Bermuda’s Civil Service has been hampered by an “overly bureaucratic environment with a weak execution model”, according to David Burt.

The Premier was updating MPs Friday on the tabling of the strategic plan for government reform, which will call upon five project management teams with union support to boost efficiency.

The report called for a “critical paradigm shift” to strengthen leadership and address performance gaps, with a restructuring of the Civil Service’s hierarchy and an assessment of staff’s readiness for change.

Jeanne Atherden, the Opposition MP, questioned Mr Burt on the Government’s “building blocks to enable the service to move towards a shared vision and purpose”.

Mr Burt said there had been “sobering reflection” on a survey of the island’s public officers in comparison with other governments.

“We were judged to be underperforming in just about every particular area,” Mr Burt told the House.

Civil servants struggled against excessive bureaucracy as well as “difficulty in advancing decision-making effectively”, he added.

“Things had to go all the way up the chain before they could come back down the chain,” the Premier said, saying the aim was to “make the Civil Service more nimble and flatten the decision-making process”.

• To view David Burt’s ministerial statement, click on the PDF link under “Related Media”