The Head of the Public Service hailed the benefits of taking part in a summit and leadership forum with her British Overseas Territories counterparts.

Cherie Whitter represented Bermuda at an annual forum held this year in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The British Overseas Territories Deputy Governors and Heads of the Public Service Summit was hosted by Her Excellency Anya Williams, the Deputy Governor and Head of the Public Service for Turks & Caicos.

It brought together senior public service leaders from across the territories to address shared challenges and opportunities.

The Bermuda Government said: “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.”

Key areas of focus on the agenda included 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.

The Government added: “Following the event, participants took part in the Turks & 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.”

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 & 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.”

The next British Overseas Territories Deputy Governors and Heads of Public Service Summit is expected to be hosted by Bermuda in 2026.