Dear Editor,
One notes the argumentation revealed in SN of March 26 surrounding the peremptory termination of one Brushell Blackman as Senior Public Relations Officer to the Ministry of Education. Reportedly the latter was a ‘Contracted Employee’. It is understood that the reason for separation was patent under-performance – which raises the issue as to what extent the Performance Evaluation system is observed in the Public Service; which in any case, should be more immediately applicable to ‘contracted employees’, and therefore should be explicitly referenced in the relevant contract.
For one thing the Job Description, which must be an integral part of the contract, should clearly indicate the need to satisfy specific performance requirements. However, over the years there has always been a concern about the contradiction wherein contracted employees, who are eligible for gratuity every six months, enjoy (quite illogically) the same annual increase on salary as their permanent pensionable Public Service counterparts – in total indifference to any performance criteria being satisfied; and interestingly enough, quite distinct from the more proactive Public Sector agencies, who must be more concerned about Succession Planning rather than human resources replacement.
In this regard, one would expect that any Job Description would indicate clearly the accountability relationships to be observed – vertically and laterally, so that it is not unreasonable to ponder on whether, in the dispute reported in SN, the miscreant employee was formally required to report directly to the Minister. For if there were any other supervisory arrangement involved, that incumbent would have had to submit a performance evaluation report for the Minister’s review and final decision. It is this example of professional management procedures which should obtain in any organisation, public or private – for our young generations to learn more, and better, from what is done, rather than what is said. The oral expression is likely to be so much more contestable.
Sincerely,
E.B. John
