December, 2021 Volume 5, Issue 6 A s we prepare to say hello to a new year, after 15 years as Programme Specialist at CARICAD, our very own Franklyn “Frankie” Michael is formally saying goodbye to us. Frankie has held a long and impressive tenure as a public servant and is finally heading into retirement, effective December 31st, 2021. In this special holiday edition of the Horizon, we give you a glance back at some of Frankie’s work throughout the years, beginning with a few words from our Executive Director, Devon Rowe, as well as from our Chairman Mr. Konata Lee, followed by farewell sentiments from some of the people with whom Frankie has worked throughout the years. We also have an interview which was conducted just after the July 2021 edition of the Hurricane Horizon was released. Frankie had single-handedly produced the content for the entire publication, based on his wealth of experience in the area of disaster management. Note that Frankie is also a bit of a photographer so you will see some of his photos throughout this publication. Do enjoy! 1
Devon Rowe, Executive Director of CARICAD I t is not every day that you meet someone who is unusually well-rounded, even though they are specifically trained in Agriculture as well as Project Management. It is not every day that you meet someone who has lived through a volcano, having his home destroyed, who was able to move his family to another island and rebuild his life – from scratch. It is also not every day that you work with someone with a set of skills so diverse that he can create intrinsic bridges to communication throughout the islands of the Caribbean. It is not every day, nor every week, nor year, nor decade that you would ever meet someone just like Franklyn “Frankie” Michael. When I first joined CARICAD as executive director in 2016, I was amazed at Frankie’s ability to convey ideas in writing, with arguments composed in a cogent format. This ability I found to be second to none. It was not just about his technical training but more so his ability to construct thoughts from technical activities. This talent for constructing logic that fits with wider public sector management was extremely useful to the work of CARICAD. It should therefore be no surprise that Frankie as an excellent speaker and practically a walking lexicon, has been able to meet with many high -level country leaders, and had the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. He possessed the communicative competence to articulate what he had to say, in the appropriate context, so that anyone could understand. The diversity he brought to CARICAD extended to the sessions that he facilitated. He was always able to teach seamlessly, without it seeming like a job, which was just another dimension to the variegated person that is Frankie Michael. He was able to bring a welcoming air of comfort and warmth into each session to make the completion of tasks more Continues on next page 2
Continued from previous page manageable. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the content of this newsletter as it was handled with great care equivalent to it being TOP SECRET by our team. It took a few weeks to gather all of the information from our contributors, and even more time to gather photos because Frankie was always the point person in that regard. He took photos in every port that he travelled to, and it was no easy task attempting to caption his photos without his help. In addition, he was frequently behind the camera! He set the tone in the selection of photos and content for CARICAD’s publications and has been hands-on with the CARICAD newsletters from the days of the Chronicle to its rebranding as the Horizon. This Newsletter is the only time in six years that he has not contributed to its production, and yet he does by being the subject of the edition. That said, please enjoy our efforts at showcasing some of the most memorable events Frankie shared while at CARICAD, and feel free to ‘smile a while’ if you see yourself inside this special edition. We wish Frankie and his family all the success possible as he moves to a new phase of life and service. 3
By Konata Lee, Chairman of CARICAD’s Board of Directors I t’s not where the journey begins but where it takes you. Although life is full of twists and turns, ups and downs it usually balances itself out with a fair share of surprises. Some of us are considered to be numbered among the lucky ones but others make their own luck and forge their own paths to success and happiness. I am certain that when Franklyn Michael was a boy growing up in Antigua he fancied himself as football or cricketing talent as any other boy on the island at that time, but, as life would have it, his journey would be on another plane. Everyone who knows Frankie, as he is affectionately known, from his earliest years until now remarks that he has always been most engaging and charming. I am certain that he would have a few more adjectives to add and if he didn’t, we would have to ask the imposter where the man that we have all become so fond of has gone. Frankie, the gentleman we all know, exudes the values and attributes that define his upbringing. He is not just a polite and always willingly helpful person; he is resilient, courageous, empathetic, empowering, principled and positive. He is a very proud husband and father and I am certain that his family treasures him for the love and commitment that he has always shown. I believe that he prides himself as being a man of the Caribbean, but truth Frankie has become synonymous with CARICAD during these last almost 20 years., offering invaluable input at every team meeting. be told his idea of regionalism did not include uprooting his family from the place where he had found peace, tranquility and love. It was not very long after university that Frankie readily submitted to a life of love on the island of Montserrat. He truly Continues on next page 4
