Increased Productivity By Work Permit Department
By: , March 14, 2019The Key Point:
Photo: Rudranath Fraser
Director of the Work Permit Division in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Lisa-Ann Grant (second right), points to a chart outlining documents processed by the unit during February. Looking on (from left) are Chief Technical Director at the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), Tamar Nelson; Senior Investigator in the Division, Suzette Shorter; and Production Engineer from Japan, Atsuo Kanai. Occasion was a media tour of the Ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston on March 11, to highlight projects being undertaken through partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).The Facts
- Spearheaded by the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), through partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is boosting productivity through business process re-engineering.
- It is part of a thrust to modernise and transform critical areas of the Ministry in keeping with the Government’s public sector transformation programme.
The Full Story
The Work Permit Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is experiencing significant efficiency in operations under its Productivity Improvement Project implemented in December 2016.
Spearheaded by the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), through partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is boosting productivity through business process re-engineering.
It is part of a thrust to modernise and transform critical areas of the Ministry in keeping with the Government’s public sector transformation programme.
Among measures undertaken are streamlining of the filing system, establishment of a chart depicting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and implementing team-building measures.
“The result has been very far-reaching,” said Director of the unit, Lisa-Ann Grant, during a media tour of the Ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston on March 11.
“We are now able to track our results based on the KPIs that we have developed. We reward those who have worked and those who keep the team going. I am really proud of my team,” she noted.
She said that the Department is now delivering high-quality service, and team members accept that they have to be “more productive with the resources that we have”.
Ms. Grant said that the Unit intends to share its experiences and successes with other entities.
Chief Technical Director at JPC, Tamar Nelson, credits the success of the project to the training provided by JICA and financial assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“We are very happy with the outcome. We could not have done it without the cooperation that we have received through JICA,” she noted.
The Productivity Improvement Project is being guided by Atsuo Kanai, a Production Engineer from Japan.
He is exposing staff members in the Work Permit Department to the 5S methodology developed within Japan’s manufacturing industry, for organising and managing workspaces to improve efficiency, by eliminating waste, improving flow and reducing process.
These are Sort (seiri); Set in order (seiton); Shine (seiso), Standardise (seiketsu); and Sustain (shitsuke).