Great Bay (DCOMM):--- Honourable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams last Friday opened the first in a series of government workshops at the training room of the Fire Department in Cay Hill.
The series, termed Civil Service Procedures, the Ins and the Outs, an initiative of Prime Minister Wescot-Williams, also Minister for Personnel Affairs, is coordinated by the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
The vision behind this initiative is one of keeping civil servants abreast of what is happening in other areas of government, especially those areas that are crucial to the entire functioning of government, such as legislation and finances.
In her opening remarks, the Prime Minister stressed the need for departments to work together and be acquainted with the other parts of the process that relate to their work.
"The functioning of government has changed drastically as a country and it will take time for us to feel comfortable in the new government culture", the Prime Minister told the Department of Communications (DCOMM).
The first session was presented by Ingrid Gumbs, Department Head of DIV, and acronym for Records and Information Management, in essence the axel of government's information.
Following that session, Brazier of the Council's secretariat welcomed Bas Roorda, head of the Finance Department to make his presentation on the financial procedure and processes.
The sessions were deemed informative and interactive, as they were intended to be.
"Sharing" is how Hon. Prime Minister Wescot described the objective of the program and said she is convinced the government organization can evolve into a culture of continuous learning, also from within. "For the civil servants, by the civil servants."
The Prime Minister invited other department heads to also add to the series with their working procedures. Next on the program are the sessions on organic laws and protocol. The Council's Secretary General, Cassandra Janssen is the coordinator of the program.
