December 2017 Volume 1, Issue 2 Mr. Devon Rowe took up the position of Executive Director (ED) of CARICAD on September 12th, 2016. The Horizon Production team caught up with Mr. Rowe and asked him to reflect on his first year at the helm of CARICAD and also to share his perspectives on the way forward. HORIZON: How would you describe your first year as Executive Director at CARICAD? ROWE: It was very challenging but very rewarding. It was challenging because coming into CARICAD there was no visible presence of CARICAD, no current strategic plan and our website needed to be updated. So from the point of view of the visibility of CARICAD, it was extremely limited. I believe that over the last year or so not only have we updated our strategic plan, and begun implementing against it, we have also revamped our website and improved on it, and we have also started outreach to a number of organisations and institutions. We have been confirmed as the legacy organisation for the Caribbean Leadership Project and as a result our services are likely to be in greater demand as we go forward. There are a number of Memoranda of Understanding that we are pursuing, some in a more advanced state than others. We have signed an agreement with CDEMA which is already in effect and I believe that we are setting the pace for the coming year as we move forward to complete this first phase of strategic planning and execution. Continues on Pages 2&3 A Year at the Helm—Executive Director’s Reflection.………..…… Pages 1-3 Transformational Systemic Leadership in Public Sector Organisations..……………………………………………………………….…. Pages 4-5 First Forum of Operational Focal Points…………...…………………… Pages 6-8 Santa Cruz Declaration …….………….……………………..…………...… Pages 9-10 Impact Evaluation of Public Policies and Programmes.…………… Page 11 1
HORIZON: What you have just outlined represents an impressive suite of activity for CARICAD with regard to ongoing work and work that has been recently accomplished. What gives you the greatest satisfaction at this point as you look back at that suite of activities? ROWE: I think repositioning CARICAD has been the key outcome, and setting the pace for going forward. I think nowadays when you say “CARICAD” there are persons who have heard the name in recent times and have placed it in a positive light. CARICAD participated with CDEMA at their conference in the Bahamas and in addition CARICAD was represented in Jamaica at a Public Private Partnership (PPP) conference and these are simple indicators of how more recognised we have become. Notwithstanding all that I have said, CARICAD continues to offer the quality of work that it has always offered in several of our member states and we expect to expand that listing next year. sector. We are far down the road in composing easy to read, user-friendly type information that will be beneficial to all. In addition, we have just completed the first draft of a hurricane recovery information booklet for the non-disaster manager which I believe will be well received. Finally, we are about to co-brand with an international firm on hurricane reconstruction efforts. Stay tuned as you will see more from CARICAD in this regard in the near future. HORIZON: There may be those who may “CARICAD is in the business of public sector transformation and we see addressing Disaster Management as a key contributor to ensuring Resilience, not just in terms of the infrastructure, but ensuring that we have resilient public organisations that will meet the HORIZON: With regard to member states, during the 2017 hurricane season a large number of CARICAD’s member states were affected by two very significant hurricanes – Irma and Maria. Can you give us a sense firstly of CARICAD’s concerns for what would have happened in those countries and after that the implications, if any, for CARICAD in terms of its work. ROWE: Firstly, our hearts go out to all of the persons in those territories that were affected by the hurricanes. I recognise the efforts that they are making at reconstruction; early yet, but reconstruction and recovery is beginning in several of our member states. We have begun work to develop some recovery guidelines for the public 2 challenge in the near future, if not right away.” suggest that the region already has CDEMA and ask why would CARICAD have a role to play in disaster recovery planning if CDEMA already exists. CARICAD’s mandate is to focus on the public sector in its broadest sense, so how would you explain to those who might question whether CARICAD has a role as to why it is that CARICAD has been doing the work you just described in relation to Recovery since the passage of the major hurricanes? ROWE: First of all, addressing disaster management is a transformational activity. In terms of the adaptation, and mitigation it requires new structures, new arrangements, new organisations. Our work is not to replace CDEMA, it is to support the work that CDEMA is doing. As CDEMA focuses on the disaster management side, we will be focusing on the organisational capacity development side to ensure that we build organisations that are competent to deliver on the impact of climate change. CARICAD is in the business of public sector transformation and we see addressing Disaster Management as a key contributor to ensuring Resilience, not just in terms of the infrastructure, but ensuring that we have resilient public organisations that will meet the challenge in the near future, if not right away. Continues on Page 3
