US firm hired to do media relations for home affairs
The Ministry of Home Affairs hired an American firm to deal with media queries and gave a 12-month contract to a retired senior civil servant to help draft and oversee new legislation.
The two separate agreements were listed in a notice posted in the Official Gazette last week.
Diplomatic Enterprises LLC’s five-month contract, which began on November 19, 2024 and runs until April 18, is worth $85,000 in total, comprising a $10,000 retainer, plus $75,000 to be “paid in accordance with deliverables”.
That would amount to $17,000 a month, if the full amount is paid to the company, which is based in Washington, according to its Facebook page.
Diplomatic Enterprises is run by its founder and chief executive, a North Carolina-based lawyer called Clinton Mitchell.
The contract is for his management consulting company to “supplement the efforts of the public officer at [the] Department of Communications by providing additional support for media relations and outreach”.
The March 21 notice states this is to promote programmes such as single-use plastics, climate change, management of dogs, Caricom consultations, the Blue Economy, the marine spatial plan, the Marine Development Act and the Ocean Fund.
It is also aimed at increasing awareness of “key initiatives across traditional and social-media platforms” and ensuring “timely and appropriate responses to media inquiries and public engagements on high-media platforms”.
The public officer responsible for dealing with media queries about the home affairs ministry is the director of the Department of Communications, though she took on that brief only recently. The director earns $164,794 a year, according to the 2024 public officer salaries list published online.
News of the contract given to Diplomatic Enterprises comes after it was revealed that Progressive Labour Party MP Jamahl Simmons had a 12-month contract until February this year for $93,180 — or $7,765 a month — to provide communications support to David Burt, the Premier, and the Department of Communications.
The other home affairs contract listed in the notice is with Majiedah Azhar, known as Rozy, who was the island’s first female Chief Immigration Officer and went on to be permanent secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs before she retired.
Ms Azhar was hired to “support and advise” the permanent secretary and Minister of Home Affairs on legislative matters, according to the notice, with her contract running from April 3 last year to the end of this month. It is for $86.15 an hour, up to a maximum of $14, 000 per month, or $168,000 a year.
The notice lists her services as helping to draft legislation; overseeing, implementing and publicising attendant plans, funds, projects and studies; overseeing the progression of other legislation; and assisting in completing amendments to bring other Acts into full operation.
The Royal Gazette asked Ms Azhar about the contract.
She said yesterday: “If it’s the public’s money being spent, then you should be able to ask the question. However, the query should go directly to the ministry.
“The information should come from the ministry. It’s a matter of public record.”
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said last night it was important to note that the contracts predated the appointment of Alexa Lightbourne, who became the minister last month.
She added that in respect of Rozy Azhar’s, the agreement “followed the process for engaging a consultant”.
The spokeswoman explained: “As a long-serving public officer, Rozy Azhar had key institutional knowledge of the ministry, and her role was to assist in the progression of various pieces of legislation and completing amendments to bring other Acts into full operation, among other projects.
“Ms Azhar supported and advised the acting permanent secretary and the minister on the following matters:
• Advised on the approval and publication of the climate study
• Advised on the drafting of the legislation for the Marine Development Act and implementation of the Marine Spatial Plan and the blue and green fund
• Advised on the legislation required to progress the work to facilitate the move of Google to Bermuda
• Advised on the successful implementation of the regulatory sandbox related to Seabased Ltd
• Advised on the drafting of the legislation related to the Regulatory Authority including fuels, electricity, communications, broadcasting and community solar; and
• Assisted as needed, to complete amendments to the Dogs Act 2009 and Care and Protection of Animals Act 1975, and to bring the Dogs Act into full operation.
“At the time of this media request, Ms Azhar’s compensation for her invaluable services amounted to $81,000. Ms Azhar's contract concludes [on] Monday.”
She said that a “short-term, specific engagement” was agreed with Diplomatic Enterprises LLC.
The spokeswoman added: “This agreement comes to a natural end mid-April. That said, it is not unusual for the Government to partner with vendors whether overseas or locally for specific purposes, expertise and global perspectives.
“Diplomatic Enterprises LLC’s partnership followed the Office of Project Management and Procurement’s Code of Practice guidelines.
“The company was engaged in reviewing significant ministry projects such as climate change, the blue economy and marine conservation from a strategic level, with the aim of producing high-level overarching outreach strategies in collaboration with the Department of Communications and ministry team.
“Their strategic collaboration helped ensure that any outreach or research for initiatives with global impact were conducted effectively and efficiently.
“These partnerships assist the Government in accessing innovative solutions, trends and best practices that may not be available locally, ultimately benefiting the broader community.”
A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said that reference to Jamahl Simmons — a Progressive Labour Party MP listed in a Pati disclosure earlier as a consultant who provided communications support to the Premier and Department of Communications on a yearlong contract at $7,765 a month — was “misleading”.
She added: “The parameters of Mr Simmons’s partnership is under the remit of the Cabinet Office and is for specific projects and activities, some of which are in collaboration with the Department of Communications.
“More importantly, any disparaging references, negative inferences or commentary in this article about the Department of Communications, its responsibilities, or the services it delivers on behalf of the Government of Bermuda are intentional efforts to tarnish the reputation of the department and its committed public servants.”
The Gazette asked the ministry on Wednesday, via the Department of Communications, how much both contractors had been paid, whether the contracts would be renewed and if they were tendered.
We also asked for specifics on the work done in both cases, whether “deliverables” had been achieved and why the communications department needed help from Diplomatic Enterprises, an overseas firm, in addition to its own public affairs officers and the services provided by Mr Simmons.
Responses were received at about 11pm last night, too late to include in the Gazette’s print edition.
Both contracts began under former minister Walter Roban, who retired from politics and was succeeded at home affairs by newly elected MP Alexa Lightbourne after the General Election in February.
Diplomatic Enterprises could not be reached.
You must be Registered or to post comment or to vote.
