27 Trained Under Public Sector Transformation Project

Twenty-seven personnel have already been trained under a programme of upskilling, which forms part of the Public Sector Transformation Project (PSTP).

The training, organised by the Transformation Implementation Unit (TIU), targeted officers in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), and Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN).

Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, said the training focused on the use of economic and statistical data analytics software to improve planning and forecasting.

“The next training initiative is workforce planning with the human resources [group] in the public sector,” he informed, while providing an update on the transformation and modernisation exercise, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, recently.

The five strategic pillars under the transformation programme are Public Sector Efficiency and Information and Communications Technology (ICT); Shared Corporate Services; Public Bodies; Human Resource Management Transformation; and Wage Bill Management.

Dr. Clarke noted that upskilling of public officers is pivotal to the programme, as changes, particularly in ICT “will require new skills and new jobs”.

“We will need… skills in data analytics and data security, reporting and forecasting, and other areas… to allow for navigation of this new era… because it’s going to be a different public sector,” he pointed out.

He said that the TIU will be working with ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to identify and provide the necessary training that enables all officers to navigate the impending changes.

“To ensure successful implementation of these five pillars and the policies and steps that they comprise, it is our intention to [train and] certify 84 change managers across the public sector in the initial phase,” Dr. Clarke indicated.

He said the training will equip them with the requisite knowledge to help public officers through the process “and ensure that they are ready for the new environment”.

Additionally, the Minister said the programme will be supported by “robust and aggressive” communication, to ensure that stakeholders are “engaged and updated accordingly”.

Citing the upcoming public-sector debate competition, which will be open to all officers across MDAs, Dr. Clarke said “it will provide an opportunity for public officers to tackle the issues around public-sector transformation and propose solutions for a better public service”.

The competition will take place between March and April 2019.