Caribbean Centre for Development Administration. Status Report of the Executive Director

Transcription

1 Caribbean Centre for Development Administration 23 rd Meeting of the Board of Directors Anguilla, April 30, 2003 Status Report of the Executive Director 1. Introduction 1.1. This report is presented at the juncture of the concluding stage of the Strategic Plan and the transition to the CARICAD of a new era, beginning with a 5-Year Cycle and four (4) Strategic Objectives as the essential core of our activities for Principal support for the 1997 Plan came from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Institutional Strengthening Grant (CDB/ISG) which enabled various short-term consultancies and technical assistance to member countries as well as the Annual Public-Private Sector-Civil Society Forum; national workshops/seminars; staff-related travel and a significant boost to our communications and publications. The latter is evident in the highquality issues of our thrice-yearly Newsletter and support to the Caribbean Journal of Public Sector Management (CJPSM), published by the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) of Jamaica In the last two years of the 1997 Plan, the level of operations and direct service to member countries had as its centre piece, the CARIFORUM/EDF Strategic Planning Project, which began in June In a Progress Report of the CARIFORUM Project, the main findings and recommendations of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) will be presented by the Programme Coordinator. Considerations by the Board should address options for the remaining period of Project activities. Extensive efforts for Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) were pursued and the status of these efforts will be discussed Collaborative activities with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) included the Fourth Ministerial Consultation, held in Grenada, January The emergence of an E-Government Strategic Framework and Action Plan as a principal area for further work, in the

2 context of Public Sector Reform and Modernisation, is expected to receive considerable attention in the immediate future and beyond Of far-reaching significance for the year under review was the inauguration of the DFID/CARICAD Institutional Strengthening Project, as well as the eventual appointment of a CFTC-funded Adviser on Governance and Institutional Development. With the enhanced expertise from those two (2) sources, enormous potential now exists for in-country interventions to Member Countries in the form of project management and advisory services by which CARICAD can expand extra-budgetary revenue The Report will be presented to address the core areas of the Strategic Plan, with an assessment of achievements to date, constraints and projections for consolidation and deepening of our services, within the framework of the Plan. The presentation will utilize a format of key points to reduce a lengthy narration 2. Inter-agency Collaboration and Networking 2.1. With funding from the Government of Italy and in collaboration with the Division of Public Administration and Knowledge Management (DPAKM) of UNDESA, the 4 th Caribbean Ministerial Consultation and High-level Workshop was held in Grenada, January The theme was E- Government Strategies. The level of Ministerial participation from only three countries plus the Host country was some what disappointing but the level and quality of substantive discussions were of a very high standard. The commitment by some countries to utilize E-Government applications as a tool for improved management and service delivery provides a solid foundation on which to build a Caribbean E-Government Programme. In this regard, an E-readiness assessment survey is underway. An elaboration of this area will be provided by the Programme Leader for E-Government Additional progress in the CARICAD/UNDESA/Government of Italy technical cooperation programme was realized with the attachment for 2 years of an Associate Expert, through UNPAN, to assist with uploading documents to the UNPAN website (unpan.org), for which CARICAD serves as the Caribbean English-speaking node. The upgrading of our Information and Documentation Services by Case-studies and Policy briefs by the CFTC Adviser promises to be an important advance for On-line Services to Member Countries Discussions with UNDESA and Government of Italy representatives at the UN indicate agreement in principle for a Fifth and final Ministerial Consultation, in the series, to be scheduled in Rome, preferably mid- November Substantive areas of relevance and specific outcomes that should be pursued at and beyond the Consultation, will be discussed as an item in the 2003/4 Work Programme. The Executive Director s Status Report 2

