Government administration in a small microstate: Developing the Cayman Islands

Abstract

The Cayman Islands use some of the increasingly familiar methods of resolving administratively the problems of smallness. The country's development and administrative performance depend on human resources which need to be planned in order to reduce dependence on outsiders, especially among the middle ranks of technical and professional staff. Education and training for the public service in the Cayman Islands is inadequate. Control of the administration is weak, especially among the independent boards and commissions, and there is a need for appeal procedures when the principles of natural justice have been breached. Political manipultion in personnel matters adversely affects performance, and there is a need for an effective civil service association to deal with other abuses. The problems of public administration are solved by scaling down the role of government in favour of private enterprise and against the provision of social welfare.

The Potential of a “Northern Windward Islands”: An Alternative in the North to the Netherlands Antilles

“…No one has much power and no one is moved by artificially fomented feelings of loyalty to a "party" or a "personality." 21 The most convincing arguments against political parties in a small political system include:…”

The organization and management of ministries of education in small states

“…It began with a general article by Murray (1981), which formed the basis for a series of more specific case studies. Hope (1983) and Kersell (1987Kersell ( , 1988Kersell ( , 1989Kersell ( , 1990 wrote about the Commonwealth Caribbean, and others focused on Niue (Thynne 1981) St Helena (Gillett, 1983), and Tuvalu (Tisdell and Fairbairn, 1983).…”

Administration in a small capitalist state: The Hong Kong experience

“…It is also necessary for the state to be able to implement its policies effectively and efficiently. This has been achieved in Hong Kong through a reliance on the often under-valued virtues of classical bureaucracy, by paying attention both to the criteria specified by Murray and Kersell (Murray, 1981;Kersell, 1987) and to value for money in administration, effective line implementation and the ability to respond adequately to crises. Small or micro-states which follow capitalist development modes may not possess these particular features but they may be suggestive criteria for future state-building programmes.…”

“…Much attention has been paid to the role of the capitalist state in large developed Western countries,' rather less to its role in small states which are more vulnerable to external economic and political forces (but see Katzenstein, 1985). The role of administration in micro-states, however, has been the subject of a prescriptive concern with the measures that such states should take in the best interests of their inhabitants and of efficient government (Murray 1981;Kersell, 1987). Kersell, summarizing Murray, notes that this might include eliminating some government activities altogether, scaling down some or most government activities, scaling down particular jobs and allowing employees to work on more than one task, and organizing teams to undertake particular projects.…”