Boost for Long-Term Development Plan

A sum of $22.94 million has been allocated to the Planning Model Development and National Development Plan, ‘T21’, in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.
The project, which is being implemented by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), aims to prepare a long-term national development plan, along with 31 sector plans, which would result in Jamaica achieving developed country status by 2030.
Other objectives include preparing a successive three-year medium-term socio-economic policy to operationalise the implementation of the plan; commence monitoring and evaluation process to ensure effective plan implementation; and to develop and implement an effective strategy to create national awareness, ownership and participation in the implementation of the plan.
So far, 30 consultations and public awareness sessions have been concluded among all the stakeholders, including the international development partners, educational institutions and private sector organisations; three persons from the PIOJ and one person from the Ministry of Education have been trained in Systems Dynamic for the ‘T21 Models’; in-house training has been conducted by consultants; and an implementation unit has been established.
Anticipated targets for 2009/2010 include addressing and making presentations to interest groups, media and strategic stakeholders in the society; continuing to build awareness islandwide through seminars, workshops and consultation meetings; producing and printing materials for distribution to schools and libraries; and finalising preparation of the National Development Plan.
The Planning Model Development and National Development Plan is being funded by the Government of Jamaica and the Caribbean Development Bank.