the conditions under which the Order in Council will be lifted.

c. Initiate Medium to Long Term Governance Reforms that will focus on the COI actions that fall outside of the implementation timeframe such as Judge only Trials which require Constitutional change, Criminal Procedure Rules changes which require action by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and other reforms to strengthen governance in specific areas as recommended by the various review reports.

d. Complete Reforms Implementation Plans and Public Service Training by each Ministry to implement the changes from the new legislation, policies and processes and train public officers to carry them out.

e. Launch a Comprehensive Public Education to make the public aware of the impacts of the recommendations implemented, the changes to how Government works and how the public can access the resources and information they need to claim the benefits and value of the reforms.

f. Monitor and Evaluate Reforms to ensure the effectiveness of legislation, policies, processes, procedures and access to information to make sure the intent and objectives of the COI recommendations, the Cabinet and House of Assembly are achieved.

g. Develop and Strengthen the Institutions of Governance by building internal capability, accessing external resources and creating partnerships that help the Government build sustainable institutions. 

h. Make Evidence-based Changes using output and cases from the monitoring and evaluation function to adjust processes, policies and legislation to ensure that they are fully relevant, applicable and work in the best interest of the Virgin Islands.

Premier Wheatley stated that the Governance Reform Transition Plan will continue to build on the collaborative relationship between the Office of the Premier, the Governor’s Office and their respective teams.