3 2.4. A Strategy Paper on the Modernisation of Labour Ministries was prepared for the ILO Project on Promotion of Management-Labour Cooperation (PROMALCO). CARICAD was represented by the Executive Director at the Second Caribbean Enterprise Forum (January 2003), where the Strategy Paper was presented and received very well by Permanent Secretaries, senior managers and union representatives. CARICOM Ministers of Labour previously received a draft version of the paper, which will be incorporated into institutional strengthening measures for Ministries of Labour as part of the PROMALCO Work Programme Cooperation with the ILO Caribbean Office has a relatively sound history and it was a significant element in the design of the PROMALCO Project, which recently completed its Phase 1 of operations and has been extended for a further 2-year period with funding from the US Department of Labour. CARICAD, along with the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), Caribbean Employers Confederation (CEC), UWI s Mona School of Business and the Barbados Productivity Council, serve on the Steering Committee of PROMALCO. Such participation has enabled access to and support for improved networking between Governments and the Social Partners Further deepening of such networking with the ILO Caribbean Office will be realized in a forthcoming tripartite seminar of Public Service Commissions, Personnel and Establishment Officers and Unions on Negotiations and Employment Policies in the Caribbean Public Service. Issues to be addressed were consistently raised by the HR Sub-committee of the CARIFORUM Strategic Planning Project. This is a commendable outcome of CARICAD s core activity on Public Sector Reform and demonstrates linkages with a strategic partner agency (ILO) through a project-funded activity (CARIFORUM). 3. Human Resource Management and Development 3.1. The Sixth Annual Public-Private Sector-Civil Society Forum was held in Guyana, April 2002 on the theme: Human Resource Development and the Management of Change. The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Ashwell Thomas, Group HR Director, Goddard s Enterprises and Chairman, Barbados Employers Confederation. The Forum was opened by Dr. the Honourable Jennifer Westford, Minister of the Public Service, Guyana The Forum was attended by some 40 participants and key presentations were given by trade union officials and private sector executives, including Mr. Robert Morris of the Barbados Workers Union, Mr. David Abdulah of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union, Trinidad & Tobago and Mr. Grantley Culbard, Vice-President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress. The Strategic Management Model on Improved Organisational Performance by Mr. Azad Hosein, Micro-Search Ltd., Trinidad & Tobago, was extremely well received and participants were unanimous in recommending further collaboration with Micro-Search. This was subsequently manifested as a main element of The Executive Director s Status Report 3

4 the CARIFORUM/EDF Working Group on Public Sector Reform at its meeting in Suriname, November 20-22, A Published Report of the Forum is available on request from CARICAD s Documentation Centre The opportunity of holding the Forum in Guyana was used to pay a Special Tribute to the late Rabindranath Sivanand A.A., former Permanent Secretary, Board Chairman and strong advocate of improved public sector management for CARICAD and Commonwealth Member Countries. The widow and two sons of Mr. Sivanand attended the function, which was addressed by Mr. Norman Mc Lean, President, Human Resource Management Practitioners Association of Guyana; Mrs. Gloria Payne-Banfield, former Cabinet Secretary, Grenada and Dr. Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Guyana. Glowing tributes and outstanding commendations were made on behalf of such a Distinguished Public Officer as Rabin Sivanand In addition to the opportunity for frank and open debate on issues of importance to public sector managers, from the perspective of trade unions and private enterprise, the Forum enables access to expertise and current experience in human resource management that can be adapted by individual member countries. In addition, the Forum provides an update on knowledge for senior managers and Board members as well as identifies guidelines to inform policy-making at the national level Funding for the series of Policy Fora has been available from the CDB/IS Grant which will support the Seventh Forum in Consideration by the Board will need to be given to importance and need for continuation of such an event and a prospective source of support. (The cost is approximately $(US)20,000.00) Other seminars and workshops on HR Management and Development topics were held during the year with the CARIFORUM/EDF Project on Strategic Planning and are discussed in the Programme Coordinator s Report. Moreover, CARICAD assisted the Public Service Academy of the Ministry of Public Administration with administrative support for an International Trade Policy Workshop, which was held in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat in Trinidad & Tobago, June 10 21, Of considerable importance is the work from the HR Sub-Committee of the CARIFORUM/EDF Working which has resulted in a comprehensive, multidonor umbrella project proposal on Executive Management Development Strategies for Caribbean Public Services in the 21 st Century. The proposal will cover a five-year period and will hopefully attract resources to complement the PSR Fund, established under the DFID/CARICAD Institutional Strengthening Project. The proposal has been forwarded to the IDB Office, Georgetown and will be discussed with other donors. The Executive Director s Status Report 4

