The Special Report of the Auditor General on Claude Skeleton Cline’s contracts under the Andrew-Fahie led Virgin Islands Party Government has concluded that the purpose of his consultancy was not to add value to the government but rather to provide employment for Cline.
The purpose of the investigation was for the Auditor General to provide independent information and advice on whether efficiency, economy and effectiveness were achieved from the award and payment of contracts engaging Claude Skelton Cline from the period March 25, 2019 to September 17, 2021.
The conclusion from the investigation which was seen in the report by 284News is alarming, as it highlights several failed areas of Cline’s contracts during his more than two years of employment.
“After a period of two and a half years, none of the initiatives stipulated in the three contracts have been delivered. Similarly, none of the ad-hoc “non-contractual” assignments have been realized. This is with the exception with the COVID-19 related initiatives that were self-determining,” the audit report stated.
It continued, “Substantial reports and information were received only where the Consultant was assigned as a part of a committee or working group. These documents were usually prepared by other members of those bodies as was the case with the supporting documents for the Seafarers programme and the report issued by the Economic Advisory Council.”
The Auditor General also found that the records did not show any demonstrated effort by Cline to actually satisfy the deliverables stipulated in his contracts.
“The audit confirmation exercises performed indicate that much of the work reported or claimed by the Consultant was undertaken by persons and programmes independent of the consultancy. In a number of cases his association with the programmes was either fleeting or non-existent. The information in the Consultant’s periodic reports was largely duplicated without demonstrating any advancement or effort to achieve progress. As a result, very little was gained from this arrangement and the Government failed to receive value for money on these contracts,” the report stated.
Finally, the Auditor General concluded that the Premier’s Office failed to adhere to the procurement regulations for competitive submissions for contracts, which resulted in the government incurring substantial costs with no gains.
The Auditor General also pointed to evidence where Cline’s subsequent contracts were of lesser value than the previous. She said this suggested that the government was aware that that value was not being achieved from the arrangement.
“It also created a disservice to other citizens who might be more properly qualified and more able to deliver the specific initiatives contained in the contracts,” the Auditor General stated.
“The government would have been better served by establishing different think tanks or other mechanisms to address the areas identified under the three contracts. This would have availed the process to expert input and presented actionable results,” the report added.
More details to follow on the Auditor General’s report on Claude Skelton Cline’s contracts.