Reflections on Public Accounts Committee

MOTIVES FOR JOINING PAC

When I joined the Public Accounts Committee as an independant-member (Not a Politician) I did so because I understand a bit about the challenges of government, governance, projects and change that Jersey is currently contemplating.

For better or worse I was project manager for the successful incorporations of the Post Office, Harbours and Airport and have a good understanding of the public and private sector and the process and challenges of moving from one to the other.

I have also a chunk of experience in finance, commercial and retail through business change projects for NatWest and RBSI, working with SMEs, and with what was Le Riches Group and now Sandpiper.

So my motives are based interest and experience and a desire to listen, learn, and contribute based on experience and expertise.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

I started with the idea of blogging and tweeting a lot. But now feel that to make personal comments on people in a public forum rather than factual comments on processes in a professional forum is perhaps not the best approach.

I think it is better to focus on the process, standards, data and facts than focus on the people. By citing recognized standards we perhaps have a better chance of motivating the right behaviors than if our comments appear as personal criticisms.

Frankly this can be hard because at times the frustration is personal (and sometimes passionate). However the professional thing to do is be objective and precise with facts, figures and processes.

In a small community it is inevitable that personalities dominate, because they are colourful and more interesting than the dull elements of operational change. The problem however is when challenge over process becomes criticism of personality.

We need to be careful to avoid people defending their position rather than advancing the objective. A stronger focus on process and outcome rather than person and responsibility is more likely to yield success.

CHALLENGES FOR 2019

I having experienced public sector change I have both sympathy and empathy for those involved.

There is a quote by Churchill "When going through hell, it is important to remember to keep going"

The most important initial step therefore is to listen and learn, to understand and appreciate. People are more inclined to be honest about challenges and accepting of suggestions when they don't feel threatened.

My aim for 2019 will be to be a critical friend, to help with observations and comparisons, contributions and ideas that will provide us the government and public sector that we want, and our politicians have promised us.

The Public Accounts Committee runs for the period of the Assembly. That's 4 years, and 16 quarterly updates from States Chief Executive and his Team.

There is no doubt that this will be a challenging period but we should not judge too soon, but instead examine the process. If we see 16 quarterly updates of incremental improvement based on process then we have hope that change is both positive and sustainable.

Athlete and High Performance Testing

I have retired from competitive sport (Triathlon - Commonwealth Games and Rowing - World Champs) but because I get involved in business, projects and change management get asked about helping with High Performance initiatives.

To be fair there are plenty of athletes, mentors and coaches so my work tends to be business related: helping businesses perform like athletes rather than coaching for athletes.

I have however been asked this..... (and am curious if there is a market for this in Jersey)

We are putting together testing services for athletes which include online monitoring and high level reporting of body competition, endurance testing, power testing and movement efficiency. We are consulting with international organisations who offer world class services in these areas. One of the objectives in addition to the use for our athletes is to open up a testing and evaluation centre in Jersey for non- high performance based athletes (i.e. enthusiasts, good club level and Island Games level). This will be conducted by our lab trained staff, providing reliable and cost effective approaches to monitoring. 

I have been given these.
1.     Example Metabolic Profile Report
2.     Suggested cycling battery
3.     White paper on VLMax (the new VO2).
4.     White paper no 2 on VLMax
5.     Load Characteristics in INSYD 

I am already flat-out with a range of interests including Jersey Charities, Jersey Policy Forum and Public Accounts Committee. However I know that the above would really have benefitted me when I was an athlete and I suspect there might be interest to others.

I'd value feedback either via comments or direct (timhjrogers@gmail.com or 07797762051)

Thanks

My book for the year has been The Phoenix Project

The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win6 Feb 2018
by Gene Kim and Kevin Behr

I loved this book because the story was so real to so many projects that I have managed. The people, problems, technologies are typical as are the outputs, outcomes and frustrations. What has been great is realising that these are real-life issues with practical real-life solutions that can be applied.

As a troubleshooter often involved in project rescue it is always great to have insights from other people's experience that you can apply to your own circumstances.

I like this book so much that I am prepared to buy a copy for anyone who works with me and whats to understand what we can achieve together.

What book would you recommend to me?

The books that might help you in 2019, and your recommendations?

A BIT OF MENTAL STIMULATION

At the end of 2017 I stopped competitive sport and sought a new outlet. Having pushed my body to its limits I am now stretching my mind and am very grateful to a few good people who have suggested some wonderful books.