5 4. Information and Documentation Services 4.1. The Newsletter is now issued thrice annually and will soon be available on our website (caricad.org). The presentation, layout and content of the Newsletter are very attractive and will hopefully encourage a regular and wider readership. The outsourcing of layout and printing have been possible through project-funding both from CDB/ISG and CARIFORUM/EDF. It is important to conduct a readership survey early in the next financial year (FY 2003/4) to obtain comments and guidance for improvements to the Newsletter With a substantial contribution from the CFTC Adviser for the preparation of Case-Studies on PSR initiatives in Member Countries and of Policy Briefs, the output of information and documentary products will increase significantly. This will also require an assessment of the costs for the Newsletter and other publications in order to ensure adequate budgeting As an UNPAN Online Regional Centre (ORC), CARICAD has increased its visibility and recognition as a useful source of PSR information on Caribbean issues on account of the considerable output from the Documentation Centre. This has been achieved with the additional support from the attachment of the UNPAN Associate Expert, funded by the Government of Italy. This remains an important area, with great scope for expansion and linkages to the E-Government programme. It is important that Member Countries are encouraged to make use of CARICAD s Information and Documentation Services. In addition, CARICAD will continue to respond to areas of need expressed by Member Countries Collaboration with UNDESA/UNPAN contributed to staff development through the opportunity for the Regional Programme Coordinator and Technical Assistant (Information Services) to participate in a Database Management System Workshop in Shanghai, China, June 12-16, The Workshop was held concurrently with the Third Forum on City Informatisation in the Asia and Pacific Region. This allowed UNPAN Participants to attend select sessions of the Forum The Caribbean Journal of Public Sector Management, published by the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) of Jamaica continued to received financial support through an allotment under the CDB/ISG. With the conclusion of those grant funds by mid-2003, it is unlikely that CARICAD will be able to provide further support. The Executive Director s Status Report 5

6 5. Project Management and Advisory Services 5.1. The Phase 2 CARICOM/UNDP Project on Strengthening Administrative Capacity of Member States for Implementation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) included a subcontract for CARICAD s consulting services to develop a Manual of Administrative Procedures for CSME implementation and introduce Member States to systems and procedures required for the efficient and effective operation of the CSME The assignment was completed over a period of some 15 months and entailed missions to all Member States, the organisation of 2 Regional Consultations and national workshops in 13 Member States. Discussions centred on a Draft Manual of Procedures which is now in circulation and is expected to require follow-up work for institutionalisation of the procedures and systems in conjunction with national CSME Units Working closely with the Executive Director were two consulting associates from Grenada, viz. a former Cabinet Secretary and former Director of Trade. The Technical Action Services Unit (TASU) of CARICOM served as Executing Agency of the consultancy and the scope for a MOU between TASU and CARICAD is being explored so as to facilitate ongoing access of CARICAD s services for institutionalization of the CSME. It is hoped that this can be expanded for joint collaborative activities between CARICAD and TASU in areas of capacity building to support regional integration A Review of the Structure and Function of the CARICOM Secretariat was conducted by a team of consultants coordinated by CARICAD. The Review was mandated by a Special Conference of Heads of Government in November 1999 and CARICAD was invited to work with the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General in the preparation of the TOR and composition of the consulting team The team comprised Ambassador Leonard Archer (Bahamas), Dr. Henley Morgan (CATC, Jamaica), Dr. Didacus Jules (Permanent Secretary, Saint Lucia), Ms. Maria Smart (IT Consultant, Trinidad & Tobago) and the Executive Director (CARICAD). A review of background documentation, briefing sessions with the Secretariat s staff at all levels, interviews and discussions with Heads of Government, Ministers, Private Sector, Trade Unions and Civil Society representatives were conducted in Member States over several months, resulting in the submission of a Final Report on January 31, The Executive Director s Status Report 6

