Jamaican-American expert on public sector reform, Dr Beverley Smith believes that while Jamaica’s public sector has many dedicated professionals who serve with integrity and a strong sense of national duty, for both public servants and citizens “the daily experience is too often marked by slow processes, redundant approvals, and procedural overload”.

“The result is a system that prioritises compliance over service, discourages innovation, problem-solving and underdelivers on its promise,” said Dr Smith, who has taken an interest in the Government’s reform process, notably the SPEED initiative led by Senator Audrey Marks.

SPEED, the acronym for Streamlining Processes for Efficiency and Economic Development, is part of the broader effort to modernise the public sector and boost productivity and was announced in March this year by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

“…Her mandate is to undertake a comprehensive review of Jamaica’s governance arrangements, systems, and processes and to implement targeted reforms across the whole of government that will eliminate inefficiencies, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance the ease and speed of doing business,” Dr Holness said in naming Senator Marks, the former Jamaican ambassador to the United States, now turned politician.

New Jersey-based Dr Smith is a Jamaican-born professional with over 30 years of international experience in research, operational excellence, and organisational transformation across the chemical and biopharmaceutical industries. She served as chair for the trade and investment sector of the Jamaican Diaspora — Northeast USA and is founder of the Leadership Development and Innovation Foundation.

Dr Smith, who holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering and has completed executive education in artificial intelligence, leadership, and product innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), argues that SPEED’s objectives are “commendable steps toward transformation, which demonstrate political will and a growing awareness that our public systems must become more efficient, responsive, and citizen-centred. But if reform is to succeed, it must go beyond process improvements and tackle the deeper forces that reproduce inefficiency over time.

“This is where Structuration Theory, coined by sociologist Anthony Giddens, offers valuable insight. The theory explains how structures (rules, norms, and systems) and human agency (our ability to act and make choices) continuously shape and reinforce each other. In other words, public sector inefficiency persists not simply because of outdated systems, but because individuals — often unknowingly — continue to reproduce those systems through routine behaviours,” she suggests.

Additionally, she said, “Here lies the paradox: outdated rules endure because public servants are conditioned to follow them. Performance is often judged by procedural adherence, not by outcomes or service impact. Over time, this entrenches a culture that punishes initiative, demoralizes staff, and ultimately disempowers the very people we depend on to deliver change.”

Offering a possible prescription, Dr Smith advised that a comprehensive review of existing procedures be conducted, with the goal of simplification and modernisation. “Second, reorient performance metrics toward service quality and citizen satisfaction. Third, equip public servants with tools and authority to act — and reward them for doing so.

“We must also modernise our use of technology. Digitisation must not merely replicate inefficient paper systems but transform how work is done. AI, data dashboards, and integrated platforms should be deployed to support faster, better decision-making.

“Lastly, we need a new model of leadership. Transactional leadership, which emphasises rule-following, must give way to transformational leadership that empowers and inspires. Reform cannot happen without a cultural shift — and culture starts at the top.”

The SPEED initiative, the expert says, provides a timely and strategic platform to embed these principles. “But true transformation requires more than structural changes — it requires a shift in mindset. Every public servant must be seen not just as a guardian of rules, but as a co-creator of value.”

Senator Audrey Marks (Naphtali Junior)

Dr Beverley Smith…SPEED initiative commendable, but…