Recognising very early that it cannot be business as usual, the team at CARICAD worked on and introduced its first version of a Remote Working Policy and working arrangements. Continued from Page 1 Some of the guiding principles espoused in the Policy, and which are currently being utilised to ensure that remote working succeeds at CARICAD, are summarised below: 1 A Support Infrastructure in terms of IT performance, security and responsive support CARICAD is maximising the use of relevant and reliable tools (eg. Software such as WhatsApp, Office 365, Zoom, Webex etc.) to allow for better collaboration, connectivity and reporting by staff. 2 Change Management An intentional culture of trust is necessary in remote working arrangements. Transition from office to work at home has required trust, planning and structured workflow arrangements. Training in the use of new systems, constant communication to avoid work disruptions are critical to managing the change process. Moreover, promoting a sense of community that supports emotional aspects of individual staff members cannot be underestimated. 3 A High Performance Organisation Culture The policy provides a well-defined purpose for productive remote working. Supporting mechanisms such as CARICAD’s Operational Plan, our remote working schedule, scheduled team meetings and one-on-one interactions have assisted staff in gaining understanding of the goals that we are aiming to achieve and doing this through co-located connections. Remote work involves the principle of ensuring a fair effort, through the use of time to the organisation. This means that the primary focus for remote work is on output and deliverables. The future of work pattern will be that the right work, involving the right person(s) can be done from any location. It is our view at CARICAD that remote working will be a core focus of future work practice in our region, both in private and public sector organisations. 2
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