The Chief Minister has confirmed that the Government’s three‑year Project tHRive programme has cost less than originally anticipated.
However, he also confirmed that Treasury cannot isolate exactly how much of the Office of Human Resources’ spending relates specifically to the project.
In a written Tynwald answer, Alfred Cannan said Project tHRive, which began in 2023 and ends this month, was designed to “right size” the Office of Human Resources and improve service quality across recruitment, payroll, people analytics, governance and health and safety.
Costs
The Council of Ministers approved staffing recommendations in 2023, with Treasury allocating £2.17 million per year to fund the changes in three phases.
A further £549,001 was provided for part‑year costs. Revised proposals totalling £1.66 million were approved in 2024.
Salary costs within OHR have risen year‑on‑year, but the Chief Minister said this cannot be directly attributed to tHRive alone, noting pay awards, maternity cover and wider organisational changes. Treasury’s figures show an overall underspend of £411,100 across the period once Business Change Services support is included.
Cannan said it is “not possible to determine the actual figure specifically arising from tHRive permanent and project roles versus evolutionary organisational change” due to staff movements and reallocated duties.
The estimated ongoing annual cost of additional permanent roles created through tHRive is £1.28 million.
Additional programme management support from the Cabinet Office Change Delivery team cost £11,667 between April and June 2026.
The Chief Minister said the investment “has not been fully utilised” and that costs were “considerably lower than originally anticipated.”
A project closure report will be submitted to Treasury Board and Council of Ministers next month.