This blog is part an acknowledgement and thank you to the people who have really made an impact on me either directly or for the recommendations they have made.

I am therefore sharing a list of what I've read and why, just in case people have similar interests and would like to read the same books. It is also a great opportunity to canvas recommendations.

It is true that my physical fitness is not what is was when I was 30 or even 40, but there is no reason that my mind shouldn't go from strength to strength and I am grateful for any ideas that may improve me or my business in 2019.

READING LIST

This is a small subset, I think I may have read 50 books. I have attempted to put them in the order I would recommend with the best at the top of each list. I greatly value people's recommendations in the comments.

IMPROVING PROCESS AND SYSYEMS THINKING

The Phoenix Project, A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win 5th Anniversary Edition, By: Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford

The Goal, A Process of Ongoing Improvement - 30th Anniversary Edition, By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox

Critical Chain,Project Management and the Theory of Constraints By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt

The DevOps Handbook, How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations

The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership, Achieving and Sustaining Excellence Through Leadership Development

Thinking in Systems A Primer By: Donella H. Meadows

UNDERSTANDING POLITICS AND SOCIAL CHANGE

The Cold War, A World History, By: Odd Arne Westad

The Great Economists, How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today,By: Linda Yueh

Misbehaving, The Making of Behavioral Economics, By: Richard Thaler

Red Notice, By: Bill Browder

A History of Russia: From Peter the Great to Gorbachev, By: Mark Steinberg, The Great Courses

Willful Blindness, Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril, By: Margaret Heffernan

The Secret Barrister By: The Secret Barrister

Inside Story: Politics, Intrigue and Treachery from Thatcher to Brexit

MANAGING A BUSINESS

The 12 Week Year, Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months, By: Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life By: Mark Manson

Key Person of Influence, The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your Industry

Summary of Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths By: Instaread

UNSURE WHICH CATAGORY

Bad Blood By: John Carreyrou

Conspiracy, Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue, By: Ryan Holiday

Hitch-22, A Memoir, By: Christopher Hitchens

Sapiens and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Humankind and A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari

THANKS

I would like to thank Tom Hacquoil for a number of books: Zappos, The New New, When Breath Becomes Air, and a bundle of books on cryptocurrency

I would like to thank Jane Frankland for her book INsecurity

I am also mighty impressed by my Commonwealth Games Team Manager, Gary Jones who has published Evidence Based School Leadership and Management. Although written for schools the idea of doing anything based on data is a good idea!

I am also grateful to Gailina Lieu for the work of the Jersey Policy Forum and some great books: The Road to Somehere and Utopia for Realists. This opened a really interesting trail which included Andrew Keene's book How to Fix the Future and another breath taking look into the future with Life 3.0.

FOR 2019

I greatly value people's recommendations in the comments and am curious if there is a book club in Jersey for either Business Topics or Social Change.

GDPR PHASE 2 – DATA PROTECTION AND INFORMATION SECURITY ARMS RACE

I have worked with a number of organisations this year and my experience has been that May 25 presented a deadline and scramble to pull together the minimum requirements for a Data Privacy Notice.

In the period that has followed attention has turned to comparing hastily revised policies and procedures with real-life practices. As more than one wise person has said, it takes a long time for new ways of working to become habit.

There is a lot of work underway reviewing Contracts, Data Sharing Agreements and Processor Controller Agreements, in response to data protection and information security concerns.

The States of Jersey, JFSC and GFSC championing of Cyber Essentials as a minimum standard for information security and ISO27001 as a more respectable goal I anticipate that 2019 will be regarded as GDPR Phase 2 – putting theory into practice.

The Regulators of all jurisdictions have been clear that GDPR is not a once-only-event like Y2K but instead an ongoing process.

My view is that it has the makings of an arms race and to fall behind presents real difficulties being able to catch-up as each requirement piles upon the previous and makes basic assumptions about your start-point.

For many organisations this is just another step in the journey, but for some 2019 will see more challenge and more change than they were able to accommodate in 2018 and there may be consequences.

LINKS

https://www.jerseyfsc.org/the-commission/cyber-security/

https://www.gfsc.gg/news/article/cyberinformation-security-information-pack-boards

https://www.gov.je/StayingSafe/BeSafeOnline/ProtectYourBusinessOnline/pages/cyberessentials.aspx

AUTHOR

Tim HJ Rogers

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhjrogers/