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November ♦ 2004 Vol. 1 ♦ No. 1
NEW COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
efore you, on your
computer screen, is the
first issue of the CARICAD
Chronicle.
We are pleased to introduce this
e-newsletter as our newest medium
of communication. It will be
published every two months and
distributed to readers worldwide by
email.
The Chronicle is an integral part
of CARICAD’s new pro-active
public information and
communication strategy which
focuses on promoting and
maintaining dialogue with our
valued stakeholders.
It will facilitate timelier
dissemination of information about
our activities and programmes
around the Caribbean and highlight
the importance and value of what
we do.
Mrs. Jennifer Astaphan
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (ag.)
“We are not only seeking to
improve public awareness of
CARICAD but also to promote
better public understanding of
issues directly related to our area of
expertise, namely, public sector
transformation and modernization,”
says newly appointed acting
Executive Director, Mrs. Jennifer
Astaphan.
Mrs. Astaphan, an attorney-at-
law, took up duties on July 1. She
has had an outstanding career as a
public servant in her native
Dominica and as a technocrat with
the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS).
As a regional organization
founded two decades ago,
CARICAD’s mandate is to assist
member governments to improve
efficiency and to contribute to
strengthening the public sector’s
capacity to cope with an ever
changing global environment.
Kindly send us your comments
and suggestions. Your feedback is
valuable and welcome. Our email
address is [email protected]
Meantime, enjoy your reading!
‘EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IS KEY’ hat the CARICOM
Single Market and
Economy (CSME) will mean for
Caribbean Public Services was the
subject of a lively roundtable
discussion at this year’s Eighth
Annual Policy Forum organized by
CARICAD.
Debating the topic “How can we
effectively lead our Public Services
into the CSME?”, four
distinguished panelists agreed that
Public Services will be operating in
a constantly evolving environment
and it is the quality of leadership
that ultimately will make a
difference.
“We need to have persons in the
Public Service who share the vision
and can pass it down to the lowest
rank for them to understand that it
is not business as usual,” was how
Operations Manager at the CSME
Implementation Unit, Ms. Thelma
Joseph, summed it up.
Other panelists were Deputy
General Secretary of the Barbados
Workers Union, Mr. Robert
Morris; President of the Antigua
Chamber of Commerce, Mr.
Clarvis Joseph; and Deputy
Permanent Secretary in Trinidad
and Tobago’s Ministry of the
Public Service, Ms. Myrna
Thompson.
....continued on page 2
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
A St Lucia Ministry’s mission
of change -- Page 2.
Historic public sector dialogue
takes shape in Antigua – Page
3.
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CSME and the Public Service
….continued from Page 1
The moderator was newly-
elected Chairman of CARICAD,
and Antigua and Barbuda’s Chief
Establishments Officer, Mr. Hazel
Spencer.
A unique gathering of public
sector, business and civil society
representatives from CARICAD’s
14 member countries and
territories, the Policy Forum is a
much-anticipated annual event
which allows the region’s social
partners to exchange
ideas and perspectives
on key issues.
With the CSME
generating considerable
regional debate in the
run-up to the proposed
start-up date of January
1, 2005, this year’s
policy forum which was
held in Barbados,
sought to make an
informed contribution
by examining the
implications of CSME
for CARICAD’s main
constituency – the
public sector.
As the panelists saw it, public
sector leadership will have to be
dynamic, visionary and creative if
the CSME is to achieve its promise
of enhancing regional development
through the creation of a single
economic space allowing free
movement of goods and services,
people and capital to support an
expansion of business activity.
“We have to accept that we are
the new visionaries of where our
single economic space is going to
go,” said Mr. Joseph. “…To the
extent that we are successful is the
extent to which we are prepared to
apply creative thinking, realize our
responsibility to be visionaries, and
commit ourselves to experiment.”
It was particularly crucial, Mr.
Joseph added, for the public sector
to demonstrate a clear
understanding of the needs of
business when taking decisions
which impact particularly on
investment. Swift and timely
decisions are a must, he
emphasized, “because that’s critical
on whether money gets used today
or doesn’t get used.”
A LIGHT MOMENT DURING
THE DISCUSSION. From left:
Ms. Thelma Joseph, Mr. Robert
Morris, Ms. Myrna Thompson,
Mr. Hazel Spencer and Mr.
Clarvis Joseph (at podium)
“That is going to be a new
dimension of leadership within the
CSME that we (business people)
are going to demand because I am
not going to move from Antigua to
open up business in Barbados, or
Trinidad ,or Grenada, if I am going
to get the run-around,” he
explained.
Mr. Morris identified an
opportunity for public servants to
exercise leadership through
demystifying the CSME so that the
man-in-the-street can understand
what it is about and connect with
the process.
The challenge is to “make sure
that the CSME does not remain as
some virtual thing,” Mr. Morris
said. “You have to make it real. A
lot of people don’t understand.