Continued from previous page followed his heart in every way. With that heartwarming smile, inviting personality, dedication and competence it did not take long for Frankie to become a part of the wider Montserrat family. He excelled through the Public Service and many opportunities arose to participate regionally not only in the field of agriculture but also as a highly respected disaster and risk manager. Very few of us can imagine the horror, fear and uncertainty that Frankie and his family were faced with between 1995 and 1997, after the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in Montserrat, distorting life as everyone once knew it. What to do? Where to go? Where to begin? These were all questions that had to be asked but no one could give him the answers. No, not in that moment but being the courageous and positive thinking individual we all know, he was able to figure it out. He picked up the pieces and rebuilt everything with purpose and a humble yet powerful resolve. Frankie has become synonymous with CARICAD during these last almost 20 years. He has mentored many, assisted more than a few while inspiring countless. He is a man for all seasons and all people. He is a gifted speaker and conversationalist, a cricket commentator and a lover of the game. He is a consummate professional and teacher. He is what every Public Servant should want to be, selfless but committed, competent and confident, fearless yet gentle. As he transitions to another chapter of his journey I am reassured that he will continue to impact the lives of all those whom he meets whether great or lowly; Frankie Michael we all wish you well and God’s blessing on all your future endeavours. 5
By Jennifer Astaphan, Former CARICAD Executive Director F rankie joined CARICAD at a time when we were expanding and his personality and skill at writing helped in the steady publication of the CARICAD newsletter [See Page 7]. He also helped in driving our initiatives in strategic planning. His love for the English language and his flair for expression made him the office editor. Frankie’s personality was such that he was gregarious and in every member state CARICAD served or after every regional meeting, workshop or seminar Frankie knew every single participant by name and even what might be their favourite food or drink. He got to know their families, their children where possible, and helped to promote CARICAD as a household name. Frankie was relentless as an advocate for CARICAD especially within the British Overseas Territories such as Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands where he had lived and worked. He encouraged their membership and participation and assisted in getting them fully involved in CARICAD’s activities. I am sure that Frankie’s retirement will not be the end of his busy life and his plans for writing. I wish him God’s blessings for a healthy and fulsome retirement and best wishes for his success in any new ventures. Many thanks Frankie for all your support during my tenure at CARICAD. Former CARICAD Executive Director Jennifer Astaphan. 6
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By Julian Rogers Managing Director of the Jamaica Observer I t isn't easy to talk about your friends with the general public. Chances are, things you say about your friends may be too much for some to stomach, cause your friend embarrassment and put an end to the friendship. So I run the risk of ending a decades-long friendship with Frankie Michael. I hope by the end of this piece that our friendship will be enhanced and go on for a long, long time. We met when Frankie was still attending the famous Grammar School in Antigua. It was 1971, and I worked then at the newly launched Radio ZDK as Deputy Programme Director, morning man and news producer. One Saturday morning, a group of young people arrived at the station to host the Antigua Grammar School Hour, and Frankie was among them, led by Franklyn Francis, who would go on to be King Frank-i. The members of this group would become some of the brightest ever coming out of Grammar School. Fast forward when our paths crossed as Frankie became the Director of Agriculture of Montserrat, and I was the Head of the English language service of Radio Antilles, a station with a massive footprint across the Eastern Caribbean. The station served the banana producing countries, and we carried some programmes targeting that market. However, I felt that we needed to use experts rather than in-house talent to make and present the programmes. We reached out to Frankie Michael, and soon we had a team of three agricultural experts presenting a brand new show called Roots. Station producer Linda Walrond and I worked on their radio skills. Frankie was natural at dispensing information, but his love and knowledge of Caribbean music was a welcome addition. The result was a very entertaining and informative series. Continues on next page 8