HORIZON: You identified some areas of success and you also identified some areas of concern as you took up the position of ED. What are your broadest concerns in relation to CARICAD’s mandate and the work going forward? ROWE: Our capacity to implement across the region is my greatest concern. Ensuring that we achieve the development outcomes that we are aiming for. CARICAD is moving towards improving results-based management in its own operations and ensuring that in all those projects and activities that we do what we preach, literally preach, the message of Results-Based Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. We need to target the right outcomes first of all, but then we need to measure and monitor as we go along. Otherwise, we are shooting in the dark. We need to focus on implementation in a structured process through better use of monitoring and evaluation techniques and tools. HORIZON: Would you like to offer any closing remarks to CARICAD and to the wider community? ROWE: I am very happy with the staff at CARICAD and the significant contribution that they have made to the success at CARICAD. I appreciate the warm welcome that I have received and the freedom that the staff has had in terms of us communicating in an open and very productive manner. I believe that this will take us forward. I think that we have found new ways of containing costs through the utilisation of external expertise which is provided to us, and is required. The fact that we have become more technologically enabled and the fact that we recognise that in this era of fiscal constraints that we need to be thinking about doing more with less, our outreach can be greater and we can deliver the products and services in a way that is less costly to our member states. MIND award for CARICAD’s Executive Director Rowe The Management Institute for National Development (MIND) Public Life Award for Leadership Excellence was recently conferred on two prominent Caribbean public servants, one of whom was Devon Rowe, the current Executive Director of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD). The other recipient was Director of Information and Communication Technology, Government of Dominica, Jermaine Jewel Jean-Pierre. The presentations were made during MIND's Regional Public Sector Leadership Development Conference, which was held at The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, under the theme 'Adaptive Public Sector Leadership: Changing MINDsets, Challenging Assumptions, Creating Transformation'. Rowe, who was the guest speaker at the conference, focused his presentation on the effort to deal with the major fiscal challenges that were being experienced during his time at the Ministry of Finance in Jamaica and the strategies that brought about significant improvements. CARICAD is now designing and developing a FROM LEFT: CARICAD’s Executive Director Devon Rowe, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the Honourable Audley Shaw and CEO of MIND and CARICAD Board Director, Dr. Ruby Brown during the presentation of the award. training intervention for the members of Parliament as Jamaica seeks to improve its Macro-Fiscal oversight of its public finances. SOURCE: Adapted from the Jamaica Gleaner. To view full article, visit: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170815/mind-presents-leadership-awards-public-servants 3
By Rosemund Warrington Leadership is a critical component of good public governance, which is a major theme in CARICAD’s Charter for Caribbean Public Services. The Charter has a number of core principles and elements but in order for those to be embedded in the culture of the public service, they must be embraced by public officials throughout the system. In this regard leadership” is at the core of public sector transformation. Leadership development is neither new nor is it exclusive to the public sector but in recent times the modern leadership movement has been growing rapidly and so too has interest in this topic across the Caribbean. Training programmes offered by a vast range of providers in the Caribbean are numerous and organisations are beginning to feel unsure about where the focus of leadership development should be. These programmes promise miracles with the implied message that their modules will help participants attain greatness as leaders. What is most worrying however is the almost unnatural disassociation of leadership from the organisation’s needs and environment. Most of these programmes assume that there is no problem with regard to the locus of