They can’t conceptualize the
reality.”
According to the
Barbadian trade
unionist and historian,
a CSME-type
arrangement existed
in the region when it
was inhabited 2,000
years ago by the
aboriginal peoples –
the Arawaks, Incas,
etc. “It can happen
again,” he said. “I
want you to see
CSME as a process
that will take several
years to become a
reality. We are at the
beginning of a
wonderful process.”
Ms. Thompson examined the
CSME in the context of a detailed
presentation on Trinidad and
Tobago’s Vision 2020, a blueprint
for the country’s future
development. She outlined various
steps being taken to enhance the
enabling environment for the
private sector to effectively play its
role as the engine of growth.
“They (the private sector) are also
the prime movers and shakers in
terms of achieving the objectives of
the CSME,” she observed.
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Caricad ChronicleCaricad ChronicleCaricad ChronicleCaricad Chronicle
GOAL OF SUPREME SERVICE Education Ministry pursues new business culture
ARICAD is playing a key
supporting role as St
Lucia’s Ministry of Education,
Human Resource Development,
Youth and Sports attempts a
transition from a traditional
‘command- driven’ to a modern
‘service-driven’ arm of
government.
On August 1,
CARICAD
began
implementing a
change
management
project under
which Ms. Cindy
Emmanuel, a St.
Lucian with an
extensive
background in
education, will
be stationed
inside the
Ministry for one
year, in the first
instance, to work
as a change
management
consultant. The
former secondary
school principal
was hired by
CARICAD
specifically to
guide and oversee the
transformation process.
“By the end of the year, we are
hoping to achieve five objectives,”
says Ms. Emmanuel. “They all
support one overall goal which is to
ensure that the Ministry delivers
better service to both its internal
and external customers.”
Objectives include setting
performance targets for each
department, unit and employee that
reflect a new customer service
orientation; defining the roles
and responsibilities of each
department, unit and employee;
conducting a training needs
analysis with special emphasis on
skills and competencies; and
providing training in and
promoting strategies for a
customer service orientation.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
TRAINING: Consultant Ms.
Cindy Emmanuel (standing)
explains to Education Ministry
employees how to design a
customer service manifesto.
CARICAD’s intervention is at
the specific request of the
Ministry and was made possible
through the CARICAD
Institutional Strengthening
Project (CISP), being funded by
the Department for
International Development
(DFID) of the United Kingdom.
The Education Ministry’s project
fits into a wider change process
which the Office of Public Sector
Reform (OPSR) is implementing
for the entire St Lucian Public
Service and which has the same
goal of improving customer
service.
Since her
appointment four
months ago, Ms.
Emmanuel has
pursued a hectic
agenda. She has
been carrying out
market research,
having meetings
with stakeholders
of the Ministry,
selling the project
to staff,
encouraging their
full participation in
the process, and
offering words of
reassurance where
anxieties exist.
Organizational
change has been on
the Ministry’s
agenda for several
years now.
Through diagnostic
studies, the changes necessary for
transforming the Ministry into a
service centre were identified and
documented.
However, until CARICAD
provided the services of Ms.
Emmanuel, resource constraints
made it challenging for the
Ministry to assign someone full
time to manage the transition
process.
…….continued on page 5
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Caricad Chronicle
CONSENSUS FOR COOPERATION Historic Public Sector dialogue takes shape
ntigua and Barbuda’s new
Government, led by Prime
Minister Hon. Baldwin Spencer, is
benefiting from CARICAD’s
wealth of expertise in public
administration as it aims to be an
efficient, high performance
administration.
In two separate missions to St
John’s, the Antiguan capital, since
September, representatives of
CARICAD held wide-ranging
discussions with the Prime
Minister, Cabinet Ministers,
Permanent Secretaries, and other
senior officials to identify and
agree on key issues to be addressed
in the CARICAD intervention.
Mrs. Rosemond Warrington
PROGRAMME SPECIALIST
Recognizing the crucial role of
the Public Service in implementing
the programme of every elected
government, the assignment gives
priority to achieving a harmonized
relationship between Cabinet
Ministers, Permanent Secretaries
and senior officials, based on a
clear definition and understanding
of their respective roles in national
governance.
CARICAD has engaged Mr.
Charles Maynard, a former
Dominican government minister
and permanent secretary, as the
lead consultant on the project
which is being undertaken
through the DFID-funded
CARICAD Institutional
Strengthening Programme
(CISP). Mr. Maynard will work
closely with CARICAD’s team
of experts based at its
headquarters in Barbados.
“The intervention will enable
the Government of Antigua and
Barbuda to have a clear and
shared vision as well as an action
programme to which both
Ministers and Permanent
Secretaries
subscribe harmoniously through
clearly defined roles,” explains
Senior Advisor on Public Sector
Reform, Richard Madavo.
