The Anguilla Public Service formally embarked on a new chapter of reform on Wednesday, 21 January, 2026, with the official launch of the Public Service Transformation Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2030. The event brought together senior political leaders, public officers from across all grades and portfolios, and key stakeholders, underscoring the collective nature of the reform agenda.
The launch marked the culmination of an intensive year-long reform process and the beginning of a five-year programme aimed at strengthening, modernising and holding the public service to account for delivery. The Strategy and Action Plan, shaped by extensive engagement across the service and informed by the Public Service Reform Review, builds on homegrown initiatives while drawing on international best practice. Officers from regional and global institutions, including CARTA, CORTAC, the OECD, the World Bank and the United Nations, contributed insights during the process.
Introducing the Strategy and Action Plan, Dr. Kelly Clark reflected on the ambitious nature of the reform programme, which began almost exactly one year earlier. She described a process that was deliberately forward-looking, transparent and inclusive, and one that did not shy away from long-standing challenges. More than 120 officers participated in workshops, with similar numbers engaged through meetings and hundreds responding to surveys, a level of engagement Dr. Clark described as “quite incredible.” She stressed that the strategy belongs to the public officers who helped shape it, noting that its reform pillars reflect shared ambitions for a public service that is trusted, professional, people-centred, efficient, effective and forward-looking. “This reform journey does not stop here,” she said. “It starts here.”
In his feature address, the Hon. Deputy Governor, Perin Bradley, framed the launch not simply as the unveiling of a document, but as a moment of recommitment to service. Drawing on his own experience as a scholarship recipient in 1988, he spoke candidly about the responsibility that comes with public investment and the obligation public officers share to give back to the country. He underscored that the strategy is not an imposed plan, but a collective one, rooted in concerns and ideas that officers have raised for years. “What is different this time is not the direction,” he said, “it is the intent.”
The Deputy Governor highlighted a key theme of the reform agenda: the need to move from a culture of frustration to one of facilitation. He acknowledged that outdated systems and processes have often slowed progress, not through ill intent but structural inaction. The Strategy and Action Plan, he said, seeks to replace unnecessary bureaucracy with clearer accountability, stronger coordination and a sharper focus on delivery. Reforms already underway include the modernisation of General Orders, alignment of public service regulations, strengthening of the Office of the Deputy Governor, investment in leadership development, and the long-anticipated pay and grading review.
Prime Ministerial-level support for the reforms was clearly signalled by the presence and remarks of the Hon. Premier, Cora Richardson-Hodge. She described the Strategy and Action Plan as a critical step in strengthening how government serves the people and delivers on its mandate. Speaking both as a political leader and a “customer” of public services, the Premier challenged officers to reflect honestly on the quality-of-service delivery. She stressed that transformation is no longer optional, given rising public expectations, economic uncertainty and the demands of a digital age. “None of the government’s priorities can be achieved,” she said, “without a modern, capable and performance-driven public service.”
The Hon. Minister of Social Development, Shellya Rogers-Webster, offered a deeply personal and reflective contribution, shaped by her experience across multiple roles within the public sector. She posed a series of direct questions to officers about punctuality, responsiveness, empathy and fairness, urging them to remain solution-oriented and to treat members of the public as they themselves would wish to be treated. She emphasised that transformation must begin with self-reflection, positive action and perseverance, particularly in the face of resistance to change. Minister Rogers-Webster also called for greater mutual understanding between elected officials and public servants, outlining the complex and often overlapping responsibilities ministers hold as policymakers, parliamentarians and district representatives.
Her Excellency the Governor, Julia Crouch, described the launch as “a long time coming,” noting that public service reform had been delayed for decades by crises ranging from hurricanes to financial shocks and the COVID-19 pandemic. She praised the commitment shown by public officers throughout the consultation process and highlighted the importance of delivering ministerial mandates as a cornerstone of democratic governance. Emphasising the values embedded in the new purpose, vision and mission, she pointed particularly to compassion and agility as essential qualities for a modern public service operating in an unpredictable global environment.
Central to the Strategy and Action Plan are six reform pillars: Trusted; Public Service Focused; Professional and People-Centred; Forward Looking; Efficient; and Effective. Together, they provide a framework for rebuilding trust, clarifying purpose, investing in people, embracing innovation, streamlining processes and ensuring that the right results are achieved. The plan translates these principles into 34 specific actions, supported by a clear methodology for tracking progress and accountability over the five-year period to 2030.
A video montage featuring Permanent Secretaries reinforced the message that reform is a shared responsibility, requiring collective leadership, consistent standards and a willingness to challenge long-standing practices. The overarching message was that the Strategy and Action Plan is not an endpoint, but a starting signal for delivery.
With the Strategy now publicly launched and available on the Government of Anguilla website, the focus shifts decisively from consultation to implementation. As several speakers noted, the true measure of success will not be the quality of the document itself, but the tangible difference it makes to the lives of the people of Anguilla in the years ahead.
