Last week, Cherie Whitter, Head of the Public Service, represented Bermuda at the British Overseas Territories Deputy Governors and Heads of the Public Service Summit, held in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The annual forum, hosted this year by Her Excellency Anya Williams, Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service for Turks and Caicos, brought together senior public service leaders from across the territories to address shared challenges and opportunities.

The summit serves as a vital platform for collaboration, enabling leaders to engage in strategic dialogue and problem-solving on issues unique to public service leadership in the Overseas Territories. This year’s agenda focused on several key areas:

• The modernisation of job evaluation systems and the development of new grading and salary structures;
• Strategies to address recruitment challenges for hard-to-fill positions; and
• The integration of Artificial Intelligence to enhance efficiency and service delivery across public sectors.

Following the event, participants took part in the Turks and Caicos Islands Leadership Forum, where the territory launched its Public Service Strategic Plan 2025–2030. A highlight of the forum was a panel discussion on managing large-scale change within the public service, with each leader contributing insights from their own reform experiences.

Reflecting on the series of meetings, Ms. Whitter said, “Both the Summit and the Leadership Forum provided tremendous learning opportunities. The collaborative relationships that have been established with the public services in Cayman, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands are invaluable. We are able to share lessons learned, access administrative policy proposals, provide cross-territory secondments, attachments and training opportunities, and essentially lean on our shared experiences for the benefit of our respective Services.”

In an exciting development, the next British Overseas Territories Deputy Governors and Heads of Public Service Summit is expected to be hosted by Bermuda in 2026.