About the Cabinet Office

The Cabinet of the Government of Jamaica is the principal instrument of government policy. It consists of the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable P.J. Patterson, P.C., Q.C., M.P., and a minimum of thirteen other Ministers of Government, who must be members of one of the two Houses of Parliament. However, not more than four members of the Cabinet may be members of the Senate. The Minister of Finance must be an elected member of the House of Representatives.

Mission Statement To provide the Prime Minister and his Cabinet with high quality information and policy advisory services leading to sound and timely Cabinet decisions which are effectively implemented by line Ministries and to lead to reform of the Public Service to one that is more efficient, effective, accountable, and that treats the public as valuable customers. The Cabinet Secretary The Cabinet Office is headed by the Cabinet Secretary, Dr. The Honourable Carlton E. Davis, O.J., C.D., Ph.D.

Dr. The Honourable Carlton E. Davis Cabinet Secretary

Apart from administration, the mission of the Cabinet Office is carried out primarily in five general areas:

• Business of Cabinet and its Committees/Subcommittees;
• Business of the Permanent Secretaries’ Board;
• Reform of the Public Sector;
• Management development, classification standards, and efficiency audits for the Public Sector; and
• Training of Public Officers.

The Cabinet Office is located at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Click here for the position of the Cabinet Office in the hierarchy of the Government of Jamaica.

 

Cabinet Office Operating Structure

The present structure has evolved through three phases:

Phase I
Prior to July 1, 1993, Cabinet Office functions were the receipt of Cabinet submissions, notes or reports, the preparation of agendas for Cabinet meetings, recording the transactions of these meetings and the circulation of decisions.

Phase II
In July 1993, this phase started when the Administrative Reform Programme II (ARP II) – comprising the Financial and Programme Management Improvement Project (FPMIP) and Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) were transferred from the Office of the Prime Minister to the Cabinet Office; in addition, the subject "Policy Coordination and Analysis" was added to its responsibilities, and the Cabinet Secretary was designated as Head of the Civil Service, and Chairman of the Permanent Secretaries’ Board with attendant responsibilities.

Phase III
This followed the restructuring of government ministries in January 1995, and the transfer of some functions of the former Ministry of the Public Service to the Cabinet Office. Cost rationalisation measures, namely the sharing of administrative and accounting facilities with the Office of the Prime Minister, have been instituted since the new Cabinet Office was established in July 1993.

 

Cabinet Office Operational Functions

Functions of the Cabinet Office are:

1. Critically reviewing submissions, notes and technical papers received from ministries/agencies prior to presentation to Cabinet.
2. Providing accurate records from the meetings of Cabinet, Council of Ministers and various Cabinet Committees/Subcommittees, transmitting transactions to the relevant persons and coordinating the business of meetings of the Development Council, the Prime Minister’s Committee on the Economy, the Human Resources Council, and the Legislation Committee.
3. Monitoring implementation of Cabinet Decisions.
4. Developing an efficient data storage and retrieval system for the records of Cabinet and building an appropriate library primarily for the work being undertaken by the Cabinet Office.
5. Managing and directing the various public sector reform programmes, including improvements in the quality of customer service.
6. Assessing the effectiveness of government policies.
7. Information system support and analysis of current issues and the general operations of Government.
8. Ensuring high standards of training for public servants that are relevant to needs.
9. Directing and coordinating the corporate planning process of ministries/agencies, as well as smooth and efficient operation of the business of Government, inter alia, through a Permanent Secretaries’ Board.
10. Assisting in developing and approving organisational structures in the Civil Service, as well as determining the appropriate classification of staff.
11. Administering the award of scholarships for job-specific training needs.
12. The provision of training to meet certain needs of the public sector.
13. Undertaking duties that the Cabinet Secretary or other staff in the office may be called upon to do by the Prime Minister or Cabinet.