leadership; the focus is on the “individual”. Indeed, what is being sold remains a focus on individual skills without an equivalent emphasis on the challenges that will have to be Word Cloud graphic generated for this article by CARICAD, 2017. overcome in the prevailing environment. Some Leadership gurus have shared concern that these leadership development programmes have produced not only an understanding of leadership that is disconnected from the purpose it really should be meant to pursue, but that they have also created an industry that perpetuates fundamental errors in perspective and practice that should no longer be disregarded and swept under the carpet. The following analogy describes this environment brilliantly: “… manage the fishtank, not the fish. The fishtank is the organisation, and the fish are all those who have to swim and survive in it. They have to be able to see what they think is needed, and navigate its unclear and unsafe waters. These ‘fish’ include the managers and all leaders, who may get so used to the leadership culture (‘the way leadership is round here’) and their familiar environment that they lose sight of its shortcomings and what it is like for others to swim in. They develop personal survival skills that generally pit them against others. Hunt or be hunted. In this traditional model, perceived performance gaps are ‘solved’ by training. Fish are removed from their problematic environment from time to time, given some attention to smarten them up and make them smile, and then returned. But their workplace is still murky, often downright toxic – fear-ridden, unsupportive and bureaucratic. Once returned to the dirty ‘fishtank’ and its daily pressures the people revert to type.” In the midst of these realities, it is incumbent on us to stop to ponder what precisely leadership in public sector organisations is intended to achieve, and what is CARICAD’s role in ensuring that it materialises in the context of our Charter. The Charter promotes a blend of the Transformational and the Systemic approach to Leadership, as illustrated in the Charter Implementation Guide (Section 4.3.2 – Leadership): The Transformational approach represents a good fit for the six Pillars of effective public sector transformation promulgated in the Conceptual Framework and this Implementation Guide i.e. Governance, Standards, Capacity, Accountability, Openness and Legislation. 4
Charter Application and Implementation Model the Transformational Approach to Leadership. Integrate the principles of leadership and management such that results are achieved by a highly motivated team of persons. Traditional views of leadership in the public service assume that people at the top of the organisation fill the leadership role, including in particular the Permanent Secretary, CEO, the top management team, and the individuals with the authority to command and control the actions of others. Leadership is too often viewed as a position on an organisational chart and leadership programmes are tailored to address a mélange of personal improvements. Experience has taught us otherwise. Leadership development does not exist in a vacuum, neither is it a stand alone process. We are aware of many individuals trained in leadership and on completion of the training are forced to address the challenge regarding the landscape of the public service including a dysfunctional leadership culture, power distribution, rigid protocols, inappropriate rules and bureaucratic processes. These tend, more often than not, to stifle leadership roles rather than add value to it. The reality therefore is that, it is what surrounds leaders that have a powerful influence on successful leadership, namely, internal social and environmental forces in the organisation’s culture, systems, structures, policies, climate and protocol i.e. rules and regulations. The early work of Osborn et al. (2002) provides a useful frame for the concept of systemic leadership: “Leadership is not only incremental influence of a boss toward subordinates, but most important it is the collective incremental influence of leaders in and around the system.” Their focus on “in and around the system” provides important grounding for CARICAD’s model of Transformational Systemic Leadership – a focus not only on personal influence but also on influence determined by organisational context. This is why leadership is identified as a core principle under the Capacity Pillar of the Charter in alignment with competency-based Human Resource Management and Development, and organisation development. The concept of the Organisational Iceberg in Organisational Development studies portrays the organisation as an iceberg. What can be seen above the surface is only the smaller part of the whole; the majority lies under the surface and determines the direction of the iceberg. They are the internal social and environmental forces in the organisation’s culture mentioned above. They include emotions, relationships, values, cultures, systems, structures, protocols