April 2019 Volume 2, Issue 1 CARCAD’s Executive Director Devon Rowe (left) speaks to the Board and Strategic Planning Working Group of the BVTB. T HE Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB) has approved its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. The entire Strategic Planning process was facilitated and supported by CARICAD under the specific guidance of Mr. Franklyn Michael, Programme Specialist and Mrs. Rosemund Warrington, Organisational Development and Human Resources Management Specialist. Their competence, professionalism and commitment to teamwork redounded not only to the benefit of the BVTB as an institution, but to the individual members of the Working Group as well. Continues on Page 2 Pages 6-7 St. Lucia Strategic Plan Underway ………………….…....…………………………………….… Pages 3-5 Anguilla Scoping Mission …………...……………………………………….………………….....… Page 8 CARICAD Intern Says Farewell .………………………………………………………….…………. Page 9-10 CARICAD Charter Focus at UWI Lecture ………..………………...…………………………..… Pages 10-11 1
T his BVTB 2018 – 2022 Strategic Plan is an immediate sequel to the 2014 – 2017 Strategic Plan. The current plan builds upon the preceding Strategic Plan and benefits from the methodology used to develop the earlier one. In making that statement, the following excerpts from the Executive Summary of the 2014 – 2017 Plan remain germane to this Plan: “This Strategic Plan is intended to be a practical action-oriented guide to identify, develop and explain the strategic priorities that the BVTB has set for itself over the next three (3) years. The Plan will enable the BVTB to confirm or reconfirm its strategic goals and objectives. It will provide a rational basis for allocating resources to generate desired results in the future. The Plan emerged from a coordinated and systematic process led by the Senior Management of the BVTB in which members of staff at various levels were afforded the opportunity to contribute to the process. Additionally, input was sought from stakeholders with regard to their perspectives in relation to the BVTB and its work and the direction that the BVTB should take to ensure that it remains relevant, effective and innovative. The Plan is based on a Strategic Management philosophy which sees planning as part of a continuum of continuous analysis, reflection, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Additionally, the concept requires a focus on good governance, effective Human Resources Management, visionary leadership, effective teamwork and mutually supportive partnerships. Against that background, the Plan should be seen as a critical foundation document for the effort to transform the BVTB into a High Performance Organisation based on a Strategic Management philosophy.” The BVTB is a statutory corporation under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training. It is a non-profit institution which receives an annual subvention through its parent ministry. The BVTB was originally mandated to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to unemployed persons. The Occupational Training Act, Cap.42 (1979) gave rise to the National Training Board, which was subsequently renamed the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB). This Act provided for the training of persons for, or in gainful employment in occupations in all branches of economic activity in Barbados. 2
CARCAD’s Executive Director Devon Rowe speaks to members of the St. Lucia Department of Finance. S T. LUCIA’s Department of Finance has partnered with CARICAD in the development of a strategic plan aimed at positioning the department as a leader in public financial management with excellence in service delivery and fiscal stability whilst enabling the sustained socio-economic well-being of all Saint Lucians. The Department of Finance has developed a three-year strategic plan based on the core values of accountability, transparency, professionalism, teamwork and integrity. Some of the Key Result Areas (KRAs) of the plan includes improvement in revenue collection, oversight, monitoring and evaluation, research, policy planning and implementation, debt management, customer service, organisational development and promoting economic growth. Deputy Director of Finance for Administration, Philomene St. Clair said the planning process Deputy Director of Finance for Administration, Philomene St. Clair during her presentation. began in May of 2018. CARICAD was instrumental in the formulation of the draft strategic plan including the mission, vision, core values and mandate for the Department. “We were able to develop our strategic goals, objectives and initiatives; and of course the strategic goals, objectives and initiatives is really the core of the strategic plan because from that we will be able to develop our annual work plans,” St. Clair said. Continues on Page 4 3
In the photos are members of the Strategic Planning Working Group. St. Clair added that the plan will foster greater cohesion and coordination among the various units in the Department of Finance. “The major departments, Inland Revenue, Customs and so on operate with a high level of independence so it is our hope that having developed that strategic plan together that we will be able to present our achievements, report in a more coordinated way and that it would allow us to work more as a team.” Devon Rowe, CARICAD’s Executive Director, stated that CARICAD is focused on improving the administrative capabilities of the 17 Caribbean territories it serves with strategic planning being one of these activities. “Our role here was to help the officers of the Department of Finance to be able to better sequence their activities to ensure that the activities that have been identified are associated with appropriate strategies and that those strategies are costed and they can fit within a budget envelop that the Department of Finance may have. Continues on Page 5 4
