The head of the Civil Service has praised the SAGE Commission’s final report, claiming that some of its recommendations “are fresh and bold and, if adopted can help to address the fiscal challenges facing Bermuda”.

But Cabinet Secretary Donald Scott also noted that the report’s quality was “diminished in some areas by errors of fact and the reliance on anecdotal stories in a number of important areas”.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Mr Scott, who is due to retire at the end of this month, praised the commission for managing to complete its “daunting task” in just six months.

“Bermuda’s SAGE report makes a number of sound and useful recommendations, some of which build upon reforms and initiatives already underway in Bermuda’s public service,” he said.

“Other recommendations are fresh and bold and if adopted can help to address the fiscal challenges facing Bermuda.

“However, the overall quality of the report is diminished in some areas by errors of fact and the reliance on anecdotal stories in a number of important areas.”

Mr Scott said that a recommendation to create a strategic plan governing party’s election platform, the Throne Speech and the National Budget Statement, was already in place.

“Can the planning process be improved? Yes, it can be improved and many of the recommendations are helpful including the recommendation to publish ministry business plans on a regular cycle,” Mr Scott said.

“However, it is to be noted that contrary to the Report’s finding that not all Ministries prepare business plans, the fact is that every ministry produces a business plan and it is updated annually. Permanent Secretaries are charged with delivering the ministry business plan within budget and managing identified risks to achieve specified programme outcomes and services.”

Mr Scott said that a chapter on Civil Service performance was “useful”, but added: “However, this is one area where errors of fact and erroneous presumptions need to be corrected.

“There is a presumption that the Civil Service Executive does not meet weekly. That presumption is false: the Civil Service Executive meets weekly to share Cabinet decisions and associated business. Major operational decisions at the executive level are recorded.

“The SAGE report refers to an assessment of Permanent Secretaries and other senior officials that was arranged by the National School of Government in 2011. It is correct that the report was not shared with the Commission as it fell outside of its remit. It did not have statutory authority for such access as stated in the final report. This legal position was confirmed by the Attorney-General.

“I commend the SAGE Commission for recognising the significant differences in the role of a Permanent Secretary and the role of a division head of a private sector business head. The former is expected to promote and deliver on the multiple goals of a political agenda while the latter is driven by a single goal: the profit motive.

“The differences in the roles flow to appropriate metrics and measurements and much else besides.”