1.0 Background. 2.0 Main features of the Project. 2.1 The Project has four main components, viz.:

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1 Page 1 Twenty-first Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) Nassau Beach Hotel, Nassau, Bahamas, June 04, Background 1.1 The purpose of this Status Report is to provide the Board of CARICAD with an update on the Project on Strategic Planning in Public Services. This regional Project was approved under a funding mechanism between CARIFORUM and the European Development Fund for a three-year period with effect from June 2000 to May The maximum Fund commitment was EUR 1,300, or approximately 2.6 million Barbados dollars. The initial EDF advance for Year 1 programmes became available in September 2000, and project activities commenced at the beginning of October The Project was conceptualised within the domain of CARICAD s core competency and has as a broad purpose, the strengthening of regional collaboration in public sector reform through the objective assessment of available human resources, the upgrading of regional manpower planning databases, and the continued building of CARICAD s capacity to provide resources in relation to public sector reform. 1.3 The overall objective of the Project is to develop and strengthen institutional capacity within public service organisations for the application of strategic planning and management. The purpose is to enhance and improve the formulation, coordination and implementation of development policies and programmes in the fifteen (15) CARIFORUM Member States, and to that end, create and promote the human resource base, systems and structures which will sustain the application of strategic planning as an integral part of governance. 2.0 Main features of the Project 2.1 The Project has four main components, viz.:.1 National and Regional Training Programme.2 Establishment of a Caribbean Strategic Planning Framework.3 Collaborative activities with the Dominican Republic and Haiti.3 Regional and national programme coordination and management The main elements of the Project are summarised at Appendix Summary of main activities 3.1 Initial Project activities were focussed on providing baseline information to assist the deliberations of the Working Group established to monitor the Project which met in Barbados for its first meeting in December Other activities revolved around establishing the ground work for the effective penetration of Project targets within Member States. Details of the current status of core activities are summarised below:

2 3.1.1 National Audits / Diagnostic Surveys BP 01-06/v Page 2 Audits of the status of strategic planning in Member States were completed over the period November 06 to 19, 2000, in nine (9)out of the fifteen (15) CARIFORUM countries. This resulted in the preparation of the Preliminary Report: Diagnostic Review of Strategic Planning in CARIFORUM Member States. Surveys are outstanding in Barbados, Suriname, Haiti and Dominican Republic. Comprehensive diagnostics are ongoing internally in the latter two (2) countries and will be made available to the Project. Barbados and Suriname should be completed by June The Project Unit has useful baseline information on the status of strategic planning in Member States, the challenges to its effective implementation in discrete Member countries, some examples of effective application of these tools, and summary data on human resource needs in countries in order to develop and sustain the strategic planning capacity. The training needs and development constraints of Member States were extracted from the available audits, and are summarised at Appendix 2. The data will be used to build on more needs-oriented programmes for Member States in Years 2 and 3 of the Project Training.1 ILO International Centre Training Course for Trainers Senior public sector managers from ten (10) CARIFORUM States were trained in principles and practices for effective strategic planning and change management methodologies at the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin, Italy during the period October 23-28, Several benefits were reported by participants, among which were - - availability of up to date material on strategic planning, and exposure to the benefits and consequences of establishing strategic planning methods and systems in public sector institutions; - ability to share experiences on the impact of strategic planning methods on the organisation and the individual; - availability of training material on strategic planning which can be used as a basis for follow-up training in Member States; - establishment of a correspondence group made up of participants and the main facilitators in Turin for regular exchange information by and other media. The limitations noted as a result of this training experience, particularly those relative to the need for more practical work, more reference to the Caribbean context, and a detailed training package, will be addressed in the upcoming regional programme, which is further detailed in Appendix 3.

3 Page Strategic Planning Course by Distance Education Methodology. Initial project findings have confirmed the need for a course in Strategic Planning to be available to public sector managers. Discussions were held the Director of the UWI Distance Education Centre with a view to understanding the current distance education network in the Region, and to see how best the requisite project activity could be effected within the existing framework. While follow-up action with the UWIDEC Centre in Jamaica is ongoing, the Project will also explore how international distance education programmes on strategic planning may be customised for regional application. From the results of the audits, it would appear that a generic course in strategic planning though very useful, would fail to address wider requirements relative to policy formulation, coordination and effective implementation, that govern the strategic planning methodology. The Project has identified the need for a public sector manager s course to be developed to focus on strategic planning, supported by the functional elements which will support the strategy planning, such as financial management, IT management, project monitoring, evaluation, operations strategy and human resource management. This comprehensive approach will be incorporated as a future activity using the most effective distance education methodology available Establishment of a Caribbean Strategic Planning Network A baseline survey questionnaire on IT capacity in Member States was prepared and circulated to assess current capacity and networking information technology available to public sector organisations. The data is being used to develop precise terms of reference for consultancy services. The Contractor will be required to establish the framework for a database of CARIFORUM Strategic Planning Professionals and Agencies, and for design networking mechanisms at CARICAD as the core regional centre. Survey results have not been received from all Member States. However, this component will be operational by July Collaboration with the Dominican Republic and Haiti After missions in these two countries, a solid relationship has been established with focal points within the respective state agencies charged with public sector reform. These are the Presidential Commission for the Reform and Modernisation of the State Agencies (COPYRME) in the Dominican Republic, and the National Commission for Administrative Reform (CNRA) in Haiti. Information and documentation were exchanged with these core agencies, and discussions held with the related training and public agencies responsible for specific concerns such as training of public officers, and the upgrade of human resource management systems in order to facilitate the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for further collaborative activities under the Project. COPYRME will provide the Project with their Final Diagnostic Report on the status of strategic planning and reform programmes, and this will inform the terms for an MOU with that country.