7 5.6. Since then, an in-house committee of the CARICOM Secretariat has undertaken a review of recommendations, considered by the Executive Management Committee (EMC) of the Secretariat, before forwarding to the Community Council and then Conference of Heads of Government It was expected that Heads at the July 2002 Summit would have received and considered the Report. This was not done. It is now anticipated that, in keeping with a decision of the February 2003 Intersessional Conference of Heads, a Select Prime Ministerial Subcommittee will consider and make recommendations on the Report. A main recommendation by the consulting team is the need for a Performance Management Unit to assist in a rationalization of functions. Such a delay will certainly compromise the sense of urgency with which the Review was mandated and the ability to overcome dissatisfactions that were underlying factors for the conduct of the Review The Institutional Strengthening Programme of the Guyana Forestry Commission, funded by DFID received consulting services for the design and operation of a Social Development component among hinterland communities of Guyana. Those services were provided by the Executive Director by contract to Natural Resources International (NRI), Executing agency of the DFID Programme The success of the above assignment and knowledge of the local government and regional administrative system of Guyana, from work done by CARICAD on a World Bank Project in 1995, were instrumental in obtaining a short-term contract from a largescale private enterprise operating in the forestry sector. The assignment entails a sociological assessment of indigenous communities and workplace relations of the forestry operation as a pre-requisite for the company s certification as practising environmentally and socially sound management principles CARICAD continued to provide administrative management services for the Caribbean Support Initiative of the Bernard Van Leer Foundation. The encouraging performance of the project and impact on parenting education have contributed to its expansion and resulting increase in management fees to CARICAD. This has proven to be an important source of extra-budgetary income, which has made possible the recruitment of an Assistant Accountant. This is expected to be a significant contribution to the Accounting and Financial Services Unit, which has been under severe pressure, for some time, due to the heavy financial reporting demands of donor-funded projects. The Executive Director s Status Report 7

8 6. Concluding Remarks 6.1. The year has been one of transition to the new Strategic Plan, an expansion and deepening of strategic alliances with UNDESA and the Government of Italy, particularly for the emergence of a Caribbean E- Government initiative, in which CARICAD must be positioned to play a vital role. In this year, a relatively sound contribution was obtained from project management income The phasing-out of the CDB grant and final year of the CARIFORUM/EDF Project will require serious considerations and strong efforts to consolidate the achievements, and ensure sustainability in key areas, so far addressed In this regard, selected in-country interventions should be pursued for improved understanding and application of strategic planning methodologies as a management tool for public sector reform and change management. Consensus on the countries to be selected will be essential with full support and commitment by the Board, so that the impact of CARICAD s services will become more tangible at the national level without losing its responsibility as a regional agency. Exchange of lessons learnt and identification of best practices to be shared among countries can be conveyed in regional workshops, seminars, policy fora and by means of publications, some of which will be in electronic format The DFID Institutional Strengthening Project, with the attachment of a Senior Adviser on Public Sector Reform and the assignment of the CFTC Adviser on Governance, provide enormous high-quality professional expertise from which CARICAD s Member Countries and the region, as a whole, can derive tangible benefits for restructured, extremely efficient and highly productive public services. With an additional senior managerial position to be funded by DFID, the enhanced programme management and in-house consulting capacity of CARICAD should also result in a sizeable increase of extrabudgetary income Full cooperation of the Board and its strong advocacy for CARICAD to participate in the design and management of public sector reform country programmes will be readily matched by cohesive and committed team-work on the part of the staff, not only as a deliberate demonstration of professional excellence but also to advance the wider cause of Caribbean regional integration. CARICAD, with your guidance and support, is being repositioned to fulfill its mission To The Executive Director s Status Report 8

9 be the model of excellence for institutional change and development in the Caribbean Community. Barbados, April 2003 The Executive Director s Status Report 9