Page 4 • Continued from previous page subsequently created in 2017. The Charter identifies components of a professional and effective public service. It also establishes a general framework of guiding principles, policies and management mechanisms, reflecting a common commitment of the Public Services of the Caribbean Region to an innovative approach to Transformation. The Charter is not a one-size-fits-all prescription. It is an attempt to provide an overarching framework for Public Sector Transformation in the CARICOM Region that is sufficiently holistic to apply to all member states but is flexible enough to allow for the various levels of size, development and focus in relation to Public Sector Transformation. Public Sector Transformation must become a constant process of adaption and change, because the role of the public sector in the Caribbean has changed in the last 40 years and will continue to change. Transformation must now be accepted as integral to economic growth and macro-economic stability and societal resilience. In our small economies, the role of the public sector is pivotal to national development and the well-being of citizens. Transformation must have nimble and adaptable strategies. It must also be perceived as a core responsibility of all public sector Ministries, Departments and entities, not merely of a Public Sector Reform or Transformation Unit. This change of approach is required to support and sustain the ongoing thrust to a pattern of development that is sustainable and resilient. The realities of our development challenges suggest that societies, policies, planning contexts, global realities and technology constantly change. Public Sector Transformation should be embraced as an ongoing, While we cannot escape certain realities, Transformation must become a tool of development not an instrument of uncertainty and suspicion continuous process. Let us regard it as more of a journey to reach new destinations than a single voyage with a starting point and a final destination. We cannot escape the fact that with our small populations, we face dis-economies of scale. We cannot escape the fact that for many of our countries, a large share of government expenditure goes to meet the cost of wages, salaries and related expenses. We also cannot escape the fact that in the smallest of our economies, the public sector will remain the biggest employer. Transformation must become a tool of development, not an instrument of uncertainty and suspicion. The realities that we face in relation to budgetary deficits, debt service requirements, low levels of economic growth, elevated levels of unemployment among youth, crime and chronic non-communicable diseases and the enduring effect of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that our perspectives on national and regional development need to change. This • Continues on next page
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