In addition the reform process is going to require significant thought, action and even more so, implementation. The P.S. is focused on achieving results and we are here to help.” Rowe added that strategic thinking will allow the department of finance to adapt to varying problematic situations to become more solution-oriented. The strategic plan is in the In the photos are members of the Strategic Planning Working Group. final stages of preparation with approval pending. It is expected to be fully implemented by the end of April. CARICAD’s Programme Specialist Franklyn Michael was lead facilitator for the St. Lucia Strategic Planning process. SOURCE: Adapted from original story by Glen Simon, Communications Specialist, National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, St. Lucia. 5
C ARICAD provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health in Grenada for the staging of a one-day retreat for senior managers. The retreat took place on Wednesday, January 23 at Harmony Cottage, Mount Gay in Grenada. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Health, Social Security and International Business. The more than 30 senior managers were drawn from all major divisions of the ministry. The theme of the retreat was, “The System in Which I Lead – Facing the Challenges”. It was the third retreat held since 2017. The programme included the following presentations: Follow-up actions from the 2018 Retreat A Review of the Ministry of Health’s current Strategic Plan An Update on Projects Managing the 2019 Budget Human Resources Management updates The proceedings were chaired by the Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Mitchell; Minister of Health, the Hon. Nickolas Steele and Permanent Secretary Pauline Peters who both gave special remarks. They underscored the importance of planning for delivering quality health-care, especially to save lives. Technical support by CARICAD was in the provision of a facilitator in the form of Programme Specialist Mr. Franklyn Michael, whose featured presentation was entitled, “The Leadership Management Interface”. CARICAD strongly advocates a conceptual framework for public sector managers in which Leadership and Management although distinct by definition in practice, are interwoven and interrelated, being mutually supportive in the context of Organisational Development. Mr. Michael postulated that the focus of Management tends to be the preservation of the status quo in organisations and strict observance of specific procedures. He pointed out that leadership on the other hand represents, change, innovation and resilience. He used a variety of techniques to share information, however, the core of the presentation was a series of PowerPoint slides. The slides were to: Define and Explain Leadership and Management Compare the two concepts Discuss the organisational setting required for using both Leadership and Management Describe principles and techniques of Leadership and Management Explain tips and techniques to enhance the performance of Public Sector Managers as Leaders The Permanent Secretary, the Chief Medical Officer and an overwhelming majority of the senior managers expressed delight with the information shared and the skill and commitment demonstrated by Mr. Michael in his role as facilitator. They also expressed the hope that CARICAD might be able to return to Grenada for similar presentations dealing with Organisational Development. 6
In the photos, SMB members Grenada engaged in retreats to date. The Government of Grenada approved the continued engagement of CARICAD to support capacity-building in selected topic areas for the Senior Managers Board (SMB) Retreat in Grenada recently. Programme Specialist Franklyn Michael facilitated one in a series of retreats for the SMB (Permanent Secretaries and Heads). The topic for the retreat was, “Leadership and Influence”. The focus was on the principles of personal and interpersonal relationships and how that affects productivity, effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace. The Cabinet Secretary Mrs. Beryl Isaac set the context for the retreat by emphasising the government’s intention to continue working with CARICAD to build capacity in the top ranks of the public service in Grenada. She was among the 25 members of the SMB who attended the retreat. A highlight of the retreat was the practical activities in which the participants engaged. 7
CARICAD’s Franklyn Michael shakes the hand of former Deputy Governor and former CARICAD Board member Stanley Reid. C ARICAD is providing technical expertise to Anguilla with regard to its Public Sector Transformation Programme, with a review of the Deputy Governor’s Office and the Department of Public Administration. As the region’s focal point for transforming and modernising public sectors of Member States to better formulate and implement public policy towards the achievement of sound governance, CARICAD undertook a preliminary two-day scoping visit to Anguilla to meet with the Deputy Governor, Perin Bradley, his staff and key stakeholders. These included Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Department, other senior civil servants, public service unions and staff associations and other relevant stakeholders. The team from CARICAD comprised Mrs. Rosemund Warrington, Assistant Director and Human Resources and Organisation Development Specialist and Mr. Franklyn Michael, Programme Specialist. 8 FROM LEFT: CARICAD’s Rosemund Warrington and Franklyn Michael; Anguilla’s Deputy Governor Perin Bradley; His Excellency, the Governor Tim Foy and some of the Ministers of Government in Anguilla. Public officers in Anguilla engaging with CARICAD team during the Scoping Mission.
