Acting Deputy Governor Franz Manderson – who will not formally take up the deputy governor’s post full time until next week – has announced the recruitment of Stran Bodden, Eric Bush and Alan Jones as chief officers in various government ministries and portfolios. .
Mr. Bodden will become chief officer in the Ministry of Finance, Development & Tourism, dealing with tourism and development. He replaces Carson Ebanks who recently retired. Leonard Dilbert had been acting in that post over the past few months.
Mr. Bush will replace Mr. Manderson in his former job as chief officer for the Portfolio of Internal and External Affairs, which is responsible for public safety.
Mr. Jones will replace chief officer of the Ministry of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agriculture, Kearney Gomez, who will retire on 31 January.
All three men will take up their positions on 1 February, Mr. Manderson said.
Fifty-one people applied for the three posts and as part of an open recruitment process, twelve candidates were short-listed.
All candidates were subjected to a day of tests and assessments. The Portfolio of the Civil Service administered the on-line tests that assessed cognitive ability, emotional intelligence and learning agility, Mr. Manderson said.
In addition, the candidates undertook an examination that consisted of three separate scenarios that had to be completed in a defined period.
The applicants then appeared in front of a panel and were asked to deliver a speech which they had prepared previously and were interviewed by a panel consisting of Mr. Manderson, Sophia Harris, the managing partner of the Solomon Harris law firm, Jude Scott, chief executive officer of the Maples law firm and Peter Gough, strategic advisor to the deputy governor.
“I felt that it was important to introduce an open and transparent process for these key appointments, I intend to use this approach in the future for senior posts in government,” Mr. Manderson said.
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Congratulations to them all. Hope the splendidly written up selection process did not scare them; it certainly did me – a civil servant for 40 years.
But how can they all be chiefs? – see any dictionary.
Or has the Civil Service arrived at being nearly all chiefs and no Indians??
It sounds like Mr. Manderson applied his usual fair handed approach to the applicants. Although, I still want to know how you would address a Deputy Governor?
Slightly Less Than Excellent Mr. Deputy Governor just does not sound right!
(all tongue in cheek of course)