etc. Failing to recognise this hidden part of the iceberg and underestimating its size and shape can cause organisations to fail, despite all of the technical skills of leaders. The reality is that leadership in public sector organisations should be perceived and understood as more than the attribute of a single person at the top of an heirachy; it is an integrated organisation-wide system. One of the core principles of systemic leadership is that the competency of individuals is not the prime factor that determines the organisation’s performance. The system must be improved. Any leadership development programme should therefore begin, not with a focus on what the trainees may need, but of critical importance, what the public service needs from the leadership it wishes to produce. The public service should be seen as having many different components working together to transform a complex system into one that is working The new leadership agenda for CARICAD The context within which the public services in CARICAD Member States exists include volatile economies, negative environmental impacts, rapid changes in technology, and the changing needs of the workforce. There is an imperative for efficiency in these harsh times. There is a call for resilience and empowerment, and there is a mood for holistic transformation. A new leadership agenda is needed. Transformational Systemic Leadership based on continuous improvement in the public sector is about using the organisation system to drive leadership improvement and change. This can only occur if public sector organisations coalesce forces to adopt a holistic approach to leadership responsibility. CARICAD is here to help. CARICAD therefore in the context of Leadership Development is suggesting that we need to blend leadership responsibilities at all levels with what leaders know, are, and can do in the full organisational development context. Rosemund Warrington is the Assistant Director and Human Resource and Organisation Development Specialist at CARICAD. 5
In April of this year, CARICAD formalised the establishment of a consultative forum of Operational Focal Points (OFPs). The Focal Points were established to work in each CARICAD member state under the authority of the CARICAD Director for the member state to undertake the tasks shown below: 1. Function as the primary point of contact in-country for the CARICAD Secretariat on operational matters (non-strategic and non-governance) 2. Be the main source of information about the operational details of public sector transformation programmes and projects that are taking place in their respective countries 3. Undertake appropriate follow-up action on behalf of the Board member to ensure timely payment of country contributions and any other payments 4. Disseminate information about CARICAD to all relevant officials and stakeholders on a continuous and project by project basis 5. Lead initiatives to promote the work of CARICAD through the mass media based in-country 6. Submit requested or required information to the CARICAD Secretariat in a timely manner 7. Liaise with relevant persons to organise and manage national consultations in relation to CARICAD and its work 8. Provide reports and updates in the agreed manner to the CARICAD Secretariat On October 5th, on the initiative of the OFPs, three presentations were made via video conference on major Public Sector Transformation in three CARICAD member states – Belize, Montserrat and Suriname. Below is a synopsis of the major issues presented by each of the Focal Points. B E L I Z E Focal Point Freya August, described an ongoing initiative in promoting excellence in Customer Service in Belize using a holistic approach with objectives: 1. To reward in-service public officers for their commitment and achievements Belize’s Focal Point Freya August (Photo: The San Pedro Sun) Critical targets identified by Freya August: 1. By 2017 the first annual report on compliments and complaints handling in the Public Service will be published and circulated 2. By 2018, nominations for the service excellence category of the Public Service Recognition and Meritorious Awards will increase by 100% 3. By 2019, all ministries and departments will develop and implement service improvements plans 4. By 2020 all key public-facing public service offices will have improved customer service processes based on streamlined systems and 6 use of ICTs 5. By 2020 public officers will be trained in customer care and/or service management and dealing with complaints effectively The programme has recently been launched and has achieved several milestones including the development of an operational plan, front line training with impact assessment using the mystery calls principle and are in the process of establishing an awards programme for public officers. 2. To motivate employees, build morale, and influence a positive shift in organisational culture that can contribute to improved productivity, service quality and citizens and customer experience.
