At the outset of the global economic crisis, from which Jamaica is badly bruised and battered and to which Prime Minister Golding concedes that his government may have been slow to respond, we outlined an early and robust programme of intervention.

Had our suggestions been heeded, Jamaica might have avoided the worst effects of the recession and had a better shot at recovery. But, as they say, better late than never. Which is how we prefer to view the appointment of Christopher Zacca as special adviser to the prime minister - assuming, not withstanding the turgidity of the announcement, that Mr Zacca has an expansive interpretation of his role and that he is appropriately empowered by Mr Golding.

When you strip away the overburden of the Jamaica House statement, Mr Zacca has two primary functions: to provide the PM with advice on policy and strategies on important initiatives; beyond that, he will have hands-on operational responsibility for some of those initiatives, including the social-partnership discussions.

Public-sector inertia

Both roles are important, but Mr Zacca and Mr Golding ought to be clear and disciplined about what these mean, especially the latter, lest the post lose the possibility of real importance and meaning. In that regard, our first advice is what the job ought not to be.

We know of Mr Golding's concern about public-sector inertia and log-jams that often delay projects, which the PM deems crucial to job creation and economic growth. Mr Golding used to have someone, acting on his behalf, to get things moving by personal intervention.

That is the job writ small. It can't be Mr Zacca's role to call parish councils or the National Environment and Planning Agency to determine why this or that approval has been delayed, and to act as Mr Golding's proxy in relaying displeasure. He shouldn't be Daryl Vaz.

Mr Zacca must see his role as a robust driver of transformational economic policies and other reforms, whose implementation are critical to Jamaica's future. In other words, part of the job is helping Mr Golding to keep the Government on a clear policy track, and on message.

Academic qualification

As an engineering graduate with a fine record at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mr Zacca has the academic qualification to provide Mr Golding with useful advice and help the administration fashion appropriate policies. But the economic circumstances facing Jamaica are profoundly grave, demanding a wider range of disciplines and experiences than Mr Zacca, or any single individual can muster. This brings us back to one of our early recommendations.

It would be in Mr Golding's interest to appoint a team of top technocrats - a council of wise persons - with deep skills and wide experience, to engage with but not be part of the formal public sector. Their role would include the creation of economic policies and strategies to respond to the crisis, and place Jamaica on a path to sustained growth.

Mr Zacca, having been so empowered, would be, formally, the facilitator of the 'council of wise persons' and its bridge with the prime minister and the public sector in ensuring implementation of agreed policy. In other words, Mr Zacca would be something akin to Mr Golding's policy czar.

It is an assignment, should Mr Golding will it and Mr Zacca grasp the mandate, that will demand great energy.

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