CLP CONNECT Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2017 Project Update Members of CLP s Delivery Team and participants from Cohort 7 during the final face-to-face module that was held in Barbados, March 13-17, 2017. It is truly hard to believe that the final quarter of 2016/2017 is here, and the implementation of the CLP continued at full speed. We delivered the virtual components of Cohorts 6 and 7 of our Leadership Development Programme (LDP), which included sessions with a number of special guests presentations such as: In this Issue Leading through Financial Crises with Mr. Timothy Antoine, Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), and Mr. Wendell Samuel from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Personal Resilience with Mr Wayne Corneil from the University of Ottawa Innovation in Public Service Delivery with Ms. Jermaine Jewel Jean-Pierre, Director of Information Systems, Dominica, and member of the Cohort 5 Game Changers Alumni P1 Project Update P3 Charter for Caribbean Public Services Endorsed at Ministerial P5 Great Results from the LDP Cohort 4 Tracer Survey P5 Bright Spot in Barbados Module 3 of Cohort 7 was held in Barbados from March 13 17, 2017 at the Accra Beach Hotel. The CLP also started a new multi-cohort delivery method, and finalised the selection of 90 participants for Cohorts 8, 9 and 10, which are scheduled to commence in April 2017. P7 Celebrating the Life of Sir K. Dwight Venner The Continuous Learning and Development Network (CLDN) hosted two (2) webinars during the quarter on: The Charter for CARICOM Public Services with guest presenters from the executive team of the Caribbean Centre for Development Continued on page 2
Continued from page 1 Administration (CARICAD), and; Engaging Stakeholders: A Case Study of Vision 2030 Jamaica with Ms. Elizabeth Emmanuel from the Vision 2030 Secretariat of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. The Caribbean Learning and Development Specialists (CLDS) Network also hosted a webinar during the quarter on: On-the-Job Training: Making it More Impactful, featuring a member of the network and Cohort 5 Game Changers alumni, Mrs. Esther Inniss, who shared on the successful implementation of on-the-job transfer of leadership development tools from the LDP to the Office of the Parliament in Trinidad and Tobago. For our second Action Research Round Table project on The Enabling Environment for Leadership Development and Practice in Caribbean Public Services and Regional Institutions, qualitative interviews were conducted with a range of leaders across the region. The CLP wishes to express thanks to members of the CLDN community who greatly assisted in this exercise. As we approach the upcoming year of project implementation, the CLP will be focusing on the implementation of the strategy for sustainable leadership development in the region, as well as strengthening the CLDN and CLDS networks, completing the delivery of Cohorts 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, completing the Tracer survey for Cohort 7, publishing our final research outputs, and hosting our final Regional Leadership Symposium in early 2018. Continue to visit our website for updates on CLP activities at www.caribbeanleadership.org. Dr. Lois Parkes, Regional Project Manager Testimonial: CLP s Leadership Development Programme Cohort 6 LDP Participants with members of CLP s Extended Delivery Team during the first face-toface module that was held in St. Kitts & Nevis in June 2016. Please click here to watch the video testimonials of all participants, as they share significant changes that have occurred in their leadership behaviour as a result of participating in the LDP. 2
Charter for Caribbean Public Services Endorsed at Ministerial Symposium Pictured above (L-R): Mr. Devon L. Rowe, Executive Director of CARICAD; Hon. Samantha Marshall, Minister of the Public Service, Antigua and Barbuda and His Excellency Wrigley George, Ambassador to the International Labour Organization, Antigua and Barbuda, at the Ministerial Symposium that was held in Antigua and Barbuda on March 9 & 10, 2017. A Charter for the public services of the Caribbean was endorsed at a Ministerial Symposium that took place at the Jolly Beach Hotel in Antigua and Barbuda on March 9 & 10, 2017. The Charter identifies components of a professional and effective public service. It establishes a general framework of guiding principles, policies and management mechanisms reflecting a common commitment of the Public Services of the Caribbean Region. It is intended to serve as a catalyst for the reform, modernisation and transformation of national public sector entities within the context of each country s realities and priorities. Consultations took place in CARICAD member states ahead of the Symposium to allow citizens to discuss the Charter and provide feedback. The Charter, developed by CARICAD, in practice, consists of two documents: (1) A non-binding Inter-Governmental Agreement and (2) An Implementation Guide containing practical suggestions for Public Sector Transformation programmes. Specifically, the Charter seeks to: Establish a common ethical basis for the delivery of public services; Ensure that the public services of the region are effective, efficient, responsive, adaptive and service-oriented; Provide a basis for the delivery of quality and innovative service that meets the needs of our societies; Foster collaboration of subscribing states in modernising administration and strengthening institutional capacity for improved public services and; Encourage the harmonisation of policies and procedures related to Public Service Administration among member states with the aim of promoting regional integration. CARICAD from as early as 1980 made attempts to promote a regional approach to Public Sector Transformation. Those efforts have now culminated in a formal inter-governmental agreement; the Charter. It is hoped that the Charter will ultimately be endorsed by the CARICOM Heads of Government. Implementation of the Charter will see all CARICAD member states striving to maintain a citizenoriented public service which is more responsive; 3