SAYING FAREWELL: CARICAD Intern Yinka Jagbir-Garcia, (second right) with CARICAD personnel. From left are Angela Eversley, Franklyn Michael, Rosemund Warrington and Executive Director Devon Rowe. By Yinka Jagbir-Garcia I n February 2019 I was invited to participate in a two-month internship at the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) located in Bridgetown, Barbados. This internship was sponsored by the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility Segregated Portfolio Company (CCRIF SPC). Since graduating from my Master’s programme in 2015 it has been challenging to acquire work experience directly in my field. I hold an MSc. in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development and a BSc. in Agribusiness and Tropical Landscaping (Hons.) from the University of the West Indies (UWI); I also hold a Diploma in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). Thanks to the CCRIF I have been able to partake in projects (closely related to my field) within the region from as early on as 2017. Therefore I was quite surprised but elated when CCRIF contacted me again this year to assist CARICAD in executing some of their projects. The purpose of this internship was to assist in finalising a Disaster Recovery Plan (Post-hurricane) for CARICAD Member States and create a template that can be adapted to suit the needs of the public sector. Continues on Page 10 9
C ARICAD Programme Specialist Franklyn Michael recently delivered a guest lecture at the University of the West Indies. The session was held at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business. He delivered the lecture to students who are pursuing the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Sector Management. The lecture was delivered following an invitation by Dr. Wayne (Charles) Soverall, Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Management. The lecture was identified as follow-up activity under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CARICAD and the UWI Cave Hill campus; especially in relation to sharing public sector transformation experiences and best practices. The focus of the lecture was the CARICAD model for Public Sector Transformation. CARICAD has a new model for Public Sector Transformation. The new paradigm is based on the following: 1. Transformation is not a destination but a continuous journey of change, adaptation and innovation 2. Transformation is cross-cutting and multi-faceted. It is not about a single subject or issue 3. There should be a regional model for transformation 4. Transformation should be developed and implemented on a country-specific basis in each CARICAD member state Continues on Page 11 I was also tasked with undertaking research specifically directed at the principles and practices for improving post-hurricane recovery planning for the ‘blue economy’. Although short, my experience at CARICAD has been one of my most fulfilling work experiences to date. The small team at CARICAD is dedicated and very welcoming. I like that as an intern I was given full autonomy to work on projects, and check in with my supervisor when needed. What I enjoyed most at CARICAD was that it was not simply an internship where I assisted in projects but I was able to participate in capacitybuilding sessions of mutual interest with my supervisor, Programme Specialist Mr. Franklyn Michael as well as with the Assistant Director, Programmes and Planning and Human Resources and Organisation Development Specialist, Mrs. Rosemund Warrington. I also attended a two-day CCRIF Technical Model workshop with Executive Director, Mr. Devon Rowe, which was informative and such a great opportunity to network with specialists in the region. Apart from work, I thoroughly enjoyed conversations with Mr. Michael, who is quite insightful and has a wealth of CARICAD Intern Yinka Jagbir-Garcia. knowledge about a range of topics as it relates to the Caribbean diaspora. As a mid-career professional this internship was very valuable to my career development and I am grateful that I was able to be a part of it. I would definitely recommend future internships at CARICAD. 10
Transformation and Public Financial Management are inextricably interwoven. CARICAD concluded that in the past, Transformation was treated like an event that had a start date and end-date. It was also treated as though there was a single goal, such as better customer service or right-sizing. Right-sizing usually meant reducing numbers on the payroll. The need for a different approach led to the creation by CARICAD of the Charter for Caribbean Public Services in 2015. The Charter identifies components of a professional and effective public service. It establishes a general framework of guiding principles, policies and management mechanisms; reflecting a common commitment of the Public Services of the Caribbean Region to a new approach to Transformation. It is intended to serve as a catalyst for the reform, modernisation and transformation of national public sector entities within the context of each country’s realities and priorities. The lecture was very well received by the students. They immediately requested copies of the PowerPoint presentation that was used to support the lecture. 11
CONGRATULATIONS! CARICAD takes this time to congratulate its Assistant Director, Programmes and Planning, and Human Resources and Organisation Development Specialist, Mrs. Rosemund Warrington on her recent achievement of international certification in Strategic Workforce Planning. The CARICAD Horizon is a regular publication of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD). The Horizon has superseded the “Chronicle”. The Editor-in-Chief is CARICAD’s Executive Director, Devon Rowe. The Production Team comprises: Franklyn Michael, Rosemund Warrington, Angela Eversley and Petra Emmanuel. Previous editions can be viewed at: December 2018: https://publizr.com/caricadsec/caricad-december-2018-newsletter-hl August 2018: https://publizr.com/caricadsec/caricad-august-2018-newsletter-final December 2017: https://publizr.com/caricadsec/caricad-december2017-newsletter July 2017: https://publizr.com/caricadsec/caricad-horizon-july-final The Caribbean Centre for Development Administration, 1st Floor Weymouth Corporate Centre, Roebuck Street, Bridgetown, Barbados Tel: 246-427-8535 Fax: 246-436-1709 Email: caricad@caricad.net Website: www.caricad.net 12
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