PM expecting to hear of proposal in the next week about Harvard-collaborated training program for public servants (file photo)
Prime Minister Gaston Browne is doubling down on his efforts to improve output and efficiency within the public sector. In an appearance on the Browne and Browne show, the PM spoke about a new government initiative to be made available for public servants in Antigua and Barbuda.
Outlining the problems that exist in the system due to incidents of negligence and lack of due diligence, he believes this new action will help to provide resolution.
“One of the things that we’re gonna do within the public sector, because – recognizing that this is a pervasive problem – we got on to Professor Robinson at UWI and we have asked him to help us to develop a program. It’s gonna be a day release program, especially for senior public servants – to deal with the issue of…public sector governance.”
Professor C. Justin Robinson
To facilitate this initiative, the PM is recruiting the services of Harvard University, an institute of higher learning world renowned for it’s academic excellence.
“We’ve asked him to collaborate with Harvard – Harvard has a program already, and you know they’ve agreed to help us build capacity”, the PM said. “So I believe that by the end of next week, he will get me a proposal.”
Prime Minister Browne believes this training will help to curb undesirable practices, which he attributes to general work inexperience – even on the part of well educated persons.
“One of the things we recognized with our public servants – they never really worked in a well-developed ecosystem”, the PM said. “So they may have gone to university and got a Master’s degree, or even a terminal degree, and because they have that terminal degree or because they have a Master’s, they think they’ve arrived. But they never really worked within an efficient business ecosystem”.
The Prime Minister, fresh off of shake-ups in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Works, is seemingly intent on ushering in a new era of efficiency and desirable outcomes in the public sector, something which he alluded to in Thursday’s meeting of Parliament.
You can’t fix the public sector with training alone. The problem is the culture of complacency and no consequences for poor performance.
Great initiative. Very intelligent man..always have an eye on future prospects.
What we call this? Help of distraction? Haha. Anything in your power Mr. PM
That may still not help. Some public servants just naturally LAZY
The thing is, when it comes to vision, this man is very visonary. Always have good plans for future development even if he makes mistakes. He is about education aswell because he understands that an educated nation is a liberated one. Good job PM
Happy to see the PM is invested in the nation’s development. Sometimes we need to cut him some slack.
Good idea. If the managers are properly trained then they can create more efficient properly-resourced systems. The workers can then fall in line. It might be helpful to have the managers visit similar workplaces in other countries to see what it could be like not just learn the theories. On the other hand, the U.S. has a lot of problems on their own system so they might not be the best role models. Perhaps try learning from or visiting other countries as well for a better perspective on what might be able to work well here.
I’m all for this if it helps drive out laziness and unprofessional and bad attitudes. After this training, a shape up or ship out attitude must be implemented.