4 Page 4 A critical element of this Project activity revolves around the relationship with the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre and Maestra (PUCMM) under the aegis of their Caribbean Public Sector Managers Training Programme. It is expected that discrete training and development for the Dominican Republic and Haiti can be designed and delivered by PUCMM to provide costeffective and customised learning and training packages for public sector managers. With respect to Haiti, in January 2001, the Programme Coordinator and Haitian authorities developed the outline for a Seminar on Strategic Planning to be delivered in Haiti. The main objectives of this Seminar are (1) to inform and sensitise the relevant public sector officials in Haiti on the need for the promotion and adoption of principles of strategic planning in the public sector; (2) to determine a suitable strategic planning model for Haiti; and (3) to achieve harmonisation with CARIFORUM countries on the practices, principles and procedures related to strategic planning and human resource development. Flowing from the Seminar, CNRA and the Project Team would have determined the modalities for further human resource, and institutional framework development to form the basis of the MOU. The Seminar is on hold pending clarification from the EU on their donor relationship with Haiti. Several commonalities in reform strategies and development needs are noted in these two countries. For example, the question of decentralisation of the public sector and devolution of authority is very cogent. Both countries have expressed interest in joint activities, field exchanges and sharing strategies. These matters will be further represented in the MOU Coordination and management The Report of the Inaugural Meeting of the Working Group on Public Sector Reform (WGPSR) contains a plan of action that is designed to address challenges to the institution of strategic panning as a tool for reform, and to the effective formulation and implementation of policies. The plan of action contains three priority areas, namely Legislative Review, Human Resource Management and Institutional Development, and Social Partnership. These areas will be addressed by sub-groups and reported on at the Second WG Session. Details of this proposed programme are available for consideration at Appendix 4.

5 4.0 Work Programme Activities BP 01-06/v Page Table 1 provides a breakdown of main activities projected up to November Table 1 Activity 1. Three Caribbean in-country workshops for training of trainers on strategic planning methods utilising findings of management audits 2. Information Systems Expert for missions to review IT capacity in member states, preparatory activities for establishment of a database of professionals and design networking mechanisms at CARICAD 4. Computer equipment and Internet rentals cost (14 computers & software) Remarks Invitations have been issued for participation at three regional workshops during July 2001as detailed in Appendix 3. Group 1:Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Group 2:Bahamas, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica Group 3: Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago. TOR to be completed by June 10, Deployment of a consultant by July Completion of bid documents in June Acquisition and set up by October National Seminar in Haiti Technical resources identified and ready to be mobilised preferably before July 15, 2001, depending on EU indications 6. Review of CARIFORUM Diagnostic Report / Regional Strategic Model Assessment 7. Follow-up activities for Working Group Programme - Meetings, travel, per diem and contingencies 8. Project Coordination and Management Surveys were not initiated in all countries creating certain gaps in the acknowledgment of the limitations and constraints to strategic planning and public sector reform in a regional sense. Strategic planning cannot be measured in a vacuum. A strategic planning success model must be applied as a basis for assessing and advising on the efforts of Member States. The individual country reports and compendium Preliminary Report must be reviewed in this context to provide a complete source document on the state of public administration in CARIFORUM countries. A plan of action has been identified for 3 sub-groups as detailed at Appendix 4. More intense mission activities and needs analyses to inform satisfy specific development demands in Years 2 and 3 9. Collaboration with Dom. Rep and Haiti: Assessments 9. Preparation, printing and distribution of strategic planning newsletters 2 issues in May and October 2001

6 Page Conclusions There are key strategies that the Project must employ to attain its optimum effectiveness. Among key areas are:.1 making Project activities accessible throughout all Ministries and departments in Member States, thereby expanding deliverables and results within the overall public sector machinery..2 having Project activities more meaningfully propel and satisfy current and projected management development needs in regional administrations.3 enhancing networks and relationships within countries, and with regional and international agencies responsible for public sector reform to broaden the base and scope of services available to the Region..4 creating an adequate and sustained legacy of regional commitment to strategic planning / reform..5 providing a sustained network of advanced training and management tools to regional public sector managers. It is expected that these will continue to be addressed through more intensive dialogue with focal points of Member States, and by more timely and thorough feedback and reporting. 6.0 Action requested The Board is requested:.1 to note the overall status of activities under the Strategic Planning in Caribbean Public Services Project;.2 to note specifically the information provided in Appendices 2 and 4 of the Report and provide any feedback to the Project that will assist it in furthering agreed objectives in Member States. Dwynette D. Eversley Programme Coordinator Barbados June 01, 2001