M O N T S E R R A T Focal Point Mrs. Cheverlyn Williams-Kirnon described and discussed the Empowering Excellence Programme (EEP) initiative as one aspect of addressing the need to empower officers within GoM Public Service to deliver excellent services. This programme was approved by the Montserrat Cabinet in September 2016 that addresses Public Sector Reform through Human Resource Transformation. It is a widely consultative, selective and specific, Human Resource Management transformation initiative. A full description of the EEP was provided in the July edition of CARICAD’s Horizon Newsletter. Focal Point for Montserrat Mrs. Cheverlyn Williams-Kirnon Key Components of the Empowering Excellence Programme Purpose: To catalyse a transformation in leadership of the Government’s human resources service provision, learning and change management, so that empowered public officers are able to demonstrate excellence in their work, and effectively lead, facilitate and enable the achievement of the Government of Montserrat’s economic growth and social development goals. Goal: To transform the Government of Montserrat’s Human Resource Management to achieve substantial measurable improvements in prioritised areas of human resource management and leadership, services and performance, delivery and change management. Vision: An empowered, high performing public service. Mission: To empower people and build capacity to deliver excellent services 7
Focal Point Mr. Nasier Eskak introduced the initiative in Suriname, and invited Mr. D. de Keyzer to discuss the activities undertaken in greater detail. This roadmap has the following objectives: 1. Development and a clear reformulation of the objectives and duties of all ministries and their units 2. Rebuilding the Ministries into results-based, effective and efficient organisations which will S U R I N A M E contribute in a visible and measurable manner to the national development of Suriname Some of the major accomplishments to date include: Focal Point for Suriname Mr. Nasier Eskak Baseline assessment of all three ministries Description of work processes Approval of Directorate for Human Resources Management by the Council of Ministers in December 2016 Revision of Personnel Act Design of a Change Management Plan Training of civil servants Below is a schematic representation of the Roadmap to Excellence Programme: Roadmap to Excellence Programme 8
The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) collaborated with its Caribbean partner, the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute CANARI), to host its 2017 Global Summit in November of this year. There was a focus on progress and lessons from seven national/regional GEC hubs in the global south. The hubs are collaborating on implementation of a project; Creating enabling policy conditions for the transformation towards an inclusive green economy. The project is being funded by the European Union. Specific attention will be paid to the role of green enterprises in driving the transition to an inclusive green economy. The overall goal of the meeting was to build understanding and commitment to transforming policy and practice supporting local green enterprises as a pathway to an inclusive green economy. The development and promulgation of the Santa Cruz Declaration was a major high point of the Summit. The Santa Cruz Declaration on Local Green Enterprise I. We the undersigned are a group of manufacturers, producers, business owners, entrepreneurs, innovators, local communities, and the agencies that support them from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mongolia, Peru, Saint Lucia, Senegal, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Uganda. II. Gathered in Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago on 3 November 2017, we have come together in recognition that local green enterprises stand at the frontline of the transition to inclusive, green and resilient economies and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We are here to demonstrate and build support from our respective countries, regions and 9 Delegates at the meeting spheres of influence for local green enterprises to lead, shape and accelerate the transition. III. Every community on the planet faces, to a greater or lesser extent, a common set of intertwined socioeconomic challenges. Vulnerabilities to climate and natural disasters, collapsing biodiversity, unequal and stagnant economic development, and exclusionary governance. IV. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 95% of the world’s private enterprises, and provide 60% of private sector employment. We are the engines of prosperity, job creation and innovation. We deliver economic, social and environmental benefits to our communities and countries. We are the economies of today and tomorrow. V. Learning how to build greener, fairer and more resilient economies is the biggest challenge of our times, but it cannot be achieved without empowering SMEs as innovative local actors to deliver social and environmental transformation. VI. We stand together in solidarity. We invite fellow business people, governments, civil society, academia and local communities to partner with us. We offer the opportunity to:
