Two years after Government launched its Central Policy Unit (CPU), Bermudian Warren Jones is now alone at the helm and looking to the future.

The former teacher and business executive has spent the last 18 months getting to grips with the ins and outs of public service and said he was now ready to take the unit further.

The CPU was set up following a Civil Service review in August, 2000, with the aim of assisting each Ministry to work together more closely on issues that affected them all.

Whether the issue be sustainable development, immigration, workforce skills or protection of the coral reef, the job of the CPU is to look at every consideration and impact, and then help to find the best policy, while bringing every Ministry together on the same page.

The unit provides advice and research information to the Premier and Cabinet, as well as forms overseas partnerships with similar Governmental bodies.

However, a major objective has been to facilitate better working relationships between Ministries and their staff, as well as stakeholders.

British consultant Darren Welch, who was attached to Cabinet in London, was hired on a two-year contract to set the unit up and get it running.

And part of his brief was also to train a Bermudian to head up the department - Mr. Jones.

After Mr. Jones joined the Department in December, 2000, the pair worked closely on a number of projects, including a working party on the economic impact of September 11 and E-Government.

But last week, Mr. Welch completed his time on the Island, leaving the future of the CPU firmly in the hands of his colleague.

"It has been two years now since the unit was set up, and I think we have made great progress and I believe CPU is beginning to have some impact," said Assistant Cabinet Secretary Mr. Jones.

"Our objective is to get cross Ministries working together.

"An issue that is central to one Department will have implications for others, so CPU is about looking at the overall picture, raising the issues, and getting everyone on the same page when it comes to policy."

The CPU office, which is next to Cabinet Building, has a team room where policy analysts from each Ministry, Permanent Secretaries and others can meet to work on projects and issues.

During the E-Government initiative, the results of which have not yet been made public, workers were seconded to the project from three different Ministries to form a collaborative approach to E-Government.

But that is just one of the many initiatives of the last two years.

The CPU also arranged for the UK's Civil Service college to visit the Island to hold courses for Permanent Secretaries and departmental policy analysts.

Already, the mindset is changing and the message on policy process is beginning to filter through the ranks.

Developing team building skills and encouraging people to think outside of the box is another of the CPU objectives.

Mr. Jones said: "We make recommendations, but it's up to Cabinet to provide the direction and to accept the recommendations.

"We are only advisors.

"We clearly define with Cabinet what the issue is, and then put forward what we feel is the best solution.

"We don't have to consider the political considerations - all we are concerned with is best policy.

"Sometimes we are presented with issues we have never come across before, but we simply start from the beginning and work our way through, looking at all of the implications.

"It's a very interesting and satisfying job."

In February of this year, Ronde Walker began at the CPU as a trainee policy analyst, but he may be "loaned" out to Ministries to work on different initiatives.

However, Mr. Jones is hoping that opportunities will arise for senior civil servants to be seconded to the CPU for six-month periods.

And he said while he is content with the work of the CPU so far, he is excited about the the future will bring.

"The CPU is established and has achieved a lot, I think, but we are looking to the future, too," said Mr. Jones.

"Last year we established links in the UK, Jersey and Guernsey, which meant going to those places and meeting with people with similar responsibilities.

"We are hopeful that later this year, or next year, we will establish links through the Caribbean.

"We know there are policy units worldwide, so we would like to establish links with many of them.

"It is beneficial to everyone."

Mr. Welch said: "The CPU has come a long way in two years.

"I'm confident Warren Jones will continue to do a great job in building on these beginnings and in assisting the Premier and Cabinet with policy advice."