In a subsequent mission from
October 4-15, Mr. Maynard and
CARICAD Programme
Specialist, Mrs. Rosemund
Warrington, conducted
interviews with 30 officials
including the Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister, Cabinet
Ministers, Permanent Secretaries
and senior officials.
The discussion examined the
new role of Cabinet and
Permanent Secretaries in the
changing world of the 21st
Century, as well as issues
surrounding the new
environment in which
government business is
conducted within the context of
public sector modernization.
The next phase of the
intervention involves the hosting
of separate retreats for Cabinet
Ministers and Permanent
Secretaries, followed by a
combined retreat for both groups.
Afterwards, CARICAD will
produce a report summarizing
major points of agreement and
listing other necessary
recommendations.
Prime Minister Spencer, whose
administration was elected to office
seven months ago, has identified
transformation and modernization
of the public sector as critical to
Antigua and Barbuda’s future.
“Public Sector transformation is
fundamental if we are to succeed in
CARICOM and if we are to survive
in the Free Trade Area of the
Americas,” he told trade union
leaders at a recent meeting .
SAD LOSS FOR REGION
ARICAD lost a valued
colleague and partner
when internationally respected
management expert, Mr. Gordon
Draper, died suddenly in a British
hospital on August 11 from a brain
haemorrhage.
The former University of the
West Indies academic and Trinidad
and Tobago Government Minister
has worked on various
Governance-related projects for
CARICAD over the years. His
latest assignments were to be in St
Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda
under the CARICAD Institutional
Strengthening Project (CISP).
Mr. Draper , who was 55, fell ill
on his way home from attending a
conference in South Africa. He will
be sadly missed.
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Caricad Chronicle
BUILDING CAPACITY IN
MONTSERRAT
n response to a request from
the Government of
Montserrat, CARICAD has been
assisting the Office of the Chief
Minister to develop and enhance its
Corporate Plan in keeping with
budgeting requirements of the
Ministry of Finance.
Last year, the Ministry of
Finance mandated all Ministries
and Departments to submit
Corporate Plans to inform the 2004
Budget. However, it was realized
that several Ministries and
Departments did not have the
necessary institutional capacity to
complete this task in a timely
manner.
Following an official request to
CARICAD for assistance, Senior
Advisor for Public Sector Reform,
Mr. Richard Madavo, and
Programme Specialist, Mrs.
Rosemund Warrington, undertook a
mission to Montserrat from
September 21-24.
They facilitated a strategic
planning workshop in which about
25 senior officials participated to
improve their knowledge and skills
in strategic planning. The
participants were not only from the
Chief Minister’s office but other
Ministries and Departments as
well.
The five-year corporate plan,
which will be reviewed annually,
seeks to establish a sound,
systematic basis for the
programmes, activities and budget
of the Office of the Chief Minister.
The annual reviews are for the
purpose of making modifications
and submissions to the Ministry
of Finance for budgetary
purposes.
“We ended up with an annual
work plan that shows what
strategic objectives are guiding
the Department every year,
including the activities, costs and
responsibilities that are linked to
those strategic objectives,”
explains Mr. Madavo.
Mr. Richard Madavo
SENIOR ADVISOR
The exercise involved the
refinement and/or development
of mission, vision, value
statements, goals, strategic
objectives and performance
indicators for the Office of the
Chief Minister. It also involved
identifying opportunities,
analyzing problems, establishing
priorities and needs that
ultimately will determine the
allocation of budget resources.
On conclusion of the project,
the Office of the Chief Minister
will assist other Departments to
develop their own corporate
plans which ultimately are aimed
at improving overall government
efficiency and delivering better
service to citizens. Assistance for
the project was through the
CARICAD Institutional
Strengthening Project (CISP).
SUPREME SERVICE
………..continued from page 3
At a workshop on October 18,
the process made a major step
forward. Staff of various
departments and units brainstormed
on their roles in effecting
organizational change as they
discussed the development of
customer service manifestos
(CSMs) for each department and
unit. A CSM is essentially an
agreement telling customers what
they can expect in terms of service.
It also specifies avenues for redress
in cases where service falls below
the agreed level.
“If (the process) is implemented
as discussed, I think there will be a
very big impact on the positive
side,” says Richard Madavo,
CARICAD’s Senior Adviser on
Public Sector Reform after
participating in the workshop and
observing the enthusiasm of
participants. Additional workshops
are planned.
ABOUT THIS
E-NEWSLETTER
Caricad Chronicle is a bi-
monthly electronic newsletter
produced by the Caribbean
Centre for Development
Administration (CARICAD).
Articles may be freely
reproduced. However, we request
in such cases that Caricad
Chronicle is identified as the
source.
Our address is:
1st Floor. Weymouth Corporate
Centre, Roebuck St., Bridgetown,
Barbados.
Tel: 246-427-8535/6.
Fax: 246-436-1709.
E-mail:[email protected]
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