Frankie has an abiding faith in people and never gives up on encouraging and building new friendships. It is the mark of his personality which has endeared him to so many. Continued from previous page Our friendship thrived in this environment as we shared long conversations about the future of the Caribbean. Such discussions persist until today. Our paths would continue to cross since though I left Montserrat; I ended up returning from time to time and visiting him and his family. We would stay in good touch as Frankie worked as a consultant to the government of the British Virgin Islands, and I had the pleasure of staying with him on my first visit. Barbados would be the next solid connection. Frankie and his family moved there after giving yeoman service to the island during the height of Montserrat's most challenging years with the Soufriere Hills volcano. Here I would visit him at CARICAD, where he served with distinction in a role which I am sure he enjoyed most. His position allowed him to pull together his regional experiences to mentor and build a new core of regional civil servants committed to the work required to drive development objectives. Frankie has an abiding faith in people and never gives up on encouraging and building new friendships. It is the mark of his personality which has endeared him to so many. At this stage, as Frankie contemplates retirement, I am reminded of the words of my father, who said that one should not retire unless you are ready to be fossilised. As an expert in agriculture, his first love, I am sure that Frankie will not likely become a relic of the past. I am sure that he will emerge as a new bloom from fresh seed planted in the ground of Caribbean development. And I expect to be assured of our continued friendship. 9
CARICAD’s Franklyn Michael and Rosemund Warrington at a CARICAD Board Meeting. By Rosemund Warrington, Assistant Director and HR/OD specialist at CARICAD G years. What I like best about Frankie is that he is a good man at heart. He and I have been not only colleagues but friends from the very first day we met. Through the years, we have always respected each other as professionals, and worked as a team through very challenging times. When I look back at the incredible achievements we have been part of at CARICAD, I am forever grateful. Memories of working with someone as totally dedicated and amazingly generous as Frankie will definitely be hard to forget. Frankie is an excellent mentor to so many and a wonderful colleague to all of us at CARICAD. His dedication to CARICAD never fell short. His value to the team cannot be ood colleagues are the kind of people you can rely on. And Frankie is definitely one of those. I have known Frankie for the past 17 overstated. Our wonderful, knowledgeable colleague with entertaining life lessons and stories that lessen our work pressure. But it's time for a different adventure for him to pursue. He will be surely missed. We truly appreciate Frankie for his sterling contribution to public sector transformation, and positive impact whether advisory, capacity development or mentoring young professionals across the region. The region will forever remember his contributions and the influence he had on so many. Thank you for your professionalism and unwavering dedication. Congratulations, my dear colleague, on a fantastic career and job well done! It has been my honour working with a colleague as amazing as you are. May your retirement be the blessing you deserve. 10
CARICAD’s representatives Rosemund Warrington (left) and Franklyn Michael at a high-level scoping mission in Anguilla in recent years. CARICAD’s Franklyn Michael travelled to many member states to facilitate the work of CARICAD. 11
I n March 2020, CARICAD and the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB) joined together to celebrate 40 years of sterling service to the citizens of Barbados and the wider region. During an official Tree-Planting Ceremony to commemorate the two organisations’ 40th Anniversaries at the BVTB’s Sayes Court location, Programme Specialist at CARICAD, Franklyn “Frankie” Michael, revealed that he had many other skills, while stating that he is proud of the work that CARICAD had been able to do with the BVTB. These photos, most with Director of the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB), Henderson Thompson (in turquoise shirt), show the planting of trees on that day. Frankie’s vast knowledge of agriculture was certainly a boon for the team, as he seems to offer advice at first, then decides to get his hat to show how it should really be done. 12 Well done, Frankie! It should be noted that the hard-working lady from BVTB dressed in white alongside Frankie in these photos is actually his wife of over 40 years, Jennifer Michael. As we can see here, they are certainly an A-Team when it comes to working together! We at CARICAD will always treasure moments like these that show Frankie’s uniqueness.