Participants of the Green Economy Global meeting. a) Partner with green SMEs and build a social movement in service of inclusive green and resilient economies that deliver local value and sustainable livelihoods, all around the world. a) Champion SMEs as an engine of disruptive innovation, invention and creative development. Most of the businesses which will drive the economies of 2040 do not exist yet, and all of them will have started out as SMEs. a) Rethink systems within our sphere of direct and indirect influence that affect the functioning of SMEs, sustainable practices and business models. CARICAD was represented at both the Green Economy Action Learning Group (GE ALG) and the Green Economy Global meeting by Programme Specialist, Franklyn Michael. The background information which follows was provided by CANARI. “The Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning (GE ALG) was established in 2012 to identify and promote ways in which ‘green economy’ can advance sustainable development in the Caribbean through shaping visions, perspectives, positions and actions. The GE ALG was convened by CANARI and is inputting into implementation of the #GE4U: Transformation towards an inclusive green economy in the Caribbean (#GE4U) project, which is part of a global project of the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) being supported by the European Union. The GE ALG was convened at a regional meeting on October 31, 2017 in Trinidad and Tobago to facilitate input into the #GE4U project. The GE ALG also participated in the Global Meeting of the GEC being co-hosted by CANARI. That was held November 1-3, 2017 immediately following the GE ALG meeting. Participants at the global meeting included the GEC Secretariat from the United Kingdom, GEC members implementing the GEC global project (in Chile, India, Mongolia, Peru, South Africa, Uganda), other GEC international members and the European Commission. The theme of the global meeting was “Green enterprises: driving the transition from local to global” and the overall goal is to build understanding, commitment and momentum to transforming policy and practice supporting local green enterprises as a pathway to an inclusive green economy. CANARI is implementing the Caribbean Hub Dialogue #GE4U project as part of the global project Creating enabling policy conditions for the transformation towards an inclusive green economy being funded by the European Union and managed by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) on behalf of the Green Economy Coalition (GEC). The GE ALG meeting was supported by funding and assistance from the European Union. The main goal of the GE ALG meeting was to facilitate input into shaping a Caribbean dialogue and movements for transformation to an inclusive green economy in the Caribbean under the #GE4U project.” 10
By Rosemund Warrington In August this year, CARICAD’s Assistant Director, Programmes and Planning, Mrs. Rosemund Warrington attended a regional seminar on Introduction to Impact Evaluation of Public Policies and Programmes at the Center of Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) in Carretera Mexico. The main goal of the seminar was to provide participants with a thorough introduction to the concepts and methods used for conducting impact evaluations. The training focused on the following four objectives: 1. To train participants in the management and mastery of the necessary tools for management, monitoring and evaluation of the impact of public policies 2. To explore quantitative techniques and standards to be considered in an assessment of impact 3. To determine the validity of the results and the limits imposed by the decisions taken as it regards measurement 4. To exchange experiences among partners in the process of public policy making The course was aimed at public officials, policy makers, decision-makers and evaluators of programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean, who require knowledge on impact assessment. The Caribbean was represented by Mrs. Warrington as well as a CARICAD Board Director, Mr. Reginald Brotherson, who represented Guyana. Over 30 persons from 15 countries participated including officials from CIDE and CLAD. The course was co-sponsored by a number of organisations including the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), the Latin American Centre of Administration for Development (CLAD), the Ibero-American School of Administration and Public Policies (EIAPP), CAF-development bank of Latin America, and the Regional Centre for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Latin America and the Caribbean (CLEAR-LAC). The course was designed as a workshop “Clinic” in that, as a practical complement to the theoretical lectures, participants committed a substantial part of their course time to group work. The hands-on programme facilitated a better understanding of impact evaluation through planning, measurement and reporting of public policy and programmes. Moving from concepts to real-world situations, a series of practical sessions allowed participants to 11 FROM LEFT: Mrs. Rosemund Warrington, CARICAD; Mr. Daniel Roa, Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA); and Ms. Margualida Torres Moreno, CLAD. work on evaluating the impact of small development projects in Latin American and African countries. With the steady assistance of the course facilitators we were able to define the most appropriate impact evaluation method(s) that should be used given the specific nature of the programme, data, budget constraints, policy and country context. Generally, the course was insightful and relevant to the nature of work at CARICAD and its focus on promoting a results-based management approach in member states. Mrs. Rosemund Warrington, Assistant Director, Programmes and Planning, CARICAD and Board Director, Mr. Reginald Brotherson, representing Guyana.
During the Holiday Season more than ever, our thoughts turn gratefully to all of our stakeholders, especially those who continue to support our progress. In this spirit we say, simply but sincerely, Thank You and Best Wishes for the Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! The CARICAD Horizon is a regular publication of the Caribbean Centre of 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, Elaine Oxamendi Vicet, Alaine Murray, Clive Murray and Vern Leslie. The Caribbean Centre for Development Administration, 1st Floor Weymouth Corporate Centre, Roebuck Street, Bridgetown, Barbados Tel: 246-427-8535 Fax: 246-436-1709 12
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