The compensation review and job classification exercise that began in November 2022 is complete and was presented to cabinet on Wednesday November 8.
The review was conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers Trinidad and Tobago (PwC) and was dealt with in six phases including Project Planning, a Current State Assessment, a Compensation Philosophy and Revised Class System, the Compensation Review, a Job Evaluation Methodology and the Project Close Out.
Deputy Governor, Mr. David D. Archer Jr. expressed appreciation for the work that has gone into the review, and his hopefulness for the results it may bear.
Mr. Archer said, “I am beyond pleased to know that we have now completed this portion of our long-overdue compensation review. We are committed to ensuring public officers are compensated equitably, and this is a key step in ensuring competitive salaries for the Public Service.”
Mr. Shermarke Howard and Mr. Khari Murray of the PwC consultancy team visited the Virgin Islands in July to further advance the company’s understanding of the Public Service through official meetings with stakeholders. Discussions were held on the progress of the review with senior managers across all ministries, while an invitation was extended to all public officers to engage with them directly.
Throughout the project period, Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley was keen on providing support during the Compensation Philosophy phase, and continuously provided feedback on key outputs. Members of Cabinet and public officers remained engaged during consultations.
Financial Secretary, Mr. Jeremiah Frett said, “The completion of this Compensation Review and Job Classification Project represents the Government's commitment to ensuring public officers receive compensation that is in line with industry and international standards.”
Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, MBE said, “This is a valuable step as we take a comprehensive look at the way we compensate public officers. The review was conducted efficiently, and allowed us to examine how we approach compensation now, and chart a clearly defined possible way forward.”
Throughout the project, the reviewers completed various exercises that allowed them to gain a clear understanding of the current compensation model, and how effective it is in meeting the needs of public officers, especially when considering the continuously evolving economic climate. Among these exercises, a comprehensive survey was conducted which garnered 585 responses. This allowed the consultants to gain valuable data in order to accurately inform their review.
After going through various rounds of careful consideration by the Office of the Deputy Governor and the project management team, the Final Compensation Report was presented to Cabinet by His Excellency the Governor John Rankin.
Cabinet heard a presentation on the final report by the Deputy Governor, Mr. David D. Archer Jr.; Financial Secretary, Mr. Jeremiah Frett; Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Sharleen DaBreo-Lettsome, MBE and consultants from PwC. Cabinet will now consider the report, and make a decision.
In October 2022, the Government of the Virgin Islands awarded PwC with a contract valued at Three Hundred and Two Thousand, One Hundred and Three Dollars ($302,103.00) to carry out the Compensation Review and Job Classification.
After consideration by Cabinet, stakeholders, various associations, Heads of Departments and public officers will be informed of the outcome.