Staff of COJ to Attend Course on Ethics

The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) is leading efforts in the public service to improve ethics and accountability, by having its entire staff undergo training.

The training course, ‘Creation of an Ethical Infrastructure’, will be conducted by the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) in collaboration with the Cabinet Office. The course will take the form of a series of two-day workshops, running from November 22 to January 18, 2011.

Speaking at the launch of the course, at the Office of the Prime Minister, today (November 22), Chief Executive Officer of MIND, Ruby Brown, said it is designed to “enable participants to garner a thorough understanding of the core principles of ethical conduct, the scope of activities in which public sector employees are allowed to engage and to navigate ethical dilemmas that they might encounter from time to time.”

Solicitor General, Douglas Leys interacts with members of the head table as he delivers the main address at the launch of the course, ‘Creation of an Ethical Infrastructure’, to be delivered to staff of the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), by the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston, today (November 22). Paying keen attention are (L-R): Director, Business Development and Communication at MIND, Glynis Salmon; Chief Executive Officer of MIND, Ruby Brown; and Chief Executive Officer of the COJ, Judith Ramlogan.

The course, to be facilitated by Senior Policy and Project Officer at the Cabinet Office, Ryan Evans, will be delivered to COJ’s approximately 110 employees in three modules – The Ethical Framework; Ethics and the Workplace; and The Case of the Companies Office of Jamaica- The Practice of Ethics.

Instruction will take the form of discussions, case studies and practical exercises. Participants will receive a certificate after completing the training.

Guest Speaker at the function, Solicitor General and Chairman of the Inter- Ministerial Committee on Ethics, Douglas Leys, commended the COJ for being the first to undergo training under MIND’s revised ethics course.

He stressed that Jamaica is now a more informed society and that citizens have started to apply global standards to the local public service, adding that given this fact, the public servants will be required to show greater accountability and to set certain standards for themselves.

Chief Executive Officer of the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), Judith Ramlogan (right), emphasises her point as she speaks with Chief Executive Officer of the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), Ruby Brown and Solicitor General, Douglas Leys, at the launch of the course, ‘Creation of an Ethical Infrastructure’, which is to be delivered by MIND to the COJ’s staff, at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston, today (November 22).

“Those we serve will be watching how we define these standards. If we set them too low, all our efforts will come to zero as a fastidious public will be quick to condemn our efforts with the resulting loss of confidence in the public sector. If we set them too high, we might not be able to achieve these standards, which will result in a similar loss of confidence,” Mr. Leys argued.

Chief Executive Officer of the COJ, Judith Ramlogan, also agreed that the training was timely and relevant.

She cited the link between high ethical standards, the elimination of corruption and the country’s ability to achieve Vision 2030, especially given the COJ’s mandate to facilitate businesses in Jamaica.

“The message is clear; across the globe transparency and accountability are critical to restoring trust and turning back the tide of corruption, thus attracting business and investment to countries,” she emphasised.