TNAG-0594-FCO40-740-Staffing-in-the-Dependent-Territories-in-the-1980s-1977 — Page 117

Mr Stewart

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1. Stay out

Mr Starkeyhe 916

I think we should

P/Ww Signly submit to the R.U.S.

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before discursion in

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ATSAB. STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

CONFINENTIAL

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"was due to hold a

meeting

on

the Pronett

proposals + this is another iten for that meeting.

STAFFING IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IN THE 1980s

1010

Thank you for your paper of 27 May and covering minute of toi

2 June. I agree generally with your conclusions, though I have some off the cuff comments (on Administrative Officers), and I think that other Heads of Geographical Departments might like a chance to express views and discuss. I suggest we put your paper on the agenda for the next Monday afternoon meeting (13 June unless other commitments intervene). Mr Carrick would be very welcome if he wished to join us. However, provided no-one has any major objections, I agree that we should aim to circulate the paper in its present form to the DTSAB for consideration at its meeting on 23 June (unless that has to be postponed).

2.

(a)

Here are my own first reactions:-

While I believe that we can safely exclude the Pacific territories (the New Hebrides should be very close to independence by 1980, even if not quite there, and we don't have to send anyone to Pitcairn), the table in Annex A may slightly underestimate the requirement for Administrative Officers. It used to be held (the Monson doctrine) that there should always be one senior expatriate as well as the Governor in every Colony, for leave, company etc. Recent experience would argue for maintaining this, and for making the second expatriate the Financial Secretary, certainly in the grant- ended territories and desirably in the others. Perhaps therefore we should plan for a commitment in the territories of up to 25 instead of the 20 in paragraph 3 of your paper. (b) This marginal increase need not, I think, affect any planning

in the Personnel Departments (that may be possible pending decisions on the CPRS Review) to fulfil the Solutions in paragraphs 7,8 and 9 of your paper. I suggest however that we might extend the proposal in your paragraph 9 by trying to place one or two DS officers in Grade 6 or 7 at any one time in suitable administrative (Secretariat) posts in the territories for a single tour before taking over a Desk in a Geographical Department. (We have discussed something on these lines with the Governor of the Gilbert Islands; though of course Pacific opportunities would be outside the timescale of your paper). Another place where prospective D.T. Desk Officers might gain relevant experience would be in the Caribbean DevDiv (and the Pacific one if established): this would need negotiation with ODM.

CONFIDENTIAL STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

(c)