Isle of Man infrastructure department overhaul recommended

The review of the infrastructure department was commissioned by the chief minister

An overhaul of the Isle of Man government's Department of Infrastructure could improve the delivery of services and capital projects, a report has said.

The document identified "fundamental weaknesses in the department's organisational, management and governance arrangements".

It recommends more qualified staff to look after the DOI's varied divisions.

Minister Tim Baker said it would "help provide a blueprint" for the future.

The department is responsible for highways services, ports, transport and housing, as well as spearheading the delivery of capital projects.

Mr Baker said he supported the report's view that more resources were needed to operate the DOI effectively.

'Better focus'

The report was commissioned by the chief minister amid concerns over the delivery of capital projects on the island.

Compiled by consultants Beamans, it said the current structure of the department was not suitable to manage the large body of tasks it is responsible for.

The fact that ultimate accountability rests with the chief executive meant the department operated on a "largely reactive and transactional basis".

To counter that, it said the "co-ordination and development" of services should be the "remit and responsibility of individual directors" headed by a chief operating officer with overarching responsibility for capital projects.

Specialists in each division would be "better able to focus on the delivery of services for which they are accountable", it added.

It also recommended that additional accredited project managers be appointed to help drive the capital programme forward.

Meanwhile, the chief executive should focus on the "development of policy, strategy and management of the political interface".

Mr Baker said the recommended changes would be brought in "as quickly as is sensible", but recruitment would take time.