MESSAGE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER

The Government is committed to continue the trajectory of growth and opportunities that we achieved over recent years. To achieve this will require renewed focus on effective decision-making by the Cabinet, which is the primary collective decision-making body in the Government.

The procedures in this Manual will assist us to agree on coherent policies that coordinate the roles of relevant Ministries and agencies. It will help us to implement those policies effectively, jointly with our social and international partners, for the sustainable development of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

While we achieved a lot in the previous term, there are many challenges remaining. In some cases, it will require greater effort to maintain our momentum, with more challenging problems still to address and potentially adverse global trends, such as climate change and more uncertain global economic growth. As the Government has announced in its Medium Term Agenda for 2019 to 2021, we will be focusing on accelerating sustainable and inclusive economic growth, enhancing social capital and citizen well-being and promoting resilient governance.

This Manual builds on long-standing Cabinet practices that have served us well, but also introduces some changes designed to improve the outcomes for the Grenadian people, by ensuring that our policy decisions are not only well-researched, but can and will be implemented to achieve the nation’s aspirations.

These procedural changes include:
    1. More strategic Cabinet meetings, with a forward program of meetings, smaller agendas, less time spent on routine issues and more time for in-depth discussion of how to address our nation’s major priorities;
    2. A new process for proposed legislation, with Cabinet first considering the policy objectives of proposed legislation before detailed legislative drafting is undertaken, in order to provide Cabinet guidance on legislative priorities and to clarify the major policy objectives of the proposed legislation;
    3. A revised template for Cabinet Submissions that prompts Ministers to include evidence and analysis to support their proposals, so we can be sure to choose the most effective option and can implement it with adequate resources and management;
    4. Preparation of summary implementation plans for complex proposals, to demonstrate to Cabinet that proposals can be implemented in a reasonable time and to make it more likely that our decisions will actually be implemented;
    5. More consultation in preparing policy proposals for Cabinet, to ensure that its decisions are coherent, with all sectors working together to achieve the nation’s goals, especially where they require a ‘whole of government’ approach;
    6. More explicit emphasis on engaging with our local and international partners in developing policy proposals, consistent with the principles and code of conduct in our historic Social Compact which is being broadened;
    7. An effective system for tracking implementation of key Cabinet decisions, with regular reports to alert Cabinet where action is delayed, stalled or requires rethinking; and
    8. A stronger Cabinet Office to better support individual Ministers and their Ministries to comply with Cabinet’s procedural requirements and, where necessary, to coordinate implementation of its policy decisions.
I ask all of us, including Cabinet Office personnel, to remember that the Cabinet Office is here to support the procedures in this Manual, which Cabinet has set for itself to further the common interests of the Government and the Nation.

It is important to recognize that the rules in this Manual are being agreed by Cabinet to enable Ministers to perform their Constitutional duties as members of the collective decision-making body of Cabinet, as well as their responsibilities as individual Ministers. An individual Minister may be highly motivated to obtain Cabinet approval for policies and resources that benefit his or her specific Ministry, sector or constituency. However, that Minister is also a member of the Government with collective interests and accountability for the Government’s performance. All Ministers bringing forward proposals for our collective consideration owe it to their Cabinet colleagues to provide sound recommendations, backed up by relevant evidence, that take into account the wider interests of the Government and, of course, the nation.

This Manual will be of particular interest to relatively new Ministers. However, given the changes I have outlined above, I ask all Ministers and all public officers involved in preparing proposals and reports for the Cabinet, even those with many years of experience, to review its contents carefully and to comply with Cabinet’s requirements.