Continued from page 3 Charter for Caribbean Public Services Endorsed at Ministerial Symposium with standards of service to the public that are at a higher level. There will be greater use of technology, there will also be a stronger focus on results, and more efficient operations in general, based on modernized legislation and institutional cultures reliant on transformational leadership and competency at all levels of the service. The effort to have the Charter endorsed by the Heads of Government of CARICOM is an exercise that has seen steady progress during the last eighteen (18) months; from the initial presentation of the concept of a Charter to the current stage in which it has been endorsed by Ministers with responsibility for the public service. The Ministerial Symposium was a two-day forum for Ministers with responsibility for the Public Service. It was attended by representatives from thirteen (13) of CARICAD s seventeen (17) member states. Participants also included public sector officials, academics and experts from the private sector and multilateral agencies. The topics discussed included: Governance and Citizen Engagement, Public Private Sector Policy Dialogue on Service Delivery and Public Policy for Enhancing Productivity and Human Capital. There was a Caucus for the Ministers and Deputy Governors of the non-independent territories. The Caucus allowed for an exchange of views on Public Sector Transformation strategies and the role of CARICAD in implementing the principles of the Charter. The Ministers and Deputy Governors reiterated their support for the Charter and also called for more frequent, structured engagement of Ministers with responsibility for the Public Service as they seek common solutions to the challenges of Public Sector Transformation. The effort to produce the Charter is one of the primary outputs of a project entitled Support to South - South Cooperation: The Caribbean Centre for Development Administration Latin American Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD - CLAD) Partnership; Building Bridges of Solidarity and Cooperation. In that regard, resources were allocated under the CARICOM/Spain Joint Technical Fund for the project identified as a modality for South to South cooperation. The CARICOM/Spain Joint Fund approved the sum of two hundred and ten thousand United States dollars (US$210,000) for the project. Franklyn V. Michael, CARICAD s Programme Specialist Testimonial: CLP s Leadership Development Programme Cohort 5 LDP Participants with members of CLP s Extended Delivery Team during the first face-to-face module that was held in Barbados in October 2015. Please click here to watch the video testimonials of all participants, as they share significant changes that have occurred in their leadership behaviour as a result of participating in the LDP. 4
Great Results from the LDP Cohort 4 Tracer Survey The broad objective of the CLP s Leadership Development Programme (LDP) is to help the Region develop a new generation of leaders; providing them with skills to resolve complex governance, economic and social issues, and advance the values of gender equality, human rights, equity and democracy. To assess the extent to which the project is achieving this objective, a tracer survey was recently completed for the fourth LDP Cohort. Cohort 4 participated in level two of the LDP between January 2015 and January 2016. The survey results present responses by the participants, as well as, their multi-level colleagues (i.e. supervisors, peers and direct reports) to a selfadministered questionnaire. These findings will inform the extent to which the CLP/LDP is achieving its goal of strengthening Caribbean leaders to contribute more effectively to regional integration and economic growth. The CLP is pleased to share that the survey findings conclude that a notable majority of respondents believe that the LDP s focus on improvements in the areas of Leadership Development, Relationship Building, Cross-Cutting Themes Involvement and Knowledge-Sharing/Transfer by C4 participants has been achieved. This is evidenced by the findings of the tracer survey where, on aggregate, 81% of combined respondents indicated these objectives have been achieved (significantly/reasonably). Notably, in the focus area of Relationship Building, the multi-level respondents gave an overall higher rating to the participants than the participants ascribed to themselves. The table below summarizes the findings from the tracer survey. Conclusion Criteria (Optimal Ratings) C4 Respondent Multi-Level Respondents Combined Respondents Leadership Development (Significant / Reasonable Improvements) Optimal Relationships (Always / Often) Sub-Optimal Relationships (Never / Rarely) Cross-Cutting Themes Involvement (Significantly / Somewhat More Involved) Knowledge Sharing / Transfer (Significant / Some Sharing) Action Learning (Significant / Some Sharing) Continuous Learning and Development Network (Significantly / Somewhat Involved) 95% 84% 87% 76% 82% 84% 78% 91% 87% 77% 64% 68% 91% 75% 78% 64% NA NA 91% NA NA Weighted Average 82% 79% 81% 5
Bright Spot in Barbados Earlier this year, members of the Barbados Continuous Learning and Development Network (CLDN) visited the Atlantic Shores Neighbourhood (ASN) recycling programme s collection event. The event, which is held twice a month, is organized for the collection of recyclable materials including paper, glass, plastic, metal, e-waste, tetra cartons, cooking oil, batteries and light bulbs. The collected materials are then safely disposed of by a private sector waste management company in an environmentally appropriate manner. The visit was organized as one of the milestone actions on our journey to achieving the main goal we have identified for Barbados CLDN bright spot competition activity; namely to help foster in selected schools, a level of knowledge and understanding which will lead to the creation of recycling programmes in those schools and, by extension, advance the development of a culture of garbage separation and recycling in Barbados. The visit was both inspirational and aspirational. It gave the CLDN members the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with one of the most vibrant community-based recycling programmes currently active in Barbados. We were able to meet and interact with the Atlantic Shores community leaders who have taken the responsibility for organizing the bi-monthly collection