Known for his ability to captivate an audience with his melodic voice, of course our Frankie would take the microphone to say a few words on the behalf of CARICAD. 13
I n July 2021, shortly after the release of CARICAD’s 2021 Hurricane Preparedness Horizon Newsletter, Programme Specialist at CARICAD Franklyn Michael shared his thoughts on Disaster Management with the media. What is your primary role at CARICAD? In many ways I am considered the generalist on our team. My lead responsibilities are in the areas of Strategic Planning, Communications and Disaster Management. However, I provide support to colleagues in our Organisation Development, Capacity Development and training initiatives and assignments. You mentioned Disaster Management – Is there a relationship between your role and the subject of Disaster Management? Yes there is. The Caribbean is regarded by experts as the second most vulnerable region to natural hazards in the world. Hazard-impacts interrupt our development thrust. Money spent repairing an existing hospital cannot be used to build a new school. Public officers don’t get new equipment if the economy slumps after a hurricane event. CARICAD’s work in Public Transformation is ultimately aimed at supporting Sustainable Development. So, promoting public sector Transformation must include a strong emphasis on making our organisations more Resilient. We need organisational as well as community and household Resilience. Resilience is a pillar of the development strategy of CARICOM as stated in the CARICOM Strategic Plan. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and CARICAD are committed to Resilience. That commitment to Resilience is the foundation for the cooperation that we have between CARICAD and CDEMA. CARICAD and CDEMA have had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for five years now. Resilience is at the core of CDEMA’s CDM strategy. Resilience is also an aspirational outcome of CARICAD’s Charter for Caribbean Public Services. I take the operational lead for CARICAD with CDEMA under the MOU and also in delivering CARICAD’s tools and techniques that support Disaster Management in our general work setting. Continues on next page 14
In training sessions, Frankie has often shared with participants his own real-life experiences — how disasters impact peoples’ lives in the Caribbean in terms of death, damage, destruction, delay, disorder and disruption. Continued from previous page We understand that you are very passionate about Disaster Management, why is that? In answering this question my mind immediately goes to an extract from the work of Dr. Asha Kambon – Disaster Risk Reduction Consultant. It says: Since 1950, the region has been hit on average, by seven disasters per year that have killed hundreds of thousands of people and affected millions more. Annual damage in the Caribbean accounts for 40 per cent of global damage. Caribbean small states have suffered more damage at greater frequency than both other small and larger states. Climate Change is expected to exacerbate these effects by increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, affecting the livelihood of the populations, and harming the essential assets their insufficiently diversified economies rely on. While that is what the distinguished Caribbean expert said, I have seen with my own eyes, how disasters impact peoples’ lives in the Caribbean in terms of death, damage, destruction, delay, disorder and disruption. I have seen and experienced the despair that disasters induce. Lives are lost and livelihoods are destroyed. Some people are made poor for life after a disaster. I have seen disaster events in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis. And I only just referred to locations in which I have personally seen the effects or experienced the events for myself. I am also aware of the global significance of disasters. Currently 400 000 people are refugees from a volcano in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. That is more that the population of any Eastern Caribbean island. My family and I have experienced massive financial and material losses because of a disaster. We lost our home and most of its contents without a dollar of compensation paid to us by insurance during the volcanic crisis in Montserrat. I have been a Disaster Coordinator, a Disaster Management Consultant, a trainer, a full-time Continues on next page 15
Continued from previous page Director of an Emergency Operations Centre, Permanent Secretary in Emergency Management and a volunteer in Disaster Management. I am convinced that we can lessen the impacts of these events and reduce our risks if we work systematically from policy, through strategy, legislation, training, work implementation, monitoring and evaluation. I hope that gives you an idea as to why I am so passionate about Risk and Vulnerability Reduction. Frankie was not only passionate about Risk and Vulnerability Reduction, but also about his workshop facilitation techniques. This is an example of Frankie asking participants to get up and get moving during a session. CARICAD recently circulated a Hurricane Preparedness newsletter and your name was credited for the research behind the newsletter and all the original articles. Can you tell us more about the process of gathering this information? The 2021 edition is the second of its kind produced by CARICAD. Continues on next page 16
