Friday, December 18, 2009BVI Civil Servants Certified

GISTop Managers Now Certified In Strategic Management

Nine senior civil servants are now certified in strategic management following their successful completion of an intense year-long top managers’ professional diploma programme.

The pilot programme, which started in June 2008, included the financial secretary, permanent secretaries, deputy secretaries and assistant secretaries, and covered three modules: strategic positioning, strategic planning and strategic implementation.

Delivered by instructors from McKechnies Limited, a management and training consultancy company based in the United Kingdom, the nine senior officers benefitted from a series of classroom sessions. They also completed two major projects comprising of strategic and implementation plans which were externally assessed by markers from the Chartered Management Institute in the United Kingdom and Mckechnies Limited.

Participants completed the programme in October and were awarded the Chartered Management Institute Level Seven Executive Diploma in Strategic Management. His Excellency the Governor David Pearey and the Deputy Governor Mrs. V. Inez Archibald presented the diplomas during a reception held at Government House in early December.

“The top managers’ professional development programme without a doubt has helped to strengthen the government’s human resource capacity and now the public service has a cadre of professionals who can assist with setting strategic direction,” Director of Human Resources Mr. David Archer said.

The programme’s objectives and learning outcomes included managing personal development; understanding organisational development; managing information and decision-making; organisational communication; managing change, and people and performance.

The successful civil servants are Financial Secretary Mr. Neil Smith, Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Mrs. Rosalie Adams, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture Mrs. Sheila Brathwaite, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Mrs. Petrona Davies, Acting Chief Physical Planning Officer Mrs. Marva Titley Smith, Deputy Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s Office Ms. Arlene Smith, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Development Mrs. Carolyn Stoutt-Igwe, Director of Communications in the Premier’s Office Ms. Sandra Ward and Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour Mrs. Jennifer Hodge Penn.

The top managers’ professional programme is a component of the Department of Human Resource’s 2009 work plan which focuses on succession planning. It also serves as the foundation for similar programmes designed to enhance the current management skills of other top and senior managers.

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