The Isle of Man Government has today published a suite of reports marking the end of the 2025/26 financial year, including the final programme report for the Island Plan 2021–2026.
The final report provides an overview of achievements, delivery and outcomes across the five workstreams, strategic priorities and wider programme activity throughout the lifetime of the Island Plan.
Alfred Cannan MHK, Chief Minister, said:
‘The Island Plan has been an ambitious programme of work delivered during a period of considerable global and economic challenge, including responding to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, cost of living pressures and global conflicts. While there is always more to do, the report demonstrates that despite these challenges, the Island Plan has ensured a sustained commitment to delivery, reform and responsible management of public finances, helping to protect and prepare the Island for the future.’
Over the lifetime of the Island Plan, 161 milestones have been completed, ranging from major and complex initiatives to smaller actions designed to support wider programmes of work aligned to the Government’s strategic priorities.
At the end of the reporting period, 30 milestones remain in progress. Appendix 1 sets out the expected position of each by the end of July 2026, by which time all are expected to have either been completed or substantially progressed, providing a strong foundation for consideration by the next administration.
Appendix 2 of the report provides an update on the recommendations from the independent review into the Isle of Man Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, an important piece of work intended to ensure lessons learned continue to inform future planning, preparedness and resilience arrangements across government.
As at the end of March 2026, of the 31 recommendations identified within the review, 14 have been completed, with the remaining 17 in progress, 11 of which are expected to complete by the end of July 2026, and three by the end of 2026. The remaining three are longer term recommendations.
This suite of documents also includes the first annual report for the Efficiencies and Change Programme, marking 12 months since the Programme was formally launched and the ambition set to achieve at least £50m in efficiencies and savings within five years.
At the end of the 2025/26 financial year, the Programme has reported that over £15 million in potential benefits have been identified, with more than £4 million of these having been realised. This will equate to over £10 million in recurring savings over five years.
The annual report also sets out how the programme will transition into an acceleration phase in 2026/27, enabling Departments, to take greater ownership of delivery and embedding efficiencies more directly into day-to-day operations and long-term planning.
The latest Size of the Public Service Workforce report (January-March 2026) continues the commitment to transparency on this important topic and represents the sixth quarterly report of its kind. The report shows that the total workforce increased during the quarter by 53.08 FTE (+0.67%), with the largest increase attributable to Manx Care, reflecting continued emphasis on strengthening frontline healthcare provision.
More broadly, workforce changes remain consistent with expected recruitment activity and normal workforce turnover.
Across all Departments, work is continuing to agree establishment levels for 2026/27 to enable future reporting to distinguish more clearly between filled and vacant posts, providing a more accurate reflection of underlying workforce growth rather than changes driven by turnover or replacement recruitment.
The full reports are available on the Isle of Man Government website.
Island Plan: Final Programme Report 2021-2026
- Appendix 1: Island Plan Quarterly Report: January – March 2026
- Appendix 2: Isle of Man Government Response to the Independent Covid Review
Efficiencies and Change Programme Annual Report: April 2025 – March 2026
Size of the Public Service Workforce Report: January 2026 –March 2026
