Guernsey - Great today, better tomorrow
The Future Guernsey Plan is centred on the 20-year vision for Guernsey, which is:
'We will be among the happiest and healthiest places in the world, where everyone has equal opportunity to achieve their potential. We will be a safe and inclusive community, which nurtures its unique heritage and environment and is underpinned by a diverse and successful economy.'
In November 2017, the States agreed their policy priorities for 2017 - 2021. The States updates these priorities annually. The green buttons below reflect the currently agreed priorities within the Future Guernsey Plan (which is also known as the Policy & Resource Plan).
Development of The Future Guernsey Plan - 2015/16
- In 2015 the States Assembly approved a number of recommendations from the States Review Committee which aimed to improve the way our government works. As part of this, the Policy & Resources Committee was directed to produce a Future Guernsey Plan to guide the planning and coordination of the work of the States. This plan focuses on significant policy matters and lays down a framework of overall policy assumptions in order to assist Principal Committees in the setting of their policies and priorities.
- The development of the first Future Guernsey Plan started as soon as the new Assembly was appointed in May 2016. The development of the Plan was comprised of two stages.
- Phase One
- This initial phase set out our vision for the Island in 20 years time, and what we need to focus on over the next five years to move us towards achieving that vision. The States approved the phase one document on 16th November 2016, a copy of which can be found here.
The Future Guernsey Plan - 2016/17
- Phase Two
- Following the approval of phase one, phase two commenced in November 2016, and required the six Principal Committees to draw up their Committee policy plans which set out the actions they intend to pursue over the short and medium term to fulfil the objectives agreed in Phase One. Copies of each of the Principal Committees' policy plans are available below:
- Public Consultation
- One of the factors that the States have taken into account when prioritising their programme of work is the views of the community. To assist the States in this task, we sought the input of the public to understand what they believed to be the top priorities that will make the biggest contributions to making Guernsey better.
- During January 2017, four workshops were held with attendees from a number of stakeholder organisations representing a broad cross-section of the community. Three drop-in sessions were also held to ensure we could engage the wider community. The purpose of these sessions was to seek feedback on the output from the workshops and what the wider public most wanted the government to deliver.
- The results of the public engagement was collated into a report; 'Getting our priorities right'.
- The Policy & Resource Plan, Phase Two - P. 2017/53 was debated on 27 June 2017.
- Following the June 2017 States' debate, further work to complete the Future Guernsey Plan was undertaken, and, in November 2017, as part of the 2018 Budget Report, the States agreed 23 policies to which they would give priority in order to deliver the outcomes of the Future Guernsey Plan.
The Future Guernsey Plan - 2018 Update
- The first annual update of the Future Guernsey Plan was published in June 2018. This review was a baseline exercise in order to give a clear view of the States' activity in respect of the 23 priority areas, as well as setting out how the States will monitor progress in future years.
- In some areas, such as Brexit, digital connectivity and the Children & Young People's Plan, it was clear what the States had achieved. While progress was more cautious in other priorities, such as in the Seafront Enhancement work, the Health & Social Care Partnership of Purpose and the Disability & Inclusion Strategy, the foundations were laid to ensure there was greater visible momentum over the following year. There were also areas where a lack of progress was evident, and the update resolved to devote more attention to such areas over the following months and years.
- The summary of the 2018 update can be found here.
- The Policy & Resource Plan (2017 Review and 2018 Update) P.2018/45 was discussed on 5 June 2018.
The Future Guernsey Plan - 2019 Update
- The States agreed their annual update of the Future Guernsey Plan (also known as the Policy & Resource Plan) in June 2019. The associated Propositions and Amendments can be found here and the corresponding Policy Letter is here.
- Notable updates agreed by the States in 2019 include:
- The introduction of a new area of focus in the Future Guernsey Plan called 'Mitigate Climate Change' and agreement that a climate change policy and action plan should be developed;
- That work should be undertaken to carry out an assessment of initiatives to reduce in-work poverty including benefit rates and tax levels, housing affordability, and affordability of primary and emergency health care;
- That work should be carried out relating to the negotiation of a Reciprocal Health Agreement with the UK; and
- That work should be carried out to revise and amend the Children (Guernsey & Alderney) Law, 2008.
- Also available is an earlier summary report about the Plan's priorities, which was written prior to the Policy Letter.
The Future Guernsey Plan - 2020 Update (April 2020)
- Under Guernsey's parliamentary rules, the States of Deliberation would ordinarily hold a Special Meeting, not more than three months before a General Election, solely to debate an 'End of Term' Policy Letter that included commentary by the Policy & Resources Committee on progress against the Future Guernsey Plan, and handover reports from all States' Committees setting out what they believe their successors should consider in the next term.
- Accordingly, in March 2020, the Policy & Resources Committee lodged the Policy Letter entitled End of Term Future Guernsey Plan Commentary 2016-2020 - P.2020/56 for debate by the States of Deliberation at a Special Meeting to be held on 21st April 2020, ahead of the General Election scheduled to take place in June 2020.
- However, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the States of Deliberation cancelled the 21st April 2020 Special Meeting and deferred the General Election to October 2020.
- This meant that the End of Term Future Guernsey Plan Commentary 2016-2020 was no longer up-to-date and it was therefore not debated by the States of Deliberation.
If you have any questions about the Future Guernsey Plan, please contact the Strategy & Policy Team at strategicpolicy@gov.gg.
