35 There was widespread property destruction in The Bahamas. (Photo by Fr. Bowe) T he public sector has a critical role to play in any crisis, emergency, or disaster situation. Tropical storms and hurricanes are perennial, pernicious hazards in the Caribbean. The events of the 2017 hurricane season in which at least eight of CARICAD’s 17 member states were directly affected by two major hurricanes, illustrate the importance of the public sector being well prepared for such events in future. In the smallest of the member states the public sector may well be the most prominent provider of healthcare, education, security, utility and communication services. The public sector takes the lead in matters of national security and public safety. The public sector also takes the lead in matters of welfare and public assistance. The capacity of the public sector for post-hurricane Response and Recovery may determine the overall effectiveness of the Recovery effort. CARICAD has circulated a Guide for Public Sector Managers for Post Hurricane Recovery Planning and Management (The Guide). It is intended as a reference document for senior managers in the public sectors of CARICAD member states. It is also intended as a tool for capacity building for staff at all levels based on CARICAD’s mantra for crises — Prepare, Perform, Transform. The Guide provides information from the concept of a disaster to the priority actions and activities that are needed to lead a Recovery effort after a hurricane impact. It includes information that stresses the importance of Leadership, Management, Coordination and Teamwork to achieve the agreed priorities. The information was developed after extensive research and drawing on the experience of some of the most knowledgeable disaster managers in the Caribbean region. We have deliberately made the suggestions operational and practical. Many of the practices we advocate can be attested to by our own CARICAD team, based on our experiences. We hope that public sector managers will continue to keep The Guide as a constant reference during upcoming hurricane seasons. We also hope that they will use it to help to prepare their Ministries, departments or agencies for the reality of hurricanes, this year and in the years ahead. The Guide is laid out in such a manner that managers can refer to the sections and subsections that may be most relevant to their needs and interests. It is also written in a way that allows managers to copy the pages with practical suggestions and tips as a quick reference into a separate folder. The CARICAD Schema for Post Hurricane Recovery Management (2017) is also presented in this newsletter.
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