events. We also contacted several NGO and private sector entities, some of which we had already tagged as being key stakeholders in our endeavour. It was interesting to see that for the private sector this collection exercise is not simply an entrepreneurial opportunity, but a chance to engage in outreach activities aimed at educating increasing numbers of Barbadians about the necessities and benefits of garbage separation and recycling. Points to ponder: Caribbean Governments are no longer able to deliver a full totality of services to their populations in any sector. In the area of garbage separation and recycling, what are the best practices with respect to Government involvement? What are the optimum partnerships which should be fostered and developed with the private sector, NGOs, communities and the individual citizen? What should be Government s role in light of today s realities? Who are the best interlocutors for Government Ministries or some form of local/community level authority? Barbados Continuous Learning & Development Network Pictured left: Members of the Barbados Continuous Learning and Development Network with Mr. Anderson Cherry (centre), CEO of Project Recycling Limited at the recycling programme s collection event that was held on January 21, 2017. 6
Celebrating the Life of Sir K. Dwight Venner The Caribbean Leadership Project regrets the passing of Sir K. Dwight Venner, Former Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, and Former Co-Chair of CLP s Project Steering Committee. Sir Dwight passed away in December 2016 and was laid to rest on January 4, 2017. Described as a great son of the Caribbean, it was Sir Dwight s vision that gave birth to the Caribbean Leadership Project. As we reflect on dedicated service and invaluable contributions to the CLP and the Region, we are pleased to share with you excerpts from a conversation which we had with this distinguished leader some time ago. When did you first appreciate that leadership had an impact? It was in the Sixth Form of St Mary s College, Saint Lucia when Sir Philip Sherlock, the then Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, visited and spoke to us about West Indian nationhood and leadership and encouraged us to attend the University of the West Indies. It was a life changing experience as I abandoned thoughts of going to the London School of Economics where my father and many West Indians studied. What were some of the challenges you faced on your leadership journey and how did you overcome them? The challenges came in two forms: having to deal with crises and having to deal with difficult people. With respect to dealing with crises, one has to always be calm and in control of one s self. People can at times be quite distracting as they either want all your attention or want to undermine you or the programme or project you are involved in. You have to be very steadfast and stick to your guns or you will not achieve your goals. What (or who) was your source of inspiration? My first source was from my parents. They were very loving and caring and this extended beyond our immediate family to all the people they came Sir K. Dwight Venner in contact in all of the Caribbean countries we lived in. We lived in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Guyana and Barbados. They had great determination and the will to live. They both overcame cancer and had an abiding belief in education. My father had a passion for people always doing the best they could, and that being of service to our country and the region was a noble thing. Sir Alister McIntyre was another source of inspiration to me. Sir Alister is notable for his commitment to the region and his tremendous leadership abilities. The fact that he was the consummate scholar/administrator became evident from his leadership roles at the United Nations, at CARICOM and at the University of the West Indies. At the University he was Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research before becoming Vice Chancellor. He was a superb Chairman of meetings and had a very gracious and sincere approach to people of all walks of life. He was and still is a tremendous role model for me. What do you think is needed to enhance or develop current and future leaders in the public services of the region? 7 Continued on page 8
Continued from page 7 First, a sense of self and belonging to the region. To be less parochial and to have both a global and regional view point. We will not be able to survive if we do not have public sector leaders with wide views about the world in which we live. What advice do you have to give to the current leaders in the public sector of the region? The region and the global economy is at a critical turning point, what economic historians refer to as a climacteric. This requires a great deal of introspection and soul searching by leaders in the public service as to where we have come from, where we are, and where we would like to get to given the current environment and circumstances. They need to strive to be the best they can be. This means, among other things, having a good work-life balance and engaging in activities which contribute to the improvement of the community outside of the work place. Taking part in sporting activities, the arts, and encouraging civic activities is a part of the contribution that public service leaders can and must provide to our developing societies. I sincerely hope that all the (LDP) participants make the most of the opportunity provided by the CLP as it can be a serious and vital start on the way to fundamental administrative and management changes and a new developmental ethos for the public service and public servants throughout the region. Cohort 4 LDP Participants with members of CLP s Extended Delivery Team during the third face-to-face module that was held in Dominica in 2015. Please click here to watch the video testimonials of all participants, as they share significant changes that have occurred in their leadership behaviour as a result of participating in the LDP. The Caribbean Leadership Project, The Cave Hill School of Business, The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, P.O. Box 64, Bridgetown, BB11000, BARBADOS, T: (246) 417-3152 E: info@caribbeanleadership.org, W: www.caribbeanleadership.org 8