Newly-appointed Minister of Public Administration Allyson West said that participation was the key to developing and managing public policy.
Public Administration Minister Allyson West (center) flanked by PS Joan Mendez (left) and Dr. David Akopyan (right)
Ms. West made these comments during her feature address yesterday, at the launch of the Community of Practice for Policy Development and Management in the Civil Service. West added, “I encourage you members today to share with each other. Share your tips; share your lessons learned; share your resources. We have provided a platform for you to do this, so use it well.” She urged the audience of public service professionals and Government stakeholders to remain committed to providing results-oriented collaborations through the sharing of knowledge. This, she said, will further benefit citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
Public Administration Minister Allyson West
West said that the development of public policy did not only include the research and initial discussion stage where the drafting of the policy occurs, but also the consultative stage where feedback is sought. Only after all these stages occur, will the policy document be created and implemented. West noted that the final stage is evaluation, where the impact of the policy is examined.
Under its remit, the Ministry of Public Administration (MPA) is charged with the
responsibility of Public Service modernisation. The Ministry provides Public Service employees with networking and capacity building (training) opportunities which translate into tangible returns for taxpayers. In keeping with their remit, the Ministry has already established Communities of Practice for Human Resource Management and ICT, and has identified Policy Development and Management as the next critical area for achieving key successes in the modernisation drive.
The main objective of the establishment of a Community of Practice is to build a more coordinated, cohesive and standardized approach to policy formulation and management within the Public Service.
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