Public Sector Modernisation Programme of Dominica

The Public Sector Modernisation Programme (PSMP) of Dominica is an ongoing reform initiative aimed at transforming the public service into a more effective, accountable and citizen-focused institution. Its objective is to redesign administrative systems, align the civil service with the demands of a digital economy and enhance service delivery in the context of fiscal pressures, climate resilience and evolving global standards.

Key Components and Reform Areas

The PSMP centres on several thematic pillars:

• Administrative and structural overhaul: Reviewing ministry mandates, reducing duplication, rationalising the civil service classification and streamlining roles under the Establishment, Personnel & Training Department (EPTD).
• Digital governance & e-services: Implementing systems such as the Unified Land Information System, online payment platforms, digital IDs and workflows that allow citizens to access services electronically and public officials to process requests more efficiently.
• Public financial management and performance culture: Strengthening budgeting protocols, procurement practices, performance reviews, audit mechanisms and linking the budget more directly to development plans such as the National Resilience Development Strategy (NRDS) 2030.
• Capacity-building and human resource development: Improving training programmes, establishing performance evaluation systems, promoting merit-based advancement and fostering a culture of service excellence within the public sector.

Institutional Framework and Implementation

Responsibility for implementing the PSMP lies primarily with the Ministry of Labour, Public Service Reform, Social Partnership, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development, in coordination with the Department of Effective Public Management / Reform Management Unit (RMU) within the EPTD.
The reform process also involves:

• Collaboration with development partners and regional institutions (such as the World Bank and OECS) to adopt best practices.
• The Committee of Permanent Secretaries, which reviews cross-ministerial coordination and supports the reform agenda.
• Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms embedded in national strategies (for example, the GSPS 2014-2018) and adherence to service delivery standards and accountability frameworks.

Progress, Challenges & Outlook

The ongoing modernisation of Dominica’s public sector has yielded measurable gains in efficiency and transparency, yet persistent administrative, technological, and capacity-related challenges continue to shape future reform priorities.

Progress so far

• The civil service has adopted revised evaluation criteria and classification schemes for posts.
• Online platforms and digital tools have been launched to support citizen services and back-office functions, such as land registries and investment processing.
• Budget reforms and revisions to reporting systems indicate early alignment between financial management and policy planning.

Key Challenges

• Resistance to change among established staff and entrenched administrative practices.
• Legislative lag in enabling laws and regulations to fully support modernised processes.
• Infrastructure gaps in rural areas are limiting digital access and service delivery.
• Budgetary constraints that limit investment in training, ICT infrastructure and long-term reform initiatives.

Future Direction and Implementation Outlook

As Dominica continues to recover from climate-related events and reshape its economy, the PSMP is positioned to play a critical role in building a resilient, agile public service. The next phase will focus on embedding data-driven decision-making, extending e-governance to underserved communities, and accelerating the adoption of performance management models. The success of the programme will increasingly depend on sustained political commitment, human-capacity investment and citizen engagement to ensure reforms translate into measurable improvements in government responsiveness and public confidence.