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| Permanent Secretary, Martin Cox in discussion with retired Cabinet Secretary, Avril Gollop at the launch of the Caribbean Leadership Project’s Leadership Development Programme.??(C.Pitt/BGIS)?? |
Leaders in the public and private sectors should not only "keep abreast" of modern leadership techniques, but, also implement them to "achieve optimum results in their organisations".
This was underscored by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Martin Cox, as he addressed the launch of the Caribbean Leadership Project’s Leadership Development Programme (LDP) at the Cave Hill School of Business today.
Affirming Government’s support of the programme which aims to provide assistance to public service leaders across the region, Mr. Cox deemed it as a "timely training initiative".
"It comes at a time when resources are limited due in part to the prevailing global economic crisis…It also comes at a time when the need to have trained personnel in leadership positions is most evident and critical," the Permanent Secretary noted.
Addressing the 24 participating Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers and Directors from 12 CARICOM countries, he pointed out that their collaboration was expected to facilitate leadership development.
"It is a well-known fact that having the right persons in charge can have a positive impact on organisational effectiveness and, therefore, national development… Your involvement in the project could very well be the catalyst that ignites the development of leading organisations within the public sector," he stated.
Mr. Cox added that the necessary skills to effectively respond to evolving Caribbean communities, must also be developed, and he encouraged the participants to share their individual experiences. This, he said, would "facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas and build regional networks that will only strengthen with the passage of time."
The first module of the LDP will continue until February 1 at the Cave Hill School of Business. It aims to develop the leaders’ capacity to contribute more effectively to regional integration, economic growth and gender-sensitive public sector reform.
Countries participating in the project are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.