Vexed Bermoothes

The annual study by the respected Government Performance Project (GPP) has just been released. It grades the American states on how well their governments worked for citizens, focussing on four areas:

• Money: States were evaluated on whether they had a long-term outlook, transparent budget process, structural balances and sound procurement practices.
• People: The study graded states on how state human resource systems go about hiring, retaining, developing and rewarding high-performing employees.
• Infrastructure: Capital planning, project monitoring and intergovernmental coordination were considered in assessing how well states manage their roads, bridges and buildings.
• Information: States were evaluated on how well they use data and technology to measure the effectiveness of services, to make decisions and to communicate with the public.

The big focus of the report is that good Government management is particularly vital in the face of an economic downturn. Most US state governments are recognising the need to scale back budget expectations while maintaining services.

One wonders how Bermuda’s Government – with its belt-busting budgets – would stack up against the GPP’s independent scorecard. Methinks not so well, as it dwells on a number of known and notable weaknesses in our local governance.