Public Service Minister Dr Jenifer Westford said that, during 2010, the ministry delivered 14 trained scientists to the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International, Dr Westford said this was one of the ministry’s main accomplishments, and it is in keeping with that ministry’s mandate to provide trained professionals to the public service workforce. “In 2010, we have been able to fulfil the one area that we are very proud of, especially for the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Institute. We have been able to give them 14 scientists, and that is a very important area.”
She also mentioned that most of the training done was in agriculture, which is being spotlighted as a very integral area in terms of placing Guyana on the map as it pertains to foreign exchange earnings.
The Public Service Ministry would normally enter into negotiations with the various government agencies and, based on their developmental programmes, would provide training.
“They would say to us ‘for us to fulfil our mandate, we need 10 agronomists or 10 agriculturalists’, so we would go out there and seek those scholarships and send persons to train,” the public service minister said.
She noted that the ministry has also returned trained doctors, persons in the veterinary field and in the civil engineering department.
Dr Westford disclosed that most agencies in the regions now have access to civil engineers who can oversee works that were previously open to substandard contractors.
“You know, we’ve always had the problem of having professionals to ensure that we have value for money where we were doing buildings — not properly done perhaps because it was not monitored — but now we have civil engineers there.”
Speaking on the issue of customer service, Dr Westford noted that the level of quality service within the public sector has been satisfactory, but attitudes of public servants must not be determined by their salary scales. She stated that, across the world, relations between members of the public and public servants have left much to be desired.
“I agree that conditions of service are very important. But I don’t think the amount of money someone gets has anything to do with service they provide. I think it’s a matter of pride, irrespective of salary scale, to give the service that is expected of you,” Dr Westford said.
She related that the ministry offers 21 courses to staff at different levels through the Public Service Management Training Division, which deals with customer service and professionalism.
Apart from the human resource component, the ministry is responsible for managing the affairs and performance of the traditional as well as the nontraditional sectors, including semi-autonomous agencies within the public service.
Dr Westford explained that the Public Service Ministry would assist managerially to advise and formulate new structures that work be effective, based on their policy changes and developmental activities.
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