Jamaica and Trinidad to Share Best Practices in Implementing Development Plans

Representatives from the Trinidad and Tobago Vision 2020 Office will be among a special contingent that will visit Jamaica from April 26 to May 1, to meet with representatives from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), the national focal point for the implementation of the Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan.

According to the PIOJ’s Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator, Mrs. Curline Beckford, the principal aim of the visit is to enable both entities to discuss development issues and share experiences regarding the implementation of their respective development plans.

“The main objective of the tour is to share relevant experiences, challenges and best practices mainly in the design and establishment of an integrated monitoring and evaluation system for long-term planning. They also want to discuss our progress in building capacity in results-based management,” she stated in an interview with JIS News.

She made reference to results-based management training workshops that the PIOJ hosted last year for public sector workers as part of its efforts to build capacity in Jamaica.

The team from Trinidad and Tobago comprises 10 representatives from the Vision 2020 Office; the Ministry of Planning, Housing and Environment; the Ministry of Finance; and the Central Statistical Office.

They are scheduled to meet with a number of agencies involved in the implementation of the Vision 2030 Jamaica. The agencies include the Cabinet Office, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM); Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN); Department of Local Government; Social Development Commission (SDC); Auditor General’s Department; Management Institute for National Development (MIND); and the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ).

The meetings, Mrs. Beckford, told JIS News, will hopefully help Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago to advance their collaboration.

Jamaica is in the first phase of implementing the Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan, which was conceptualised with the aim of making “Jamaica, the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business” by the year 2030. The Plan is being implemented through seven consecutive three-year Medium Term Socio-Economic Policy Frameworks (MTF), which are prioritised packages of policies, strategies and programmes proposed by the Government for implementation over the 20-year period to 2030.

The first MTF, now underway, encompasses the period 2009 to 2012, and details key strategies and actions for six of the 15 National Outcomes for Vision 2030 Jamaica. These are: security and safety; a stable macro economy; strong economic infrastructure; energy security and efficiency; world class education and training; and effective governance.