“I am convinced that we can lessen the impacts of these events and reduce our risks if we work systematically from policy, through strategy, legislation, training, work implementation, monitoring and evaluation.” - Franklyn Michael. Here he was at a training session where he shared similar sentiments. Continued from previous page We produced the first one last year. The research started with me critically reviewing the content we had in the 2020 edition. I then identified the articles that would still be relevant in 2021. I reviewed and revised those and then turned my attention to new material. I relied a great deal on the Internet for the cited/sourced articles. I tried to find the most authoritative sources of information for the particular subject matter, then I scripted the new articles. Those arose out of both my personal and professional experiences. Finally, I prepared the manuscript for review by our Executive Director – Mr. Devon Rowe and subsequent formatting and setting by our expert. My part of the process took about two weeks of intense work, including a lot of after-hours time at home in addition to the regular time at the office. Your poem the newsletter (See on Page 22) about experiencing a hurricane is very vivid. What was your main source of inspiration for writing that piece? Oh, a lot of people seem to like the poem. The main inspiration was what I had lived through during the passage of Hurricane Hugo. It devastated Montserrat in 1987. In a way, it was as if I was reliving the experience. I also drew on experiences of friends and colleagues in our member states who experienced the hurricanes of 2017. I wrote the poem in less than an hour at home. Apart from what you described in the newsletter; can you tell us more about what CARICAD does in relation to addressing the issues relating to natural disasters? Are there other documents that someone who is interested can download? I would be happy to do that. CARICAD has produced several documents that might be of interest. I mentioned the 2020 Hurricane Edition of our newsletter before. We produced a COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan template also in 2020. We developed a Guide for Public Sector Managers for Hurricane Recovery Planning Continues on next page 17
Continued from previous page and we also produced a Model Hurricane Recovery Strategy template. These can be downloaded from the website. And our BE, KNOW, DO, HAVE Framework in the 2021 edition should be very helpful to leaders and managers in crisis situations. I adapted it for hurricanes, specifically in the newsletter. We have other tools and frameworks such as the Recovery Schema that is also in the 2021 Hurricane Edition of our newsletter. If you had the opportunity to leave a brief message with regional leaders about dealing with the Region’s vulnerability what would you say? I would say the following: 1. Make sure we have appropriate long-term development plans that treat with our vulnerability, nor ignore it. Put emphasis on matters such as physical planning, urban development, agriculture for food production, tourism development, relocation and redundancy of our critical infrastructure. We need long- and medium-term integrated planning that is line with the CARICOM Heads of Government’s decision to make Results Based Management the key method of Strategic Planning in the Region. We need all Continues on next page 18
Continued from previous page major political parties to agree that vulnerability reduction is a national and regional priority for every country in the Region. Guyana might not experience hurricanes but it sometimes has devastating floods. 2. Accept the fact that Climate Change will make us more vulnerable to hurricanes and storms and plan accordingly. We need to redefine Disaster Mitigation to include a much greater emphasis on Climate Change Adaptation. 3. Set up and maintain more appropriate mechanisms for monitoring construction methods and enforcing Building Codes. 4. Deepen cross-sectoral economic planning, both regionally and nationally, that is collectively as a region and in each country: Environment Agriculture Fisheries Tourism Health Education Infrastructure 5. Involve, engage and empower of our people to build capacity for IMPLEMENTATION. Too many people are happy to TALK a good day’s work. We need to meet Goals and achieve the Results. In other words, we need top produce the desired Outputs not just the pretty sounding words. 6. Speak louder and maintain a unified voice globally at all relevant fora. Base our stances on global science but respect the knowledge of our own people. 7. Invest more time and money in documenting the management lessons learnt in previous disasters. Our region should be generating material that can teach all small island developing states but we cannot do it if we do not make the effort to produce the books, case studies and videos. Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you and I would be happy for us to continue this discussion at some point in the future. Thank you on behalf of CARICAD. 19
“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 capacity-building sessions of mutual interest with my supervisor, Programme Specialist Mr. Franklyn Michael.” - Yinka Jagbir-Garcia, former CARICAD Intern Yinka Jagbir-Garcia, former CARICAD Intern. 20
Frankie was always a great facilitator, bringing a welcoming air of comfort and warmth into each session to make the completion of tasks more manageable. 21
These are just a few of the beautiful photographs taken by Frankie throughout the years.
THE TEAM Previous editions can be viewed at: 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, Dr. Lois Parkes, Trudy Waterman, Angela Eversley and Petra Emmanuel. October 2021 Special Hurricane Edition June 2021 March 2021 October 2020 July-August 2020 Special Hurricane Edition June 2020 Special COVID-19 Edition May 2020 March 2020 December 2019 October 2019 Board Meeting 2019 Special Edition April 2019 December 2018 August 2018 December 2017 July 2017 24
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